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A lot has changed in the last few years-- with modern tools (Skype, Google Hangouts, IRC, GotoMeeting), it is possible to not only almost entirely replicate bei

by grishas 14y ago

A lot has changed in the last few years-- with modern tools (Skype, Google Hangouts, IRC, GotoMeeting), it is possible to not only almost entirely replicate being co-located, but to even enhance productivity by spinning out ad-hoc co-located teams to solve individual problems. Need to have a concentrated task force from 5 various departments? No problem, it's a click away-- no need to book a meeting room, take all your gear (disrupting your workspace) and try to collaborate away from your desk in a mutual location. Currently I sit beside people working that I previously worked on the same project with, but have now slightly diverged from. Trying to come up with a perfectly co-located office plan wouldn't work, because some number of people couldn't help but be misplaced. Not to mention we'd have to do it every few days!

NateDad 14y ago
This. There's free technology to solve most of the remote workers' problems.
corresation 14y ago
This really is the most important facet to this discussion. Virtually all arguments against remote work seem as if they come from the archaic past. If people being physically separated actually hurts communications, you are doing communications wrong. Not to mention that most productivity studies are bunk. The real reason many so many managers resist remote work is because, effectively, they want a fiefdom, and the exercise is often about empire building. An empire of a bunch of Google Talk connections isn't as impressive as a bunch of huddled seat warmers.
adrianhoward 14y ago
A lot has changed in the last few years-- with modern tools (Skype, Google Hangouts, IRC, GotoMeeting), it is possible to not only almost entirely replicate being co-located, but to even enhance productivity by spinning out ad-hoc co-located teams to solve individual problems. The evidence from folk who study this seems to differ from this. The world is full of anecdotes about how much better things are with the newer technologies - yet I can very little evidence that this is true. I know I'm really good at fooling myself about my own productivity. I don't imagine I'm unique there ;-) And my personal anecdotal experiences over the years (including recent ones ;-) is that you can really ramp up productivity by getting everybody on a distributed team in one place. Even when everybody is normally skyping / IMing / whatever.

by grishas 14y ago

NateDad 14y ago

This. There's free technology to solve most of the remote workers' problems.

corresation 14y ago

This really is the most important facet to this discussion. Virtually all arguments against remote work seem as if they come from the archaic past. If people being physically separated actually hurts communications, you are doing communications wrong. Not to mention that most productivity studies are bunk. The real reason many so many managers resist remote work is because, effectively, they want a fiefdom, and the exercise is often about empire building. An empire of a bunch of Google Talk connections isn't as impressive as a bunch of huddled seat warmers.

adrianhoward 14y ago

A lot has changed in the last few years-- with modern tools (Skype, Google Hangouts, IRC, GotoMeeting), it is possible to not only almost entirely replicate being co-located, but to even enhance productivity by spinning out ad-hoc co-located teams to solve individual problems. The evidence from folk who study this seems to differ from this. The world is full of anecdotes about how much better things are with the newer technologies - yet I can very little evidence that this is true. I know I'm really good at fooling myself about my own productivity. I don't imagine I'm unique there ;-) And my personal anecdotal experiences over the years (including recent ones ;-) is that you can really ramp up productivity by getting everybody on a distributed team in one place. Even when everybody is normally skyping / IMing / whatever.