Are you a team player, or do you ride alone?

[Gabriele]

While we are all remote workers, our experiences aren't all the same. 

Sharing experiences with friends, some striking differences came up, one of the most impactful being the difference in experience between those of us who work closely with other colleagues or even broad teams and those who work mostly alone and sometimes fully asynchronously. 

So which kind of remote worker are you? And does your way of working match your needs and personality?

[Roxane]

I absolutely adore my freedom working remotely @Gabriele however I really miss going to the office, discussing problems to solve with colleagues face to face, stopping for coffee breaks and grabbing lunch! The social element of it I guess!

[Gabriele]

I feel the same way, @Roxane. I enjoy the freedom and autonomy of working remotely on my own schedule, but I occasionally miss the social aspect of teamwork and direct connections. (Luckily, I get to hang out with some colleagues after work every now and then :))

[Jess]

I enjoy working remotely and changing my remote office environment frequently. It gives me that creative spark to get the juices flowing, and I find myself most productive when I move around - versus sitting still in a stale place. I do miss the in-person team building, bonding, and brainstorming though. 🌎 💞

[KenWhiskey]

For me, it's always about being a team player. Life alone is OK but teamwork is the salt and pepper that makes life tasty.

[Gabriele]

@KenWhiskey , do you have any unique tips on how to build those team bonds while working remotely?

[KenWhiskey]

Hmm... let me think about that. I look into the vastness of the universe and galaxies for an answer.

Ah ha! The answer has come.

Make time to meet in person if possible. Play a game together. Go on a mission together. Learn something together.

What has worked well for me is to talk over the phone with your gang to discuss what's going on in each other's lives if they feel comfortable about it.

How was that? What ideas do you have in mind? Let's hear it.

[Gabriele]

Valid suggestions I think. The meeting in person aspect is not easy when working in very distributed teams, though. As far as the phone call you mention, that actually brings up a habit I used to have with colleagues that I should probably pick up again: walking meetings.

Instead of sitting in front of a screen for meetings, unless it was necessary, I would go out for a walk and treat it like a phone call. I find it very useful in reducing meeting fatigue.

[HungryWolf]

It depends on how the work environment is set up, there are some businesses that have great inside communities and although everyone is separate, the connection is strong.

You can send messages or even do a quick chat with a colleague to solve a problem or address an issue so the feeling of being "alone" is not there.

Other companies pretty much leave you alone, this is good also as you set your time and simply deliver your work on time, but interaction with others is minimal, that's why this Deel community is such a great idea, remote workers can get together and talk about anything