I recently read an Observer article about working remotely I found interesting. The thing that stood out the most was that many of the lessons, when generalised, were applicable to most workers not just those working remotely.

Hire ONLY Good People (fire the ones you can’t trust)

This is pretty obvious I would say, if more applicable for a remote business for the reasons outlined in the article. As a counter to this, it’s difficult to know who will thrive without supervision. Many capable workers have been micromanaged for so long they don’t know there’s another way. They’ve been bitten so often for taking initiative that the default answer in the face of indecision is “better push this up the chain”.

Hire Doers, Not Dreamers

Also a good point, one of the best quotes of the article appears here:

If the candidate isn’t already self-motivated to get stuff done, they aren’t going to magically become a doer because you hire them.

The issue I would take with this is that these are not mutually exclusive. Just because someone is a dreamer doesn’t mean they aren’t a doer. I would say that I fit into both camps. I can both knuckle down and get things done but also dream about the future and work towards long term goals.

Expand Your Definition Of “Work”

I would say this is the most important section in the article. I’m starting to see this shift coming through the agile movement as well. For example, EP 103 Chasing the dragon of This Agile Life talks about why shouldn’t work be fun? Why is it so ingrained in our culture that work is a negative experience?

I believe there is a huge amount of potential for productivity gains by making this change. Eating as a team, actively taking rest breaks, team social events are all aspects I see as being part of work. I have seen them all result in huge productivity gains. Obviously there has to be a balance, I can’t meditate for the whole working day and expect to be productive. I’m not advocating for that, what I am advocating for is removing stigmas and being open to the idea that work can be fun.

Definitely check out the article, there’s some great information there for everyone; not just for remote business leaders.