Interview with Shauna, founder and business consultant specializing in remote work

My business is Operate Remote. I work with companies to help them maximise their opportunities and minimise their challenges when it comes to distributed working.

I do this through consulting and coaching in a range of different areas; operations and strategy, leadership, communications and even team culture and engagement. I love helping businesses find their own ways of managing distributed teams.

Remote working isn't smooth, and it's definitely not for everyone, but when companies have the right mindset, strategies, and skill sets in place— they can create something extraordinary and unique.

I believe self-awareness is critical when working remote. I'm a morning person, and my brain functions at it's best in the morning. I usually start the day off with a gym class, grab a coffee on the way home and get ready, before sitting down to work by 7.30am.

I focus on the most strategic tasks first thing and leave mundane tasks until the afternoon. I make sure to always take a lunch break in between (away from the screen) and get some fresh air throughout the day.

I usually always work at home in my office unless I have to travel for work. I like to work from the same space, however, after years of working remotely, I have realised the importance of getting out and meeting with other people.

As a business owner who also works remotely, remote isolation is something to be aware of. I really enjoy going into a co-working space, connecting with like-minded people and shaking things up with my space and routine. One of the main benefits of remote work is that it's flexible—so it's nice to leverage that and test what works best.

I really think it has a lot to do with understanding when, where, and how you can perform and concentrate at your best.

Setting goals and SMART CAR goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely, commitment, accountability, and reward) and consistently planning & measuring yourself and your output is important. I also set monthly, weekly, and daily goals and a list of tasks that I re-prioritise as needed.

There are too many things to list.

Remote work is like an onion; there are so many layers to the benefits that it provides.

I love hearing individual's stories about how being able to work from their preferred location has given them freedom or flexibility to live a life true to them. I speak to businesses who have grown their operations and have been really successful, while also saving money by not having a physical office and having access to amazing global talent.

I speak to communities who are trying to create a remote workforce in their villages and towns so that people don't have to relocate to the cities and can be with their loved ones, while also improving local economic development.

Then there's climate change, of course, lower admissions with less commuting. There are just so many positive stories that have come from remote working, and every time I hear them, I become more and more passionate about the future of work and the remote working movement.

I don't like bias or perception that sometimes come with remote working. Remote working isn't necessarily going to suit everyone or every company. I think we need to get better at speaking about our challenges and issues with remote work. Only then can we truly learn from each other and create a positive change.

I use a lot of different tools. It's essential for me to be always looking at up-and-coming technologies for my clients. My favourite tools at the moment would be Todoist, Slack & Trello.

• Get dressed every day and feel good in yourself.
• Meet with real people in person often.
• Get outside and away from the screen as much as possible.
• Find a structure and a routine that works for you.

Lastly, watch out for remote burnout— we tend to be more productive compared to office workers, which is because we find it hard to switch off. So, it's imperative we find ways to really switch off.

I work with clients that are wanting to make a change in their business —be it starting or scaling a company remotely or looking to improve their remote workforce's performance in an already distributed company.

For me, it's important my clients are willing to adapt and change, to try something new to reach their highest potential for growth.

As a business owner wearing so many hats, it's essential to understand where I can add the most value to my clients, what my highest ROI is and what I really enjoy doing.

From experience, priorities often change, but as long as it's contributing to the overall goal, it's okay to be flexible.

It's important to stay focused, which can be really hard to do when we work online. Reflecting at the end of each day as to what went well & what can be improved is a really great way to consistently get better, hold yourself accountable and ultimately, grow.

I'm not great at this I'll admit, and I've struggled with giving myself true 'rest-time.' One day a week though, I'll really try to completely shut off from work and technology, leave the phone at home and get out into nature or spend quality time with loved ones.

I've learnt over recent years the importance of slowing down and how to value myself outside of what I produce or get done.

Some of my best work has come from a result of slowing down and being well rested.

A lot of companies fail to establish a strategy that's going to help them facilitate the creation and growth of their remote teams. Without a clear plan and processes in place, all types of issues can arise: poor performance, engagement, and communication problems, to name a few.

In a business, employees really are your main stakeholder, they'll be the ones that will keep your customers happy and generate new business.

They'll be buying into and executing the vision of the company, so it's vital to ensure they're looked after—even more so when they are remote.

From a leadership perspective, it's common for remote managers to find it difficult to manage remote teams compared to teams in an office environment. Leading groups and people remotely is very different in that you have to create relationships, build trust and create a transparent and supportive environment for everyone to thrive—all over a computer screen.

Throw in multiple time zones and cultures, and that can add an extra layer of complexity. I work with leaders to make this process more simplistic and focus on critical areas of development that not only will help them right now but as their workforce and teams grow.