Not everyone is suited to working remote.
There are employees with certain skills that suite the remote working model the best.
Leaders
Not all leaders have a team.
But being a leader is a talent that many can have even if no one works for them.
Does the employee figure out what needs to be done and then moves ahead and do it? That is the sign of a leader…not waiting for a boss to tell them what to do.
Rule Breaker
This is a tough one because rule breakers can be a pain to deal with.
However, rule breakers move ahead and get things done without waiting around for approvals.
A remote worker that moves ahead and achieves a task or activity without trying to find a manager to ask approval qualifies as a rule breaker.
There is a danger they will do the wrong thing because they don’t check with anyone else.
If you are truly interested in moving ahead, there are steps that need to be taken. You need to do various activities that will keep your work in front of the rest of the team and, more importantly, in front of management.
This is a little radical but holding more meetings, even if only on a conference call, will help your position in the company. I know that goes against of all of the current management advice that says to hold fewer meetings.
I want to make sure I am clear…it is good for the company and for business to hold fewer, focused meetings.
But that is not necessarily good for your career. More meetings help your careers.
A word of caution…holding a meeting that does not have a clear agenda, is not well run, and everyone feels like it is a waste of time will harm your career.
A well-focused meeting will do wonders for your position in the company. Team members will hear your voice and your thoughts and remember your position in the business.
Work Focused and Not Time Focused
Many office workers are focused on time. Butt in seat is the measurement of their contribution to the business.
By working remote, the work can be done much faster and if you focus on accomplishments rather than just lasting through the day, you will do well as a remote worker.
I will discuss skills and traits of a remote worker in a future post.