@adlrocha - The outcomes of remote work

A thread on its benefits after one year of working from home.

The publication I was working on for this week needs a bit more of work. Instead of publishing it "half baked" today, I am going to delay it to next week. I didn’t have any backup article lined up for today, so I will take the opportunity to share a with you all a thread collecting my thoughts after more than a year working from home. Enjoy!

adlrocha @adlrocha

It's been more than a year since I started working from home and these have been the outcomes so far: 🧵

adlrocha @adlrocha

I am healthier than ever (according to my most recent blood tests): the fact that I can cook my own food every day is doing me a lot of good. No more mandatory trash eating. 🥗

adlrocha @adlrocha

I am fitter than ever, as I am able to consistently work out EVERY SINGLE DAY. I was used to working out daily before, but dedicating the commute time to workout has definitely helped in fitting that slot into my daily schedule. 🏃‍♂️

adlrocha @adlrocha

I am spending more quality time with my friends and family. Working from home has given me the flexibility to visit them more, be there at important events, and help them when "unexpected daily events arise". 👩‍❤️‍👨

adlrocha @adlrocha

I can work with my preferred setup and not the company-imposed (i.e. a shitty table, a horrible chair, an unstable Internet connection, a small screen, and Windows 10 in your laptop. For fuck sake, what are we, monsters?!)

adlrocha @adlrocha

All of this has led me to be more productive than ever, as I finally am the owner of my time (in this, my current company's culture has much to blame, but more on this in a moment). 🛠️

adlrocha @adlrocha

Working from home gives you flexibility. But the right company culture can take you to the next level.

adlrocha @adlrocha

Now I can have what I’ve always targeted: a "predictable" weekly schedule. Every day I have: a morning slot for deep work, a workout slot, a cooking/eating slot, and a few more "me-time" slots. The rest of my “working hours” are free slots where meetings can be scheduled.

adlrocha @adlrocha

Having a predictable schedule is extremely peaceful, and has left my stress levels at rock bottom. Not everyone can afford to do this, but is the benefit of working for a company that respects its employees and encourages them to work in the way in which they are more productive.

adlrocha @adlrocha

Don’t get me wrong, I have worked more in the past year than in my whole career, but I’ve been doing it on my own terms, making it feel more fun than work.

adlrocha @adlrocha

I’ve been reading a lot of arguments against remote working: isolation, anxiety, lack of social interactions, burnout. Honestly, I haven’t experienced any of them, but even if I had, I think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks (at least for me).

adlrocha @adlrocha

I would really have a hard time coming back to the office after this experience. Some companies need offices for their business activity (to host equipment, labs, factories, clients, etc.), for others it is just a way of controlling their workers.

adlrocha @adlrocha

Of course, remote work requires trust in your employees, which means hiring the right people. But once this trust is established, and the right means to enable a remote culture are in place, it works! And is a great way to work for employees

adlrocha @adlrocha

(and potentially cost efficient for employers, but I will leave this analysis for some other day).

adlrocha @adlrocha

I’ve personally been reflecting a lot on remote working, what are your thoughts on the matter?

(PS: This last tweet is a poll. Click on the link to participate and share your thoughts with the tweetaverse. So far, no one wants to come back to an office, not even Apple’s employees. What about you?).

I know, this is not a conventional publication, but I thought it could be fun to share a bunch of a tweets article-like to enhance their readibility. A new experiment for this newsletter, and as always, I would love to know your opinion.

Have you been working from home and want to share your thoughts in this newsletter? Mention me in your tweet storm and I will add your thread here. Let’s collect as many testimonials about remote work as possible. It may help companies rethink their talent retention and adquisition policies (or not). Have a wonderful Sunday!