Remote Work and Async: What's Stuck and What's Changed
🎯 The Shift
Remote work went from exception to norm. But making it work well is still evolving.
✅ What's Working
1. Async-First Communication
Teams that default to async (Slack, email, docs) work better than those trying to replicate in-person meetings.
2. Written Documentation
Remote teams document everything. Decisions, processes, and knowledge live in docs, not in people's heads.
3. Flexible Schedules
People work when they're productive. Overlap hours for collaboration, but not 9-to-5.
⚠️ What's Still Hard
1. Building Relationships
It's harder to build trust and relationships remotely. Casual conversations matter, but they're harder to have.
2. Onboarding
Getting new team members up to speed is harder remotely. You can't just walk over and ask questions.
3. Spontaneous Collaboration
Some problems are solved in hallway conversations. Remote teams miss that.
💡 What I've Learned
- Document everything: If it's not written down, it doesn't exist
- Default to async: Use meetings only when necessary
- Over-communicate: What feels like too much is probably right
- Create space for connection: Virtual coffee chats, team channels
🔄 The Future
Remote work is here to stay. The teams that figure out async communication and documentation will win.
💭 My Take
Remote work isn't going away. The question isn't whether to do it, but how to do it well.
Async-first, documentation-heavy, relationship-conscious. That's the model that works.