Working Remotely: Together, Alone
Working remotely is a much-loved perk of working in this industry. However, it’s no secret that working outside of the office for an extended period can be isolating.
This uninterrupted time of focus is often the very reason it’s savored. Most would agree that the ability to decrease distractions is an elusive ideal in this pinging and blinking digital world.
But how much time away is ideal for close-working teams? How do you measure this?
Humans naturally prefer to maintain some degree of contact with their ‘tribe,’ (our modern social circles) which stems from a protective instinct with deep biological roots. The power of groups and these biological mechanisms have been a major point of interest of scientists for many years. Positive reinforcement from our peers compounded over days, months and years is so powerful that it can actually insulate physical health and improve psychological wellbeing. The immune system gets a boost so that it can combat illness more effectively, and even against disease like high blood pressure (which are exacerbated by stress).
Patients with addictive disorders recover faster in group therapy vs. individual therapy and not surprisingly, recover more easily and report higher levels of satisfaction and wellbeing as the level of their social support increases. Studies show that going through difficult experiences - even with complete strangers - can positively impact our ability to cope. A group can offer insight, compassion, and a sense of belongingness – a united feeling of “we-ness.” By telling our narratives we find meaning in life’s shared struggles. It instills hope when others identify with our stories and hear living proof of overcoming similar challenges.
“Positive reinforcement from our peers compounded over days, months and years is so powerful that it can actually insulate physical health and improve psychological wellbeing.”
On a smaller level, our daily interactions consist of many unspoken norms that occur outside of conscious awareness. These dynamics can be found in every type of system from families and friends to larger cultural and religious groups.
So how could this affect our interactions with coworkers?
For one, working outside the office removes any opportunity for interactions that may buffer us from stressful situations in our environment.
Imagine receiving negative feedback and in the first scenario you’re working remotely and there’s no one to discuss this criticism with. Maybe you worked extra late to make this deadline, and the criticism comes as a shock since you carefully reviewed the client’s requirements. Maybe you brush it off without batting an eyelash, chalking it up to something outside your control. Most likely though, given your sincere effort the criticism lingers a bit.
The simple act of someone in your "tribe" acknowledging the situation validates your experience and can help soften the impact of criticism.
In the second scenario, you’re in the office when you receive the feedback – for the entire team to hear. While this scenario sounds uncomfortable, even in a moderately supportive environment several positive interactions may unfold. A senior designer may be able to normalize the situation, providing support through a different perspective. The simple act of someone in your "tribe" acknowledging the situation validates your experience and can help soften the impact of criticism
This behavior modeled by other team members can even promote altruistic tendencies within the team, creating a positive, cyclical impact (think paying it forward, but not as obvious). These instances don’t only reinforce the idea that our team has our back, but translates to improved ability to manage stress, and increased resilience in the face of setbacks, even outside of work.
If you’ve gotten this far into the article, you’d think we’re advocating against working remotely? Nope.
On the contrary, during these unprecedented times of social distancing and isolation, we’re desperately trying to embrace a new way of working without disregarding all of the proven benefits of the in-person ‘tribe’ effect we’ve been discussing.
So here are a few practical ways to implement a healthier remote culture for the long-term.
1. Schedule short yet consistent video chats to stay connected
A beginning-of-week standup
A mid-week mindset checkin
An end-of-week retro
2. Schedule 1 ‘fun’ virtual gathering per month to build relationships
Virtual happy hour
Virtual movie night or tv show watch party
3. Leverage chat tools like Slack to create topic-specific channels
#Random-non-business (this is the virtual water color area to keep things light and social. Think meme, gifs, random articles, etc.)
What are some ways you’ve developed genuine, lasting culture in your team during these remote times?
