Session

A healthy and vibrant culture with deep and lasting connections driving progress for your company and your career is not only possible but even preferable from the comfort of wherever you happen to have your laptop open at the time.

Many of us were forced into remote work during the pandemic with an extremely steep learning curve, and not everyone has adjusted to this new normal. We had to grapple with unreliable VPN connections, choppy Zoom calls, blurred lines between day and night, and work and home while trying to be self-motivated and self-guided. Leaders had to rapidly switch their techniques from on-prem to cloud management and companies were forced to rely on a workforce that they believed could not possibly be as productive from home as from the office. The dust is now settling, remote work is here to stay and with it, we need to relearn how to grow teams, monitor productivity, develop careers, and establish team cultures all without daily in-office interactions. My fully remote career started in 2013 when I gave birth to my first child, and consciously chose to switch companies and prioritize my values. I chose remote when most companies assumed that remote workers didn’t actually work and that strict supervision during established working hours of nine to five was required for productivity. Through trial and error, and with unwavering support from my boss, I quickly progressed into leadership roles. Continuing in a remote capacity ever since, I have guided several teams through growth and acquisition all while overcoming resistance to change to establish a productive inclusive, caring, and collaborating culture. I would like to share the dos and don’ts of remote work that I have learned and how I make cohesive, collaborative, and successful teams time and time again.