4 ms·

>Unfortunately: there's about 10-20% of people who genuinely shouldn't be working because they are untrustworthy, and things like remote work just enabled them

>Unfortunately: there's about 10-20% of people who genuinely shouldn't be working because they are untrustworthy, and things like remote work just enabled them to take multiple jobs or slack-off massively. Many of these people suffer from chronic procrastination. They don't want to slack off, but they do it anyway. They want to work, but they're not capable of working in a remote environment. These might be the people who have ADD/ADHD, people who suffer from depression, extroverts, etc. For some of them, the fix is surprisingly easy: put them in an environment where there are people around them. It can be a coffee shop, library, or whole-day video call. Source: I'm a co-founder of a body-doubling platform for remote workers.

swah 3y ago
Can you compare Workmode.net with Flown.com?
- mklepaczewski 3y ago
  On other platforms, you work with the platforms' other users. If you don't show up to a scheduled session or disconnect mid-session, nobody is going to care. You might get a bad review or an automated email, but that's it. If you're a chronic procrastinator, you might have just started another zero-day. On WorkMode you work with our employee (Productivity Partner), and their only job is to ensure that you stay productive throughout the day. You always work with the same Productivity Partner. They'll call you 15-30 minutes before your session starts to remind you about it and to make sure you prepare for work. They will notice if you don't show up, and they'll call you to find out what happened. They'll call you if you disappear mid-day or your lunch break takes more than you planned. They'll keep track of your to-do list and help you break down tasks into manageable pieces. They pay much more attention to what you do and how you do it (perfectionism/productive procrastination/detrimental context switching). They know when you might procrastinate and what may trigger it. You can do 30, 60, or 4-hour sessions - it's up to you. The focus is on you. Now, should you try WorkMode? If you already use Focusmate, Flown, or Focus101 and it works for you - keep doing that; you're doing great! If, however, it's hit-and-miss, you have zero days or need extra accountability, definitely try WorkMode :-)
Gigachad 3y ago
Being in a random coffee shop won’t help. I do way less work than I used to because it’s just not visible anymore. Working really hard or working 50% and talking it up well in standup looks exactly the same. Back in the office you couldn’t get away with watching YouTube or sleeping for half the day.
- mklepaczewski 3y ago
  >Being in a random coffee shop won't help. It doesn't help you. Merely going to a coffee shop works for some people (me included). This is exactly what allowed me to finish my master's thesis two decades ago. When discussing procrastination, it's important to remember that it's just a result of something else. Many things may cause procrastination, and everyone is different. It's like a headache. You might have the flu, a hangover, too high blood pressure, cancer, or be overly sensitive to external stimuli. You might also suffer from thousands of other causes. The result is that you have a headache, but there's no single cure for it.
dijit 3y ago
I'm undiagnosed "but many markers" (according to a psychiatrist) ADHD and I find the opposite. A problem, in context, with a time-frame and I can do it much much easier remote. In the office there's too many things that either distract me directly or are distractions for me indirectly. (people coming up to me to ask questions vs overhearing a problem and thinking I need to listen or step in).

swah 3y ago

Can you compare Workmode.net with Flown.com?

mklepaczewski 3y ago
On other platforms, you work with the platforms' other users. If you don't show up to a scheduled session or disconnect mid-session, nobody is going to care. You might get a bad review or an automated email, but that's it. If you're a chronic procrastinator, you might have just started another zero-day. On WorkMode you work with our employee (Productivity Partner), and their only job is to ensure that you stay productive throughout the day. You always work with the same Productivity Partner. They'll call you 15-30 minutes before your session starts to remind you about it and to make sure you prepare for work. They will notice if you don't show up, and they'll call you to find out what happened. They'll call you if you disappear mid-day or your lunch break takes more than you planned. They'll keep track of your to-do list and help you break down tasks into manageable pieces. They pay much more attention to what you do and how you do it (perfectionism/productive procrastination/detrimental context switching). They know when you might procrastinate and what may trigger it. You can do 30, 60, or 4-hour sessions - it's up to you. The focus is on you. Now, should you try WorkMode? If you already use Focusmate, Flown, or Focus101 and it works for you - keep doing that; you're doing great! If, however, it's hit-and-miss, you have zero days or need extra accountability, definitely try WorkMode :-)

Gigachad 3y ago

Being in a random coffee shop won’t help. I do way less work than I used to because it’s just not visible anymore. Working really hard or working 50% and talking it up well in standup looks exactly the same. Back in the office you couldn’t get away with watching YouTube or sleeping for half the day.

mklepaczewski 3y ago
>Being in a random coffee shop won't help. It doesn't help you. Merely going to a coffee shop works for some people (me included). This is exactly what allowed me to finish my master's thesis two decades ago. When discussing procrastination, it's important to remember that it's just a result of something else. Many things may cause procrastination, and everyone is different. It's like a headache. You might have the flu, a hangover, too high blood pressure, cancer, or be overly sensitive to external stimuli. You might also suffer from thousands of other causes. The result is that you have a headache, but there's no single cure for it.

dijit 3y ago

I'm undiagnosed "but many markers" (according to a psychiatrist) ADHD and I find the opposite. A problem, in context, with a time-frame and I can do it much much easier remote. In the office there's too many things that either distract me directly or are distractions for me indirectly. (people coming up to me to ask questions vs overhearing a problem and thinking I need to listen or step in).