Transitioning your company from onsite to distributed isn’t an easy task.
But it’s not impossible when you have a clear plan. Part of that plan should be to take note of the strengths of being onsite and ask how you can consciously replicate those when you go remote.
An onsite location has two main strengths:
- Connection – because you see each other every day and are able to make small talk by the water cooler, it forges a strong interpersonal bond among employees.
- Clarity – all the necessary information is in the same room at all times and you don’t have to worry about scheduling, time zone differences, etc.
When you go distributed, be aware of these two strengths and focus on ways to make them happen. Document your systems clearly online, communicate frequently, and strive to find ways to forge interpersonal bonds.
Going remote has many strengths, and you’ll only be more successful when you can integrate the strengths of co-locating.