The good, the bad, and the sweatpants.
Fun fact: VICTORY Media is a remote company. That means every single one of us works daily from the comfort of our own homes (or a coffee shop, or wherever our work takes us on any given day). Sharing this fact with others usually garners mixed reactions that range from “you’re SO lucky!” to “how DO you do it?”, and in a way, both are spot on.
We are “SO lucky” because the nature of what we do allows us the freedom and flexibility to take our work anywhere. It also allows us to work with amazing clients and partners across the country and the world, not to mention our hiring pool is never limited to just one city; we’re able to ensure we find just the right fit for our team, wherever they may be. So, “how DO we do it?” With the help of some important lessons learned along the way.
Work-life balance is SO important.
This list isn’t written in any particular order, but I did place this one at the top for a reason. At Victory, work-life balance is a top priority, but when your home doubles as your office, it can be difficult to set boundaries. Answering one last e-mail before bed seems harmless when your office is steps from your bedroom, but it’s important to draw the line in the same way you would at any other office. Let colleagues know they won’t be hearing from you after hours, and leave your work at work, so to speak.
Connecting is key.
Despite the distance, the Victory team is extremely tight knit, due in large part to the fact that we make sure to connect daily. We make use of all the tools at our disposal—instant messaging, Google Hangouts, and good ol’ fashion phone calls—for meetings, impromptu brainstorming sessions, and sometimes just to talk about our weekend plans. When we do find ourselves in the same city, you’ll definitely spot us together in the cutest local coffee shop we can find, or an amazing shared workspace (seriously, shared workspaces are the best things since sliced bread).
The same principles apply to our long-distance partners and clients. We make sure to schedule regular phone calls and in-person meetings whenever possible to discuss goals and build relationships.
Your environment matters.
When you think of someone working from home, do you picture them laying in bed with a laptop or working while lounging on the couch? While those are certainly possible scenarios (that I’m sure have manifested themselves once or twice), you learn rather quickly that your level of productivity is directly influenced by your surroundings. Having a private, clean, dedicated workspace that inspires you is so important. Personally, I work best when surrounded by a couple of inspirational quotes, a funny (full) coffee mug, and plenty of post-it notes ready to be scribbled on.
On the flip side, working from home also allows you the flexibility to shake things up and change your environment when in need of inspiration. Wi-fi is now a commodity that can be found almost anywhere, so take advantage!
Schedule. Schedule. Schedule.
When you’re collaborating on projects with a team located miles away, a detailed schedule will be your new BFF. Develop timelines, assign deadlines, and stick to them. At Victory, we use Basecamp, a collaborative, web-based project management software that keeps us all in check.
Sweatpants > business casual.
I don’t think this one needs much explaining.
