Unpopular opinion: Remote work actually HURT my team's productivity

I keep seeing everyone say working from home is the greatest thing ever for business. But here in Portland, my small marketing firm saw a real drop after we went fully remote in 2021. Our project completion rate went from about 88 percent down to 72 percent over that first year. I think it's because we lost all those quick, informal chats that solved problems in 2 minutes instead of a scheduled 30 minute call. The collaboration just isn't the same when you can't turn around and ask someone a question. Has anyone else seen their numbers dip after going remote, or is it just my industry?

2 comments

2 Comments

daniel_walker1mo ago

Did you track the actual cost of all those extra scheduled calls versus the 2 minute chats? My company saw something similar, turns out the informal conversations were making us faster because people solved problems before they even became problems. The formal meeting setup just creates a delay that kills momentum.

thomas.parker1mo ago

@daniel_walker nailed it, we ditched all the formal stuff and our velocity went way up too.