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The other thing working remote forces me to do is to actually think before I assign a task to someone or ask a question. It's a lot easier to casually interrup

The other thing working remote forces me to do is to actually think before I assign a task to someone or ask a question. It's a lot easier to casually interrupt someone with half a thought than to write a poorly thought out email.

ketzo 6y ago
Wow, that’s pretty interesting. In real life, I might blurt out a comment or question, but when I find myself doing the same even with a long slack message — by the time I write two or three sentences, and maybe go back to reword something, I’ve already started thinking about how I can solve the problem myself, and I cancel the message.
trhway 6y ago
That is also the main advantage of email over IM. Email kind of forces some effect of the remoteness you described even when everyone is in the same office.
- mrslave 6y ago
  On the other hand, in a colocated workspace it is infuriating when a high effort, carefully crafted email is met by recipients interrupting you at your desk with, "Hey, about that email, can you just quickly run through it with me now please?"
  - ashtonkem 6y ago
    One of the rules I tried to enforce on a prior team was to minimize context conversation medium changes. Following a conversation as it freely moves from email to chat to in person is exhausting.
- nottorp 6y ago
  You're using IM wrong :) You don't have to read the message when it arrives just because it instantly arrived.
  - alach11 6y ago
    Sometimes it’s my colleagues that are using IM wrong. > Hey I have a question People are too lazy to type the rest of their request until they see a response from me indicating I’m listening.
    - nottorp 6y ago
      Ignore it until they ask the question. Eventually they'll learn.
ashtonkem 6y ago
This is my general take on "remote doesn't work for X": Did your existing process actually work, or did you use the ability to interrupt people as a crutch in order to make it not totally fail?

ketzo 6y ago

Wow, that’s pretty interesting. In real life, I might blurt out a comment or question, but when I find myself doing the same even with a long slack message — by the time I write two or three sentences, and maybe go back to reword something, I’ve already started thinking about how I can solve the problem myself, and I cancel the message.

trhway 6y ago

That is also the main advantage of email over IM. Email kind of forces some effect of the remoteness you described even when everyone is in the same office.

mrslave 6y ago
On the other hand, in a colocated workspace it is infuriating when a high effort, carefully crafted email is met by recipients interrupting you at your desk with, "Hey, about that email, can you just quickly run through it with me now please?"
- ashtonkem 6y ago
  One of the rules I tried to enforce on a prior team was to minimize context conversation medium changes. Following a conversation as it freely moves from email to chat to in person is exhausting.
nottorp 6y ago
You're using IM wrong :) You don't have to read the message when it arrives just because it instantly arrived.
- alach11 6y ago
  Sometimes it’s my colleagues that are using IM wrong. > Hey I have a question People are too lazy to type the rest of their request until they see a response from me indicating I’m listening.
  - nottorp 6y ago
    Ignore it until they ask the question. Eventually they'll learn.

ashtonkem 6y ago

This is my general take on "remote doesn't work for X": Did your existing process actually work, or did you use the ability to interrupt people as a crutch in order to make it not totally fail?