Taking meetings from the sidewalk

This is a blog post about working remotely and why it's a good idea for businesses to accept this as a way of life for developers and tech workers - and everyone else whose job can be done remotely.

Today I biked with my son to his summer day camp and instead of rushing into an office to join a meeting after dropping him off, I opened Zoom on my phone and joined my regularly scheduled morning meeting. Because I didn't have to hurry into an office building and sit in a boring conference room, I was able to take my time this morning, have a nice bike ride to camp and then walk my bike home through the neighborhood enjoying the summer streets while participating in the conference call taking in the summer morning on the walk back to my home office.

Being able to do this brought so much calm and enjoyment to my morning. I was really embracing that work/life balance that every employer is pushing these days and I think that's how it's actually suppose to be. By having that great moment this morning, I was more energized and positive going into the day.

The flexibility and positive energy that come with the freedoms of working remotely is one of the reasons why remote work should be embraced by businesses and not the opposite where employees are fleeing because they're being forced into an office. When people have the freedom to structure their day in a way that suits their needs, that includes job and personal needs, they're going to be more satisfied and motivated. Being more motivated is going to drive better productivity and outcomes for the business. But you also need to be a responsible worker who wants to do their work. Obviously there are folks who take advantage of this freedom.

Since I'm a consultant, my work structure is a bit different than a normal employer-employee relationship. Generally, clients don't demand that I come and sit in their cube farm. However, I have to make sure I'm getting the work done for them, which is what this blog post is really about. If employees can get their work done, does it matter where they are working from? There are times where working together in the office is good and sometimes I work much better when I'm working side by side with my coworkers. There needs to be some kind of balance in that where people can still get together to hammer out details together, but also have the freedom to take a meeting while walking home from their summer camp drop off. As with most things, the answer lies in finding the right balance.

As I experienced this morning, the ability to balance work and personal life seamlessly can lead to a happier, more engaged, and more productive work. This change can drive long-term benefits for businesses willing to accept and support this new way of working.