By Rob Behnke
When I started my first remote company in 2017, there was no playbook for remote work. We often heard that remote work would kill our productivity and culture. However, what I learned instead is that remote work works.
And while I have made my share of mistakes, I scaled my second remote company, Halborn, to over 100 remote engineers by intentionally building a remote work culture, including integrating the Japanese life and work philosophies of ikigai and kaizen.
Maintaining a remote work culture where employees feel connected to the business and their life purpose—the essence of ikigai—requires creativity and experimentation. Here’s how I did it.
Steps to building a successful remote work culture
1. Make the structure meet the team instead of the team meeting the structure
Ikigai is the Japanese term meaning “reason for being,” and it’s a perfect way to set up teams. Ikigai, done well, aligns four pillars of work: what you’re good at, what you love doing, what you can get paid to do, and what’s good for the world.
Instead of having everyone fit into the same team structure, I let people form their own groups around their ikigai. Our teams are flexible yet aligned on intrinsic goals. What emerges is a constellation of self-motivated teams that are empowered and can pivot quickly when needed.
We are a cybersecurity firm, so we are primarily engineers. Engineers love deep work, and the structure of remote work gives them the opportunity to spend hours at a time in an uninterrupted flow. Remote work also creates the space for ikigai to flourish—employees can better align their distinctive reasons for being in their personal life with their work.
2. Set up systems for individual empowerment
Kaizen is the practice of continuous, decentralized improvement. “The Toyota Way” is legendary for empowering its employees in the spirit of Kaizen to make common sense changes to the assembly process instantly and without consulting supervisors. This has incredible benefits for improving efficiency and giving employees a nourishing sense of agency and meaning in their work.
At my company, the spirit of Kaizen runs through every aspect of our culture. Employees are given the autonomy to set work practices that optimize the collective productivity of the team. This is where remote work shines—it is much more malleable than office schedules. So team members work at the time of day when they feel most productive and implement team processes that are constantly updated. Bias towards action and using the scientific method to evaluate small decentralized changes leads to an upward propagating wave of improvement that gels into a high-functioning organization formed out of the insights of employees.
3. Conduct productive online meetings
Let’s get very practical. When you’re on a Zoom call, it’s easy to check out. You don’t have the social expectations of breathing bodies and bright faces. That’s why when you’re talking on Zoom, it’s helpful to treat it like a stage. The audience is removed from you, bright lights and distance diffuse your features, and you can lose people’s attention anytime.
That’s why leaning in, talking with enthusiasm, and making large gestures that would seem awkward if you were in person are exactly what you need to do to keep the team engaged. It depends on the meeting, but in general, bring more energy than your instincts tell you to, and the attention and engagement of the team will skyrocket.
Also, using asynchronous communication tools, like Slack, will help your meeting avoid constant interruptions and ensure the team can respond when it’s convenient for them.
4. Host incredible in-person events
Remote work can create a sense of disconnect. That’s why we like to bring the team together for in-person retreats as often as possible. These are not boot camp-style pep rallies, but well-thought-out experiences that leave everyone feeling energized and connected. This is also a space for our employees to discover more about their ikigai through in-person creative and interpersonal experiences.
The key word is tactile. What do you miss when you have a remote team? Sensory experience. Last year at our team retreat in Mallorca, employees enjoyed playing sports, hiking, painting, and just being together. These short bursts of intentional in-person connection more than made up for daily office encounters that can lead to burnout and disconnection.
5. Celebrate achievements
Whenever we achieve a goal or milestone, I make sure to take the time to appreciate and celebrate the accomplishment. This can be done day-to-day through simple gestures like sending a thank-you message or hosting virtual team outings. Genuinely celebrating achievement is a morale booster that spans the digital divide, and helps to build a sense of camaraderie, pride, and unity among team members.
6. Have regular check-ins
I conduct regular check-ins with my team to ensure open communication channels, address any potential issues, and encourage collaboration. I also use surveys to collect feedback on job satisfaction, work-life balance, and other topics important for remote teams. Transparency is key. I review the survey results live and solicit feedback until every team member feels heard. And I am conscientious about making changes quickly.
7. Regularly update workplace policies and procedures
Living, breathing work procedures are essential to building a sustaining culture in the long term—this is kaizen at work. I have open working documents outlining clear policies and procedures to help create a productive environment. We update these documents quarterly to respond to new learnings. These include guidelines on communication etiquette, collaboration strategies, healthy work habits, and flexible work hours that respect an individual’s needs.
8. Provide access to resources
I ensure that my remote team can access the same resources as their in-office counterparts. These include providing the necessary physical and digital tools for productivity, as well as access to online education and training programs. They also have access to support services such as mental health resources and counseling services to help them succeed.
Create your own productive remote work culture
These are just some strategies I use to foster a productive, engaged remote team. With clear communication, intentional collaboration, and meaningful recognition, you, too, can build a successful remote team culture.
FAQs on building a successful remote work culture
Below we have summarized the most important questions and answers on the subject:
How do you build a productive work culture?
Hire the right people and encourage them to become the best version of themselves in and outside of work through financial incentives and a culture of self-actualization of self and business.
How do you build culture in a remote work environment?
Promote continuous non-work related interactions through Zoom happy hours, casual group chats, and Discord or Zoom games. Hold thoughtfully planned in-person retreats twice a year.
Does remote work hinder productivity?
If done right, remote work promotes productivity by complementing deep work and the holistic lifestyle of the individual while reducing the risk of burnout. It hinders productivity when employees are not self-accountable and/or if incentives promote free riding.
About the Author
Post by: Rob Behnke
Rob Behnke is the cofounder of Halborn, a blockchain cybersecurity firm serving over 250 clients, from Layer 1 blockchains to financial institutions. Notable clients include the Solana Foundation, Ava Labs, and Dapper Labs. Prior to Halborn, Rob served as CEO and cofounded multiple companies, including a blockchain marketing agency which he scaled to seven figures in revenue in less than a year.
Company: Halborn
Website: www.halborn.com
Connect with me on Twitter.
Originally published at All Business Technology