Maximizing Remote Work: Insights from a Fractional VP of Sales
Zachary King
I help founders and CEOs build scaleable, repeatable sales engines for their rocketships as a Fractional VP Sales. Founder of the Fractional Exec community, dedicated to championing the Fractional Model.
As a fractional VP of Sales I have had to drop into 15+ companies in the last two years, all fully remote. As a Fractional Exec you have to hit the ground running so that you can effectively become part of the leadership group and broader team super fast. Sometimes it has worked, sometimes it hasn't (the remote bit ??).
Here is my breakdown of what works to create a fantastic remote company.
The Golden Rules of Nailing Remote Work
Async is King:
Employees can contribute at times that suit their personal productivity peaks and life commitments, reducing the need for real-time meetings.. That's the dream, right? Async video Tools like Loom are total game-changers, letting you catch up or share updates without playing calendar Tetris for meeting times. And yes of course, the ubiquitous chat apps like slack, teams etc.
Default to async allows you to eliminate a large portion of your ‘let’s check-in’ type meetings.
Documentation is Your New Best Friend:
Comprehensive, well-written documentation serves as the backbone of the organization, allowing employees to access information and get up to speed on projects at their own pace. This reduces the dependency on synchronous meetings and calls for information sharing.? The company wiki can no longer afford to be a half-forgotten thing of neglect, it needs to be sharpish.
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Videos Over Text, Any Day:
Async video updates are commonplace, enabling team members to convey complex information or provide personal updates in a more engaging way than text-based communications alone. These videos can be viewed and responded to when it suits the viewer, adding a personal touch to remote interactions.
Coffee Breaks, But Make Them Virtual:
The practice of FIKA, a concept borrowed from Swedish culture, encourages taking breaks for coffee and conversation, promoting well-being and social interaction among remote teams. Even remotely, teams can schedule virtual coffee breaks to connect on a personal level, sharing personal stories or discussing non-work-related topics.? Doing this well goes a long way to replace the 'watercooler' moments which has incredible effects on both team bonding as well as innovation.
Face Time Matters Too:
Regular in-person catch-ups (where possible) are organized to strengthen bonds, foster team spirit, and encourage collaboration. These gatherings, whether they're strategic offsites or informal meetups, offer valuable opportunities for team building and reconnection, enriching the remote work experience.
Wrapping Up: The Remote Work Journey
Remember when Shopify? CEO Tobias Lutke said we're just getting started with this remote work thing and that ‘this is as bad as it’s ever going to get”?? He wasn't kidding. It's all about learning, adapting, and making it better as we go. I've seen firsthand how the right culture can make remote work effecitve and how much of a difference it can make for everyone involved.
I think the really spicy follow on question is, what have you seen that doesn’t work for remote cultures?
Customer Growth & Retention Leader for services firms, agencies, & B2B tech | $14M+ generated from my proven strategies | Improved customer experience ? efficiency ???predictable revenue & customer outcomes
1 年I definitely think something that DOESN'T work is email or IM, especially for explaining step by step processes. Having had a team spread across all US time zones, I love being able to use Loom or slack's Voice Memo to convey important updates in a personal way. These videos also became part of our Customer Success Playbooks and were a huge help as a first line reference for CSMs on my team. They accomplished the "in the moment" need to support the team, and also accomplished the long term process documentation at once.
Proud Trawlwoolway man from Tebrakunna Country. Growing organisations by thinking differently.
1 年?? Megan Tait
BD & Partnerships Leader | Startup Advisor | Podcast Host | Community Organizer
1 年this has been a very timely post, Zachary King. I was just considering removing some internal Monday meetings - they are going async instead.
? Fractional Marketer and Creative Problem Solver Helping Startups Globally to Grow Community Through Content, Brand & Event I ? Social Entrepreneur
1 年Nice one Zachary! Slightly biased being Swedish but the fika brings so much to the culture of a business.. and just because you are remote you shouldn’t stop it instead you can take it as a walk-and-talk check-in to get people away from the screen and stretch your legs! One of my previous leaders always encouraged people to bring their full selves to work - so sharing personal achievements and happenings was always encouraged, something I still try to do today and love when others are doing it too.
AI Decisions Director, AI risk and value, human & AI workforce. Still human and highly dependent on coffee
1 年Async video updates seems interesting. How did they work and was there a subset of meetings that worked better in the async model?