Remote work can feel like freedom and a test of your habits. The good news: you can set yourself up for long-term success by being intentional during your first 30 days—especially around communication, visibility, and routines.
Week 1: Set your foundation (and reduce friction)
- Clarify expectations early: Ask your manager how success is measured in the first 30/60/90 days. Request examples of “great” work.
- Lock in your working hours: If you’re in different time zones, agree on overlap times and response expectations (e.g., “I respond within 2 hours during overlap”).
- Upgrade your home setup: Focus on the basics that make you reliable:
- Stable internet (backup hotspot if possible)
- Comfortable chair + desk height
- Good audio (a decent mic/headset beats a fancy camera)
Week 2: Build trust through communication
In remote teams, people can’t “see” effort—only outcomes and signals.
- Over-communicate progress, not effort: Share what’s done, what’s next, and what’s blocked.
- Use a simple status template in Slack/Teams:
- Today: …
- Next: …
- Blocked by: …
- Ask for feedback fast: Don’t wait for a monthly check-in. A quick “Is this heading the right direction?” saves days.
Week 3: Make yourself visible without being noisy
Visibility isn’t about posting constantly—it’s about making your work easy to track.
- Document decisions: After meetings, summarize outcomes and owners in a shared doc or channel.
- Share early drafts: Remote collaboration improves when people can react sooner.
- Create a “wins” log: Keep a running note of deliverables, metrics, and positive feedback. This helps during performance reviews and future interviews.
Week 4: Protect focus and prevent burnout
Remote work can blur boundaries—especially when your office is your home.
- Time-block deep work: Put “Focus time” on your calendar like a meeting.
- Use a shutdown ritual: End the day with 5 minutes to plan tomorrow and close tabs.
- Be intentional about connection: Schedule 1–2 casual chats per week (quick coffee chat, pairing session, or teammate intro). Remote culture thrives on lightweight human moments.
Quick self-check: Are you set up to thrive?
- Do I know what “good” looks like in my role?
- Can my team predict when I’m available?
- Does my manager hear about progress before they have to ask?
- Do I have routines to start/stop work consistently?
Remote work success is less about perfection and more about building repeatable systems.
What’s one remote-work habit or system that made the biggest difference for you (or that you’re trying to build right now)?