Lesley Carhart Dec 8, 2022

I wish I could reach the correct audience to suggest to that, if you are going to work full time remote, especially for a mostly remote company for the first time, it is absolutely crucial that you learn how people communicate and actively participate in it. Not just how work information is disseminated. Join your “random” and hobby Teams or Slack channels. Meet people not on your direct team. Join a social group if your company sponsors one you find interesting. It indeed takes effort as an introvert - but while working remote you are not building relationships organically like in an office, at all. Those work relationships are important to getting stuff done in business, being noticed when opportunities come up, emotionally feeling part of a team and mission, and staying mentally healthy. We spend a big chunk of our lives working!

Over the last 5 years of working and managing a team FT remote, this social interactivity is one of the top indicators I’ve observed of whether someone will succeed and be balanced and happy, long term - or whether they will burn out and be left behind. The people who often vanish the fastest never chatted except when prompted to do so for business, never turned their camera on, nor set a profile image.

I’m not telling you to step way outside your comfort zone. I’m not saying there aren’t situations where it’s necessary to turn off the camera. I’m not saying you’ll automatically fail if you never socialize. I’m just giving you some advice based on hard life lessons of watching people thrive versus be unhappy.

Show threadFearlessJuanDec 8, 2022
@hacks4pancakes work is what I do, not what I am. I think that all these attempts to blur the lines between "work" & "life" are designed to keep us in an "always on" work mode. Some people make work their whole identity & neglect family, friends, hobbies, leisure time, etc. Some don't even know what to do with their vacation time.
Root out inefficiencies. I read somewhere that German knowledge workers work less hours & are more productive than their US counterparts. They automate everything.
Show threadLesley Carhart 
@FearlessJuan there’s a difference between building a healthy relationship with your coworkers in lieu of sitting in a room with them for 8 hours a day and eating lunch together daily, versus doing stuff outside work that distorts your work life balance, truly.
Dec 8, 2022 at 7:14amWeb
Show threadFearlessJuanDec 8, 2022
@hacks4pancakes let's distinguish between working relationships & personal ones. A minimum of decorum & mutual respect is to be expected in a work setting. We work together to get things done. I don't need to join social clubs, I'm busy working & helping others.
I heard a podcast abt a book written by a married couple analyzing how work has become the social outlet (& shouldn't) for many people in the US because they spend most of their waking hours working. Ironically, they met at work.