I started working “remotely” at Mighty in 2018, though it wasn’t exactly by design.
At the time, Mighty was a small startup tucked into the corner of a two-floor office shared with a larger company.
I make the most impact when I'm able to do deep, focused work, so to get some uninterrupted time, I’d grab my laptop, monitor, mouse, and headphones and march to a quiet, under-construction corner of the building.
It wasn’t glamorous, but it worked! In hindsight, it was my first taste of “remote” work.
Fast forward six years, and I’ve since worked in both hybrid and fully remote roles.
What I’ve learned along the way is that the principles for excelling at remote work are strikingly similar to what makes someone effective in an in-person setting.
It’s all about clarity, communication, and intentionality.
Read on for the habits and principles that have helped me excel while working remotely 👇
Clear, Constant Communication
- Over-communicate - Share progress updates, context, and any potential blockers. If in doubt, err on the side of sharing too much rather than too little.
- Always Keep the Ball Moving - Be proactive. Whether it’s responding to messages, unblocking teammates, or sharing user feedback, don’t let tasks stall.
- Clear handoffs - Clearly document next steps and the DRI when passing off work.
- Make agreements, don't hold expectations - An expectation is when you have a strong belief that something will happen. Expectation lives inside of you. Agreements dissolve assumptions and expectations.
Be Intentional with Meetings
- Clear, routine meetings - These create a business rhythm that keeps everyone aligned.
- Purpose, Agenda, Length (PAL) - Every meeting must have a PAL, no exceptions. Start meetings with a reminder of the PAL. "The purpose is X, to achieve that we will Y with Z minutes."
- Pre-Work - Prep the pre-work and build a culture where folks actually do the pre-work so that the meeting can be used for advancing the work, not recapping it.
Building Relationships takes Intention
- Leave space for organic conversations - Free-flowing discussion is often needed. Recognize when that's the case and let it happen instead of trying to control the agenda.
- Create opportunities for non-work communication - Use Slack channels, virtual coffee chats, or team-building activities to foster relationship.
- Prioritize routine, intentional in-person time - These moments deeply matter for building trust and camaraderie.
It requires a culture of documentation
- Default to clear, concise writing - Prose takes far too much energy to write and understand. Make liberal use of bulleted lists.
- Decisions must be well-documented - Clearly explain what’s being decided and why. This helps keep everyone aligned. RAPID / SCQA are my favorite frameworks.
- Thoughtful responses are critical - Take the time to read carefully and provide meaningful feedback to docs shared with you.
GitLab's Guide to All-Remote is a fantastic resource.
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