I've been back home for just two days, since a ten day road trip to Boston, Los Angeles and Las Vegas and for me the new normal of WFH doesn't feel strange at all, as I've been working from home since 1992 on a daily basis. But really have been a remote worker since my first job with the Philadelphia Wings way, way back in 1974. Back then remote meant working from the press box at The Spectrum, or from arenas in the USA and Canada reporting the outcome of games to the media when we were on the road, so I guess I can claim the title of being one of the earliest road warriors, so the idea of being home isn't strange. Just the prospect of not going on the road again for a while is. Welcome to my new normal.
Watching all the news, seeing all the companies and people I've touched past and present adapt, and getting comments from colleagues and friends about being "ahead of the curve" as Dialpad founder and CEO Craig Walker texted me during an exchange, or hearing over lunch in Vegas from Xceptional Chairman Larry Johnes "that no one will ever question how much early you were into the idea of remote work" were all nice to see and hear. But this new normal is a big change even for me.
My day is more filled than ever with video calls, conference calls and scheduling things. My life is now more Zoom, UberConference, Slack than even before, not because I didn't use them--oh I did for years--but now others who used to be more "weekly call" centric are now engaging more often throughout the day with others, who like me are not, in their company offices and having me join those sessions.
I'm finding that creating Shared Slack Channels is a great way to boost communication flow. People who were previously texting me are now moving into Slack. Files exchanges, previously emailed or sent Google docs/sheets/slides links are now being shared inside Slack. And on a personal note, those closest to me are now calling me more via FaceTime, Messenger, WhatsApp and Google Duo. I've got clients using Signal too. My iPhone or iPad are now is no longer relegated to the kitchen charging stations, as one is usually with me more when I'm using my Pixelbook simply due to iMessage, but back in their normal place when the Mac Book or Mac Book Pro is in use.
Now more than ever, tools like Woven and Calendly are becoming staples for scheduling. Alerts and reminders are key as getting the "ten minute" warning about a scheduled call allows me to gracefully (sometimes) end a call. I'm also finding that I'm setting more meetings to be 25 minutes, not thirty, allowing time to catch up on IM's, emails and even listen to the occasional voice mail for those that leave them. Most people I know now are texting and asking "when can we talk" and then after agreeing on a time, one of us sends off a calendar item with the appropriate conference bridge based on who, where, and personal preference.
There's also a growing sense of time-shifted communications between friends to help overcome the loneliness of sheltering in place. More and more friends who were short form writers or photo posters only are sharing more on Facebook. Instagram is becoming the creative outpost. LinkedIn is becoming more and more the haven for help and business advice, not simply a job seekers best friend.
What's Next? More Zapier and IFTTT - the two services automate routine tasks and manage services. Already I use them to open my door when I come home. My lights turn off when I go too far from home, and can be programmed to turn on when the lock opens. With the two services I can get notified when someone tweets me, retweets, send me an email to one of my accounts I don't live in during the work day and more, by having the alert sent to me either in Slack or via SMS. With now thousands of combinations of integrations, all based on APIs, the two services allow us to focus on the tasks that need our attention, while the bots do the repetitive work.
Yes, for many, the new normal is a major adjustment, but for me, the adjustment is really about giving in to not getting away to work from anywhere. It's now about "AWFH"--always working from home.
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