Remote Work Productivity

Most in-office mandates are not well-grounded in data. At Atlassian, we take an evidence-based approach to our work policy. We trust our employees to choose where they can deliver their best work, every day. And our data tells us it’s working. I spoke with Brody Ford and Matthew Boyle about what that means: - We have access to a broader pool of diverse talent. After implementing Team Anywhere, the percentage of our remote hires (2+ hours from an office) jumped from 14% to 54%. - We see no evidence of decreased productivity. Preliminary research shows that our most productive teams are actually those distributed across ~4 timezones. - Our research shows teams don’t need to be in an office 260 business days per year to feel connected and be productive. In fact, bringing teams together with intention just 3 times per year has a greater impact on connection than regular office attendance. Atlassians report high levels of satisfaction. 92% agree that “The flexibility to work from anywhere allows me to do my best work.” Read more from my interview with Bloomberg. ⬇️

What’s killing your remote team’s productivity? Here’s a hint: It’s not about working harder. I worked with a lifestyle brand whose remote team was drowning: 1. Scattered across time zones. 2. Slack pings out of control. 3. Deadlines slipping through the cracks. The team was frustrated. Leadership was stressed. Everyone felt stuck. In just 30 days, we turned it around and boosted productivity by 20%. Here’s how you can, too: 1. Map every role to a clear outcome. ↳No more "Who owns this?" Everyone knew what they were responsible for. 2. Ditch "online hours" and focus on outcomes. ↳When we stopped tracking time and started tracking results, trust skyrocketed. 3. Cut redundant tools. ↳Dropping from six apps to two made decision-making faster. 4. Hold brief daily stand-ups. ↳A quick 10-minute check-in ended the constant Slack chaos and brought clarity to the whole team. I’ve seen this time and again: remote chaos doesn’t mean failure. With the right steps, your team can thrive. P.S. What’s been the biggest challenge with your remote team?

Final post in my mini-series about organizational health and remote-first culture: work practices that enable distributed work are also good for your company in other, place-agnostic ways. In this final example I'll share one specific practice from the McKinsey #OHI framework, which is featured in an article I discovered while working with my fully-remote client on their #organizationalhealth assessment. If you read any posts or reports from the many thought leaders here, and generous resources shared by remote-first advocate companies, you'll see a lot about creating a culture of writing things down. This includes low-context communications, centralized handbooks, #asynchronous voice/video, and other means to enable transfer and independent recall of knowledge. One of the 43 OHI practices is just that -- knowledge sharing -- and it's related to the outcome of #innovation and #learning, which supports how an organization renews/resets its vision and direction. The question that OHI asks on this topic is basically this: how frequently do you see leaders encouraging people to share learnings across teams? So it's not surprising that companies doing the fully or remote-first thing tend to be really, really, really good at #knowledgesharing...because if they were not, the whole house of cards would come tumbling down. In fact, the client we studied basically set the highest bar for this question McKinsey had ever seen. Seriously. But that's still not the coolest part. Early in the pandemic, our org scientists looked to see what practices were most helpful to preventing financial disruption (i.e., enabling #resilience) which is a nice way of saying probability of bankruptcy. What practice topped the list? You guessed it: knowledge sharing. So, as I have said throughout this thread: even if your company wants people sat next to each other most of the time, they should still be adopting the ways of working that enable flexible and distributed work. Don't fight #remotework , learn from those who are good at it. #futureofwork #flexiblework #agility #leadership #culture

Work isn't going "remote" — but it is increasingly distributed. And we're not training leaders for that reality. Most teams in organizations past startup phase now span cities, time zones, and work styles. Yet only 25% of managers receive training on leading distributed teams, according to research by Kate Lister and TechSmith. The gap is costly: projects stall, alignment breaks down, and high performers get frustrated when leaders default to proximity-based management. The fix isn't return-to-office; these teams are spread out. It's distributed leadership skills. My latest taps Sacha Connor for her expertise (there's a bit of Rosie Sargeant and Debbie Lovich in this too). Here are 3 tactical approaches that work: 🔸 Prioritize cross-functional project teams: These drive business results, but they need working norms fast. Spend time upfront establishing how decisions get made and how progress gets shared. 🔸 Start by getting clear on goals: Get aligned on how you'll measure success before diving into processes. You'll be surprised how wide the gap is between what people think they're working toward. 🔸 Master progress tracking and influence building: Leaders need visibility into work, regardless of location. Team members need to understand how to build credibility and influence when they're not in the same room. Bottom line: The future of work isn't about where people sit — it's about how effectively they collaborate across distance and difference. 👉 Read more on the training gap: https://lnkd.in/gBq87DBB What's the biggest challenge you've seen with distributed team leadership? #Leadership #Distributed #FutureOfWork #Management

Apparently working from home is still #controversial enough to warrant an ongoing debate… Interestingly, the debate isn’t: “WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH ALL OF THIS LEASED OFFICE SPACE IN PRIME LOCATIONS?!?!” But instead: “Can employees be trusted to get their work done if left unsupervised?!” And the #RTO mandates (and justifications) are focused on efficiency, productivity and optimization. To that end, #Barron’s recently published an article on the impact of remote work on productivity. The article sites the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which stated that 1/3 of Americans worked from home in 2022 (+25% from 2019). However, the data also revealed that those WFH employees logged 2.5 hours less per day than those in the office. And hours worked = productivity! Right? RIGHT?! 🙄 Nah. Let’s break it down: 🕒 Time is Not the Sole Indicator of #Success: #WFH has highlighted that outcomes can't be measured by the number of hours logged. Because remote work allows employees to optimize their productivity - leveraging peak hours of focus and creativity - it leads to increased efficiency. Let's not forget that #quality output trumps #quantity output. 💡 Empowering #Efficiency with #Technology: We all work in #tech now, it’s become a seamless part of our everyday existence (and it’s only going to expand, I’m looking at you #AI). Don’t be scared, technology is a friend - making remote collaboration seamless and instantaneous. It also empowers us to connect with colleagues across borders, fostering diversity and new perspectives. By removing the physical barriers of the office, we create an environment where creativity and innovation #thrive. 💚 Nurturing #MentalHealth & #Wellbeing: WFH has also positively impacted mental health. The flexibility to create a personalized work environment, minimize commuting stress, and maintain a better work-life balance (lunch w/ kids/partners/pets) - all significantly affect our emotional wellbeing. 🌈 Embracing #Neurodivergence with #Inclusivity: Remote work champions diversity and inclusion, offering a level playing field for #neurodivergent workers (#ADHD 🙋🏻♂️ holla!). For those with different processing styles, the home environment allows for adaptations that may not be possible in a traditional office setup. Embracing neurodiversity not only enhances productivity, it fosters a more empathetic and understanding workplace. ⚖️ Striking the Perfect Work-Life Balance: Remote work empowers employees to better integrate their personal and professional lives. It enables workers to be present for life's key moments while staying dedicated to their careers. Feel free to come at me on any of the above - that’s a worthwhile debate IMHO - but let’s please stop making arguments for RTO by twisting arbitrary data to fit a false narrative. What do you think? Are you pro-RTO? Pro-WFH? Pro-hybrid? -- #remotework #flexiblework #diversityandinclusion #worklifebalance #returntooffice #workfromhome

“Remote Workers Are Unmotivated, Unproductive and Lazy” Let’s Set the Record Straight. Lately some high-profile executives have been saying that remote work leads to lower engagement, decreased productivity, and a lack of motivation. As the Founder and CEO of a fully remote, work-from-anywhere global organization, I strongly disagree. Yes… keeping employees motivated, connected, and engaged in a remote environment takes effort, but it’s absolutely possible. In fact, when done right, I believe remote teams can outperform in-office ones. At Hire With Jarvis we’ve built a strong remote culture through intentional strategies, including: ⭐ Daily Team Stand-Ups → Short, focused check-ins to align priorities, share progress, and remove roadblocks. This ensures seamless collaboration across our global remote team. 🎤 Weekly Town Halls and Kahoot! Games → Keeping things interactive, fun, and engaging. 📈 Company-Wide “Salesfloor” Chat → A space to discuss clients, revenue pipeline, and celebrate wins together. ☕ “Water Cooler” Chat → A dedicated place for lighthearted conversations about current events, TV shows, and personal milestones. 📚 “Jarvis Learning Lab” → A self-paced upskilling program featuring mini-courses, industry insights, expert-led sessions, and cohort-based learning groups designed to foster peer collaboration, mentorship, and real-time skill development. 🚀 Personalized Growth Plans → Structured career paths with clear benchmarks for growth, mentorship, and leadership development. 🔎 Radical Transparency in Performance → We track key inputs and outputs for every role, focusing on outcomes, ensuring real-time visibility into performance metrics. This data-driven approach empowers our team with clear goals, accountability, and a direct line of sight into how their contributions drive business success. But motivation and engagement are always evolving. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution and it’s an ongoing process. I’d love to hear what works for you: How do you stay motivated and/or keep your team engaged when working fully remote? Let’s share ⬇️ what works and help each other build stronger, more connected remote teams.

I’m excited to share a new paper just published in Organization Science with my co-authors, Melissa Valentine, Katherine DeCelles, and Justin Berg. For years before the pandemic, remote workers were treated like second-class citizens. 👕 Pajama jokes came easy. 💭 Assumptions came even easier: less committed, less hard working, less promotable. And that was despite solid research from folks like Nick Bloom and Prithwiraj Choudhury linking remote work to a host of benefits, including higher productivity. But the "status gap" between remote workers and in-office workers was deeply entrenched. Then the world went remote. And suddenly, something shifted. We studied employees who'd been working remotely pre-pandemic inside office-first cultures. As they watched their colleagues experience remote work, many for the first time, they described seeing the "playing field level out." The surprising part? At the core, it wasn’t about adopting new technologies. Too often, leaders treat technology like a magic fix: ✅ Install Slack. ✅ Roll out Zoom. ✅ Problem solved. Remote worker "inclusion" is reduced to a software rollout. But at the core, the shift wasn’t about new tools. It was about *how* people used them. Before the pandemic, most of these organizations ran on what we call an “in-person default.” The office was the center of gravity. Digital tools were more like duct tape: patched on for remote folks. Then the default broke: 🟣 Teams started using async by default. Remote workers no longer had to prove they were “always digitally on.” Green dots stopped being proxies for productivity. And loyalty. 🟣 Decisions were documented, not whispered in hallways. Remote workers spent less time hunting for scraps of secondhand intel. 🟣 Digital tools became places to connect, not just coordinate. Remote workers didn’t just dial in—they belonged. And with those shifts, remote workers gained relative status in their orgs. Many remote work critics still confuse proximity with presence. And presence with productivity. Tossing Slack and Zoom at the problem doesn't fix the problem. ✅ It’s about designing for async by default—in both remote and hybrid orgs ✅ Making work documented and accessible (easier than ever with AI) ✅ Using virtual tools for connection, not just coordination I’m grateful to all our participants for sharing their experiences, to our wonderful Senior Editor Mandy O’Neill, and to the distributed work experts who I've learned so much from over the years: Prithwiraj Choudhury, Jen Rhymer, Paul Leonardi, Pamela Hinds, Nick Bloom, Tsedal Neeley, Justin Harlan and the Tulsa Remote team, Sacha Connor, Brian Elliott, Michael Arena, Lauren Pasquarella Daley, PhD, 🧚🏻♀️ Rowena (Ro) Hennigan, Lisette Sutherland, Hancheng Cao, Phil Kirschner, Daan van Rossum, Danielle Farage, Kelly Monahan, Ph.D., Nick Sonnenberg, Annie Dean, Molly Sands, PhD, Laurel Farrer, and many, many others. Link to the full paper in the comments👇

Remote work didn’t ruin work. It revealed the parts that were already broken. In the office, you could get by without: → Documenting real processes → Communicating clearly and consistently → Thinking through async vs "another quick meeting" → Creating real transparency around who’s doing what and why But remote work? Remote work doesn’t let the BS slide. If your systems are weak, your communication sloppy, or your expectations fuzzy... It shows. Fast. Here’s the reality: - 59% of employees say poor communication is their biggest barrier to productivity. - 40%+ of remote workers say unclear processes slow them down more than any tool or technology issue. - Teams with strong documentation practices are 23% more likely to hit their performance goals. Remote work forces teams to work better: Clearer. Sharper. Smarter. And honestly? That’s exactly what companies should have been doing all along. That’s why conferences like Running Remote matter. Because the future of work isn't about where you sit. It’s about building systems strong enough that location doesn't matter anymore. Alignment. Clarity. Connection. That's the real future of work. The week is upon us...Running Remote starts now!!!! Sources: 1. Pumble Workplace Communication Statistics 2023 2. GitLab Remote Work Report 2021 3. Buffer State of Remote Work 2023 #RemoteWork #DistributedTeams #RunningRemote #InternalComms #KnowledgeManagement

I was talking with a senior director in customer service recently and he shared his experience after two years of testing remote work. The results? A resounding YES, with some key insights along the way. Like anything, WFH comes with both benefits and challenges. But when implemented well, the benefits are hard to ignore: (this is the real data!) ✅ Absenteeism decreased by 24% – Employees who would have taken a full day off now request just an hour or two, benefiting both them and the company. ✅ Retention improved, turnover decreased – Less stress from commuting meant employees stayed in roles longer, reducing strain on hiring teams. ✅ Cost savings for employees – Gas, parking, and daily commuting expenses were significantly reduced, especially in high-cost states. ✅ Increased productivity – Call center employees' average talk time jumped from 4-5 hours to 6.5+ hours per day. ✅ Easier scheduling – No more “I’m not in the office at that time.” Meetings between East and West Coast teams became much smoother. ✅ WFH as an incentive – Employees who exceeded KPIs could remain remote, while those falling short returned to the office. This system was self-managing. ✅ Problem-solving skills improved – Without immediate access to coworkers, employees became more resourceful and independent, a crucial skill in customer-facing roles. ✅ Earlier start times – No commute meant employees were more willing to start at 6:00 or 7:00 AM, boosting efficiency. ✅ Expanded recruiting reach – With remote capabilities, they could hire top talent from anywhere, filling roles from the Bay Area to Texas and Florida. Of course, success didn't happen overnight. Investing in the right CRM and dashboards helped leaders effectively manage and support their teams. The takeaway? When done right, WFH isn’t just a perk, it’s a powerful business strategy. I don't think its for everyone or every company in every situation, but I personally appreciate it when this is my work view for a couple hours each day! How has remote work impacted your team? Good or bad, I’d love to hear your thoughts! 👇 #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #Leadership #EmployeeRetention #FutureOfWork

Time management is dead. (And top leaders know it.) After implementing systems with 100+ leadership teams, I've noticed a shift: The best leaders don't track time. They track impact. The old way: • 9-5 attendance • Hours logged • Activity metrics The new way: • Clear outcomes • Weekly metrics • Freedom to execute Here's a real-world example: Had a client stuck at $5M revenue for 2 years. Working 80-hour weeks. Tracking everything. We flipped the script: • Killed time tracking • Set 3 weekly outcomes • Measured only revenue drivers 90 days later: → Revenue up 31% → Team working 15 fewer hours/week → Retention improved 40% The breakthrough formula? 1. Pick your 90-day priorities (If it's not driving revenue, it shouldn't be priority) 2. Track only 3-5 numbers and track them • Leading indicator (e.g. proposals sent) • Lagging indicator (e.g. revenue) 3. Give your team freedom • No clock watching • No location requirements • Just let them hit the numbers Remember: Time tracking creates robots. Impact tracking creates leaders. Your competition is still watching the clock. What are you watching? -- ♻️ Reshare to help another leader improve their company's culture ➕ Follow me, Mark O'Donnell, for more insights on how to improve your revenue by empowering your people ✉️ Sign up for my newsletter to get exclusive tips & tricks for improving your revenue 👉 https://lnkd.in/gGxR5nFU