Sunday, April 09, 2023
How ChatGPT Is Enabling Remote Work And Flexibility
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Virtual Communication
ChatGPT's virtual communication capabilities facilitate remote collaboration and communication. With chat rooms and real-time messaging, team members can communicate regardless of their location. ChatGPT provides a centralized platform for communication, eliminating the need for multiple communication tools and reducing the risk of miscommunication.
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AI-powered Scheduling and Task Management
Remote work often requires flexible schedules, and ChatGPT's AI-powered scheduling and task management features help manage these schedules. Employees can use ChatGPT to schedule tasks and deadlines, set reminders, and receive automated alerts. ChatGPT's task management feature helps keep employees on track and ensures that deadlines are met.
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Virtual Assistant
ChatGPT can provide virtual assistants to support remote workers. These virtual assistants can answer common questions, provide guidance, and assist with administrative tasks. This can help reduce the feeling of isolation that remote workers often experience and improve their overall work experience.
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Centralized Platform
ChatGPT provides a centralized platform for remote employees to access information and collaborate with colleagues. With file sharing and version control features, employees can work on group projects seamlessly. ChatGPT's AI can help identify knowledge gaps and recommend team members to fill them, encouraging teamwork and knowledge sharing.
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Maintaining Productivity and Efficiency
With ChatGPT, remote workers can maintain productivity and efficiency, as communication and collaboration are streamlined. ChatGPT's AI-powered features can help reduce administrative tasks and free up time for more strategic work. This allows remote workers to focus on what matters most, resulting in increased productivity and job satisfaction.
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In conclusion, ChatGPT is a powerful tool for companies that want to enable remote work and flexibility. With virtual communication capabilities, AI-powered scheduling and task management, virtual assistants, a centralized platform, and tools to maintain productivity and efficiency, ChatGPT is transforming the way companies operate in a remote work environment.
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Monday, June 20, 2022
Nathan Barry: Remote Work And Corporate Culture
Struggling to connect on your remote team?
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
We've built a 67 person remote team that loves to work together while driving $29 million in annual revenue.
Here are 8 ideas we use for building a great culture in a distributed team:
π»π
1. Create a private team stories podcast.
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
Everyone has the same get to know you conversations starting from zero. Instead interview them about their life story for a private internal podcast.
The whole team can listen and get a head start on building relationships. pic.twitter.com/xvssySyEwK
2. Build a culture of written, asynchronous communication
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
This will save so many meetings, avoid people feeling left out if they weren't in the meeting, and protect focused work.
Your team will also be forced to clearly articulate and refine their ideas.
3. Shared “no meeting” days.
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
Everyone has the same day for focused work each week. Team members can have days that they don’t need to get camera ready (e.g. hair, make-up, etc) if they don’t want to.
At @ConvertKit we do Tuesdays and Fridays, which are wildly productive. pic.twitter.com/Dc9VDFIK6U
4. Ask "What did you get into this weekend?"
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
Every Monday morning we have a bot that posts to Slack asking people to share a photo (or a few) from the weekend. It's a great way to get to know co-workers on a personal level and see their families, interests, and lives. pic.twitter.com/y1iV8ivlYw
5. Create an automated email sequence for new team members
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
Explain how you work, where to find important things (like the joke slack channels), fun facts about team members, explain inside jokes, & more.
It's all automated so you can curate their first 30+ days at the company. pic.twitter.com/d5fqDI2FvA
6. Host "unsolicited feedback" sessions
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
This is where a small team (usually 4-8 people) gathers to talk about someone in the hot seat as if they aren't there for 10 min. When it's your turn all you can do is sit & take notes, then you get 5 min to respond.
Here are the prompts: pic.twitter.com/CpssgLYiHo
a) What does this person do that you find remarkable? What do you brag about them to other people?
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
b) If they were up for the promotion of their career in 6 mo, what would you tell them now to give them the best chance of getting it?
c) Assume you're working with this person for the next 10 years. What behavior isn't a big deal now, but will get really annoying or frustrating over that time?
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
This results in the best compliments, the most constructive feedback, and a culture of direct, candid conversations.
7. Mandatory fun days
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
With teams feeling burnt out force everyone to take the same day off. That means you don't have to come back to a mountain of slack messages and emails.
Come back & share a photo.
We're doing a 3 day weekend each month through the end of the year.
8. Schedule S'Ups
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
We use a bot to pick 3 people at random each week for a 30 min catch up / get to know you call.
A triad means you always get a dynamic group from a cross section of the team. This builds relationships and breaks silos across product, eng, ops, growth, etc pic.twitter.com/2UE5rw8kK6
Don't let anyone tell you company culture is defined by free lunches and ping pong tables.
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
It's a culture of trust, clear feedback, focused work, meaningful connection, and a shared mission. pic.twitter.com/eT9HLF7I22
If you think you'll use some of these tips, share the first tweet to help more companies build intentional cultures:https://t.co/T8ZxxVQmoe
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
Also, we're hiring at @ConvertKit. If you want to join a remote-first company (rather than remote-forced) we'd love to have you consider a role with us:https://t.co/B3jtphUTbA
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
9. Donate money together
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) November 5, 2021
At a team retreat we divided our team into groups of 4 with one goal: give away $10,000 in $100 at a time.
With 50 people on the team that meant each group had to find about 12 charities to support. Then we regrouped to share who we donated to & why.
What followed were the best stories that made for connection points:
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) November 5, 2021
Someone donated to education grants because they were first in their family to go to college.
Cancer research because they'd lost a loved one.
Pet rescue because that's where they'd found a best friend.
...and so many more.
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) November 5, 2021
$100 isn't that much, so it would be fair to argue the money would be better donated to a single charity, but our main goal was life stories and points of connection.
Give it a try with your team. You'll all get a peek into what your coworkers value & why.
Yes!
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 21, 2021
They’re hiring, don’t be bashful.
— Ryan Delk (@delk) September 22, 2021
I don’t know the average. But our range is from mid 20s to mid 50s. I’m 31.
— Nathan Barry πΊπ¦ (@nathanbarry) September 22, 2021
Remote work is here to stay
— jagadeash (@Its_Me_Jaga_Duh) October 23, 2021
I'm a firm believer in it
and seeing this Tweet about employee management in remote work made my day
I decided that it had to go in my Saturday roundup of tweetshttps://t.co/Na8C5ebz4P
As an introvert, I can tell you every point would be a nightmare
— Saira (@sairaforsure) September 22, 2021
It would put me off from applying to any company that forced so much sharing of my life on a weekly basis
This thread is the best thing I have read on corporate culture in the entire pandemic. It is really good. After each tweet I kept thinking, I wish I could be part of this, and then you insert the We Are Hiring tweet in the middle.
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) June 20, 2022
Bring me in as a consultant who will help you. An open ended position. You are successful. But that success has brought its own comfort zone. You are not doing enough to scale. You owe it to them to reach out to more people, touch more lives.
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) June 20, 2022
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Remote Work Is Not Either Or
It is not to be or not to be. It is how. It is a raging debate.
Kind of like the workspace debate itself. Getting rid of cubicles in favor of open floor office spaces became trendy. Then someone realized me time is also important. There are times when you just need to be by yourself to focus, to be creative. So space is not either or either. You have to be alone. You have to hold small team meetings. The open floor plan is great. But it is not great round the clock.
Remote is like that. Remote has to be an option. Just like flexible schedules.
And remote is a skill not a button you press. You send your team remote and all problems solved? Hardly. You have to work at it. And all the other challenges of work still stay. Remote is just an arrangement.
Communication is great. Being able to reach out to anyone on the team is great. But always-on is a drag. Always-on prevents people from doing their best work. There are times when you just have to unplug. Even while at work.
Remote definitely has to be an option. The best person for a particular job at the price point you can afford might not be in your town, or near you, or even in the same country. Remote can be great. On the other hand, if you don't know or learn how to manage, it can be a disaster. It can get incredibly frustrating.
Even if you are under the same roof, if everyone spends big chunks of their days staring at their computer screens, as knowledge workers are likely to, is that not remote? Are they not better off doing it in environments of their choice?
Communication is best spread out. Email works best when it works best. Instant messaging has its place. Some things are best taken over to voice chat, one on one or a conference call. But that voice chat might appreciate an email backup.
And there is no avoiding the in-person. I believe the Wordpress team is 100% remote. But they make a point to meet in person once a year. Depending on feasibility, that could be once a month, or once a week even. You could have remote workers in the same city who drop by the office one or two days a week. You could have someone 10 time zones away who you can not hope to meet. But you have three people in that same country, maybe they should meet in person when they can.
Remote is an option. It is a good option. It can be an excellent option. But leading a remote team requires certain skills. I am for asking. Ask a potential team member what they think. Ask what kind of work arrangement they might like. Some people just need to show up at the office. They don't know any other way to get work done. That is why people rent desks at co-working spaces, don't they?
We are all knowledge workers. If Microsoft, a trillion-dollar company, considers itself primarily a remote team, who are you?
Remote Work: To Do Or Not To Do? (Preethi's Take)
Anywhere Competes With Silicon Valley, Bangalore, Beijing And London
Remote Work Is Not Either Or https://t.co/MQDsUGKyIG #remotejobs #remoteworkers #remote #Telecommute #telecommuting #knowledgeworker #globalteam
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 20, 2019
How remote working can increase stress and reduce well-being 70% of professionals work remotely at least one day a week, while 53% work remotely for at least half of the week. Some multinationals have their entire staff working remotely, with no fixed office presence at all, which can result in having employees situated all over the world........ Nearly 70% of millennials would be more likely to choose an employer who offered remote working ....... Employees value the flexibility it gives them, particularly if they have childcare commitments. People also appreciate escaping long commutes and avoiding office distractions. ....... growing concerns that people’s mental health and well-being can take a hit when working remotely ...... In the UK, businesses lose £100m every year due to workplace stress, depression and anxiety. Research shows that being “always on” and accessible by technology while working remotely leads to the blurring of work and non-work boundaries, particularly if you work from home. A 2017 United Nations report found that 41% of remote workers reported high stress levels, compared to just 25% of office workers. ........ 52% who worked from home at least some of the time were more likely to feel left out and mistreated, as well as unable to deal with conflict between themselves and colleagues. ........ Navigating sensitive territory in a virtual team is an essential skill. If we’re not careful, issues can fester. Emails can be misinterpreted as being rude or too direct. And, with no visible body language it is tricky to convey our true meanings. ........ In a virtual environment there is a tendency to focus too much on tasks and too little on relationships. .......... With more emphasis on deadlines and routine information, virtual workers can feel treated as a cog in a machine, rather than an essential part of the team. Such a leadership approach can worsen the sense of isolation that naturally comes with working remotely and can contribute to virtual workplace stress. ........ Interviewees said a lack of feedback from line managers and senior colleagues gave them no benchmark to judge progress, which led to increased feelings of anxiety and a concern as to whether they were “up to standard”. ....... stress can be productive up to a point and then it results in reduced productivity. ....... colleagues who spend just 15 minutes socialising and sharing their feelings of stress had a 20% increase in performance. ..............
Employers need to put the right structures in place such as scheduled video calls and regular team-building meetups to build rapport.
Bosses need to lead by example and create a culture where those outside the office feel valued......... But it cuts both ways. Everyone needs to think about what makes them productive, happy and successful in everyday life, and try to replicate this in a remote setting – whether this ranges from taking a walk at lunch time, going to the gym, ringing a friend or reading your favourite book....... If the future of work is heading towards more virtual working, then it is not something we can avoid. Instead we should implement ways of managing the stress associated with it, while enjoying the benefits.Blue light isn’t the main source of eye fatigue and sleep loss – it’s your computer
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
The Microsoft Team
Remote Work: To Do Or Not To Do? (Preethi's Take)
Anywhere Competes With Silicon Valley, Bangalore, Beijing And London
Thoughts? @iam_preethi https://t.co/pHDZiQYKQT
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) August 28, 2019
Friday, May 03, 2019
Remote Work: To Do Or Not To Do? (Preethi's Take)
"Is the future of work remote? I don't buy it." https://t.co/lpeYMo1b9N by @iam_preethi is one of the most thoughtful articles I read in a while. Zero hype, cogent thinking, fantastic writing.
— Trinity Takei (@TrinityTakei) May 2, 2019
"The future of work is what works for you". Holy Hell Yeah!
Don't believe the hype!
Preethi shows up in my Twitter timeline often, but today she made an appearance in cameo. And how! This is such a great blog post about remote work. Made me think. Made me want to take part in the conversation.
My take is it is not either/or. Rather this is ying/yang. You want both.
A summary of her blog post. The pros of remote work are (1) access to the global talent pool, (2) a more flex work schedule, and (3) save on commute time. The cons are (1) in person communication is too much richer, (2) people at the office are more accountable, and (3) in person at the office builds cohesion and trust.
Her conclusion is the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.
That begs the question, are hybrid situations possible? Could you have one main office, and several satellite offices? That would still be cheaper and will cut on costs. Could you negotiate with your team members? Maybe working from home a day or two a week makes sense. Having a major get-together annually, or quarterly or monthly with explicit team building exercises -- might they help?
My point is, remote is here. Evidence: Preethi's team using Slack while at the office.
While I don’t believe in fully remote teams, I do think my personal preference is a mixture of the options available: Some days are remote for deeply focused work, and other days are spent in the office for coordination and iteration.Maybe there is at least one person at that office for whom working from home four days a week makes a lot of sense. And then being in the office on Fridays. It is situational.
This debate could be taken to other topics. How much vacation time is enough? I think it is Netflix that says, you decide how long is enough. That's a thought. Is food at the office a good idea? What about child care? Sleeping pods for daytime naps?
Being able to afford an office is a luxury. Some early-stage teams just don't have that. There is no debate there. But it can be a competitive advantage if you implement the right mix.
Regardless of how many digital communication tools we have at our disposal, there is no substitute for direct face-to-face communication.https://t.co/rKJkThMWJJ
— Preethi Kasireddy (@iam_preethi) May 2, 2019
Response to @iam_preethi Remote Work: To Do Or Not To Do? (Preethi's Take) https://t.co/wkxNNfRhic
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) May 3, 2019
#Microsoft's Nadellaisance: Satya At The Helm https://t.co/Gcr2DxqX26 #cloud #marketcap #satyanadella
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) May 3, 2019
I'm a huge fan (and practitioner) of remote work, but...
— Tadd Wilson (@SmarterRetail) May 2, 2019
* thoughtful counterpoints always important and welcome
* "remote" is also too narrow - I like "anywhere" work
Hey #remotechat folks you might be interested https://t.co/tFNiNQFGF4
Debating on social networks today: pic.twitter.com/cJnRkDKRpn
— TruStory (@isTruStory) May 1, 2019
It's amazing what people are capable of doing when you give them just the right amount of structure vs. freedom.
— Preethi Kasireddy (@iam_preethi) April 29, 2019
Getting that balance right is hard but magical.
We're still having this debate in the @isTruStory app. So far, the "Future is remote" side is winning though. π€·♀️
— Preethi Kasireddy (@iam_preethi) April 25, 2019
Join the waitlist and see for yourself: https://t.co/rXbcgNCNqA
When remote work and remote teams are your only option, how do you enhance the communication, how do you build teams, how do you build cohesion and trust, how do you best coordinate? I want the debate to move to that.
Some ideas. Make active participation on the major social networks pretty much compulsory: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. See if some remote workers can meet each other. So maybe two of your workers in Bangalore can be in-person to each other but remote to you. Devote a weekly video chat to informal non-work talk. Be very clear on the metrics you measure and measure them diligently. Arrange for in-person gatherings where possible. So an annual in-person gathering for everyone in a particular country. And don't just meet. Organize team building exercises.