?? Reconnect with the Pulse of Remote Work! ??

Hey, remote work enthusiasts, we're back with a bang!???

Get ready to tap into the minds of remote work trailblazers, C-suite execs, and trendsetting influencers.?

Our updated newsletter is your way to the world of remote work, where the brightest minds share their tips, insights, and hacks. This is your source of inspiration, knowledge, and growth. Remote work will never be the same again! ??

?? Meet Chase Warrington , the Head of Remote at Doist , a pioneer in the world of remote work. If you're wondering how remote work can transform your life and what it takes to lead the charge, read on.

?? The Inside Scoop ??

In our exclusive interview with Chase, we will dive into:

?? The Toughest Aspects of Leading Remote Teams: Discover why hybrid work can be a tricky balancing act and the vital role of equitable workspace curation. Chase's insights are a goldmine for remote leaders.

?? Common Mistakes in Remote Work: Learn about the pitfalls companies often tumble into, from over-reliance on meetings to the illusion of presenteeism.

?? The Head of Remote's Impact: Chase makes a compelling case for why every remote-first company should have a Head of Remote at the helm. His insights could redefine how your organization approaches remote work.

?? Life-Changing Transition: Chase's journey from traditional office work to the freedom of remote work is a testament to the power of choice and control over one's work environment.

Remote work isn't just about being a digital nomad; it's about designing a life that suits you. Chase's wisdom will inspire and guide you on this exciting journey.?

Ready to embark on a remote work adventure? Check the interview with Chase Warrington and chart your course toward a more flexible and fulfilling career! ????

/Interview/

??? Meet Chase Warrington ???

Chase Warrington is the Head of Remote at Doist , the remote- and async-first company behind the award-winning productivity app, Todoist (with nearly 40M users), and Twist , a collaboration app made for async-first teams. He is based in Spain, being one of their 100+ team members who are fully distributed across 35+ countries globally.

As Doist’s first Head of Remote, Chase was charged with improving the company’s remote work infrastructure. This means that every day, he is managing asynchronous communication, researching new technology that can better support how the company connects as a team, and finding new ways to humanize remote work. He is also passionate about advocating for the future of work and sharing how Doist is leading by example.

“I consider myself incredibly lucky but… remote work isn’t just about taking your laptop and going to cool places. It’s about crafting what’s great for you and your life,” says Chase.

?? What's the hardest part of being the Head of Remote?

1. Hybrid work is often mislabeled as the best of both worlds, but in fact, if not done with a lot of intentionality, it can be the worst of both worlds. Failing to put enough effort into curating an equitable workspace that is optimized for individuals in the office and those working from a distance will not only cause a rift of haves and have-nots in the office but it will also lead to an emphasis on tools and workflows that are not efficiently implemented for either subset of employees. Not ideal.?

*Note this is not a problem Doist faces as a remote-first company, but something worth mentioning as I see it as the biggest challenge across this space at the moment.?

1. Documentation is a key component of any distributed team, and at the same time, something that most future of work leaders feel is still yet to be solved. Challenges related to peer review, obsolete documents and procedures, discoverability, document formatting, and assignment of responsibility are all areas to improve on.?

1. Using synchronous time as a powerful tool. Doist is an async-first team, so we are optimized in every way to operate asynchronously. But async-first doesn’t mean async-only. We’re aware that real-time meetings can be a powerful tool to move the needle at times. Transitioning to synchronous meetings and doing them at a high-level is a challenge we face since we don’t get much practice. Investing in being great at something you only do occasionally can be tough to prioritize, especially when all aspects of our infrastructure are built to be purposefully async-first. I may be the only Head of Remote actively trying to create more sync-time!

??What are the most common mistakes companies make that you are trying to fix to make remote work better?

• Replicating in-office practices in a virtual-first world.?
• Leaning too heavily on meetings.?
• Equating presenteeism with productivity.?
• Focusing on immediacy instead of quality and deep work.?
• Failing to embrace the non-linear workday.?

?? Why would you recommend remote-first companies to hire a Head of Remote?

Doist has been remote-first since our inception 15+ years ago, which is why my role is less focused on transitioning, and more focused on up-leveling and evangelism. I believe as more teams become comfortable with remote work, they’ll follow a similar trajectory and find that having someone who takes ownership over the remote infrastructure can have a huge impact.

If you have any remote element to your workforce — and I assume 85-90% of companies identify as remote in some way or another — then I think every company should have a Head of Remote. If you want to design a really high-functioning product — with the product being the company and the employees being the users — then it’s crucial someone with a seat at the table is leading that for you.

Over time, I think remote work will just become work, and many will likely evolve the Head of Remote role to focus less on this transition, and more so on the optimization of the digital workspace.?

?? Backing it with numbers and concrete examples, how did your life change since you started working fully remotely?

I have always worked remotely so it’s difficult to say - but I can say I once took a job that paid me 50% less than another offer, simply based on remote vs in-office. I later took another 50% pay cut to move from remote work to fully location (and time) independent work, which allowed me to have full control over when and where I work. I have zero regrets and would never sacrifice the freedom and quality of life this has provided me.

Follow Chase Warrington social media for more insights about remote work:

?? https://twitter.com/dcwarrington

?? https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/chase-warrington

?? https://www.instagram.com/dcwarrington