Have you ever done it remotely?
Work, we mean!
Imagine that laptop-on-the-beach kind of life, sipping piña coladas, waking up to the sound of the waves, living in a beach hut on a remote pacific island, where the wifi speed is 100mbps.
If it sounds unrealistic, it’s because it probably is. At least for most of the remote workers out there.
Beach on the south coast of Sri Lanka – too hot for any electronic device to function properly.
Hostel lounge, takeaway dinner and the daily struggle to get good wifi.
The only place where i had good phone signal to hotspot, during an unscheduled 8 hours power cut.
Outside of the occasional digital nomad who is constantly seeking new destinations and enjoys the struggle of finding stable wifi on a weekly basis (like myself), who can actually benefit from remote work?
Well, pretty much everyone, and the Monkeys are here to prove you so.
Trust your monkeys to pick their own banana tree
Working remotely doesn’t mean pushing people away from the office, but rather telling them they can work from where they prefer, office included.
Letting people pick their desk for the day is an act of trust.
Social animals will show up regularly in the office, while neurodivergent people might find it easier to concentrate at home.
Those who like the city life will swing by 3 days a week, the hikers will set base closer to the mountains, so they can breathe clean air on their walks.
Interns will seek the buzzing office atmosphere, single mothers will prefer to juggle work-time and kids-time without having to account for commute time.
My work station, in the garden of the guest house.
One of the family dogs, following me as i went to grab my charger.
And there are so many more people who benefit from not being tied-down to an office job: people with invisible disabilities or chronic illnesses, women with endometriosis or experiencing menopause, people who need to care for their elderly parents, people with reactive dogs who can’t bring them to the office, people recovering from injuries.
But also the sloths who like to hit snooze when the alarm rings, and the gym rats squeezing in their daily workout just in time for the morning stand-up.
The list could go on but you got the gist.
Pick ’n mix your monkeys
We have all sorts of monkeys: digital nomad monkeys, sporty monkeys (female soccer series B!), working from R(h)ome monkeys, living-in-a-van monkeys, small town monkeys and big city life monkeys.
We like to think we’re great example of a diverse and inclusive jungle.
My personal choice is the first one: I easily get bored of being in the same place for too long, and WeRoad allows me to roam around destinations of my choice. There’s a very limited commitment to meet in presence once or twice a year for company-led get-togethers which are a great chance to strengthen relationships and share some stories over a pizza.
3rd class train ticket for a short morning trip.
The famous Kandy to Ella train ride.
I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way – I get to split my time between my friends who live abroad (in more locations than my hands can count), my family who’s based in Italy, my second home that is the UK, and my bucket list destinations.
While I write this article I’m in Sri Lanka, planning if next weekend I want to do a safari in the western province or go diving on the east coast. A tough decision to take, I know!
I went for the safari – the sunrise over Yala National Park was definitely a highlight of my 2.5 months in the country.
I like to hit the road, but unlike ‘Jack’ I do come back. Not having a fixed base and travelling constantly is tiring and can affect your performance at work, so I have a couple of places in the world where I go back to, to recharge my batteries.
I still enjoy passing by the HQ when I find myself in the Milan area – nothing better than a day when you have to give up on getting sh*t done because everyone stops by your desk to say ‘Long time no see’. You might even be able to squeeze in a meeting, between a coffee break and another.
Being in my FOMO era (Millennials and Gen Z, I see you), travelling is a priority for me at the moment. And if when coming back from a holiday you feel like you need a holiday, then probably it’s yours too!
Sunset over the Buddhist complex of Mihintale.
Sitting down at the end of a trail in the mountains of the Central province at sunrise.
This lifestyle comes with challenges and personal sacrifices (not all that glitters is gold), but you’re always the one drawing the line and deciding if this month you want to slow down or jump around.
As much as being on the road is my favourite thing at the moment, I know that my next chapter could bring me closer to my ageing parents, or away from a country affected by climate emergencies, or to a place I will fall in love with.
And while my life’s priorities are shifting, I wouldn’t wanna have to quit my job and start from scratch in a new place.
I know my job should work around my life, whichever stage I’m at, and not the other way around.
A monk at a Buddhist temple in one of the most unexplored areas of Sri Lanka, which I managed to visit in my free time before starting to work.
Intentional banana eating
As a remote worker you need to be intentional with your interactions, in building relationships and in understanding other people’s boundaries, because body language and tone of voice sometimes don’t travel across screens.
Being self-driven and proactive become key skills when you’re not working in an office, because the context you are in probably doesn’t exactly draw you to your laptop.
As an employee, you need to act with intention and over-communicate to somewhat make up for the looser connection you have with your colleagues, while as a manager you need to be a great listener and motivator, to keep together teams that are scattered across the continent.
My desk with a view over Ella’s rock, in the Central province.
Remote waterfall, only visited by locals, where monks were having fun sliding down the rocks.
A worker in the rice fields in front of my guest house in the Southern province.
Keeping yourself accountable outside the office walls can be challenging for some and perfectly fine for others.
You know yourself best, and as long as you deliver the projects you’re owner of, and the quality of your work is consistent, it doesn’t really matter from where you’re charging your laptop today.
- Need a structured day and a bunch of concentrated people around?
The office awaits you. - Need silence and stillness around to stay focused?
Your home is your realm. - Thrive in chaos and prefer a busy day where the work-life line blurs?
Pick a new time-zone. - Not sure where you’re sitting at the moment (pun intended)?
Try something different and see how it goes.
Usual encounters on my morning walk to town, along with all sorts of reptiles and birds.
Breakfast from my house on a hill: I had to drive 1km through the forest, but it had great wifi and an unbeatable atmosphere.
Distractions are inevitable: the landscape outside your window will want to be watched, the kids will be playing their mini-piano (most likely gifted by someone who doesn’t have kids) while you have meetings with colleagues, and the cat will insist on sitting on your keyboard while you’re fixing bugs.
Concentrating in these environments requires great focus (and sometimes a sound-proof windowless room) but we also wouldn’t want to miss out on all these distractions – all-in-all we probably prefer a little interruption over a 30 minutes commute.
Weekend getaway in the Knuckles Mountain Range: a view of Lakegala mountain from Meemure, one of the remotest villages in the country. No phone signal here.
One of the 20 cats that my host rescued from the streets of Trincomalee, jumping up on my laptop every other minute.
A jungle of possibilities
Giving people the possibility to work remotely doesn’t mean banning them from the office, but rather allowing them to find the right balance for themselves without interfering with their decision to be or not to be in the office.
Letting them choose what to do with their free time is a sign of inclusivity and empowerment.
Fishermen pulling a net full of fish ashore, witnessed during one of my mornings spent at the beach, while Europe was still asleep.
A beach in the north-east: visiting this area off-season meant i could have it all to myself.
To me it’s all about giving us the opportunity to meet in person, and leaving us the choice to do so.
Because while we are trusted to do our best from anywhere, we are also given the opportunity to meet face to face in one of our offices around Europe: crack a joke at the Monkey across your desk in Milan, practise your Spanish skills over lunch with your colleagues in Madrid or enjoy a Ramen after work with the Sales team in London – the choice is yours!
So, are you ready to do it remotely?
We’re hiring 😉