My 10 Commandments for Making Remote Work Work

Six years remote. Three of them from a boat, with three boys onboard.

I’ve learned that remote work isn't one size fits all. You have to own your version of it and find what really works for you.

After six years of collaborating with teams across five time zones, I’ve realized that remote work is less about tools or flexibility and more about people, rhythm, and communication.

Here are my 10 commandments, not rules but principles. Lessons shaped by experience, mistakes, and the people who taught me that remote work is less about where you are and more about how you show up.

1. Assume Good Intentions

Text makes us overthink the "tone" in which things are said. When you assume good intent in remote communication, you build the kind of trust that keeps teams aligned across time zones.

Start from trust. If something feels off, ask instead of assuming. Remote work runs on trust, not micromanagement, and it begins with how we interpret messages.

2. Overcommunicate Context

In the office, alignment happens by accident. You overhear things, read the room, notice a whiteboard.Remotely, silence is the default.

That means you have to make context visible. Add the why to the what. Write a little more than you think you should. When communication is clear, remote work feels lighter and faster.

3. Pick the Right Channel

Not every conversation belongs in Slack.

Be mindful of the medium: docs for decisions, calls for debates, Slack for nudges. The wrong channel leads to wrong outcomes. The right one helps your message land with clarity and respect.

4. Turn Cameras On, But Not Always

Connection matters, but so does energy.

Some days you need to see faces to feel aligned. Other days you need space to think without staring at yourself on screen. Camera time doesn’t equal commitment, balance connection with breathing space.

5. Check In as Humans, Not Just Colleagues

I’ve learned more about my team in five-minute "what did you do over the weekend?" chats than in fifty standups.

Those small, human moments create remote team culture.When you make time for the person behind the screen, collaboration follows naturally.

Still with me? Good, because the next five are where it gets real.

6. Document or It Didn't Happen

Slack scrolls eat decisions for breakfast.

If it matters, write it down: decisions, assumptions, and learnings. Good documentation isn’t busywork, it’s how distributed teams stay aligned without constant meetings.

Documentation builds remote work trust by making knowledge visible to everyone.

7. Respect Boundaries

Your 9am is someone else's midnight. Async communication isn’t a compromise, it’s a superpower.

Use Looms, shared notes, and messages people can read on their own time. When teams honor time zones and personal rhythms, productivity and wellbeing both rise.

8. Celebrate Out Loud

In an office, you see wins happen. Online, they disappear quietly.

Say thank you. Tag people. Use emojis. 🎉 Recognition builds motivation and belonging, two things that remote work can easily lose if you’re not intentional.

9. Be Intentional About Connection

Relationships don't grow in silence.

Don't wait for connection to happen, create it.Reach out. Schedule no-agenda coffees. Check in on people who cross your mind.Intentional communication turns remote work from isolation into collaboration.

10. Be Patient With Yourself

Remote work takes practice. Grace helps more than process.

Give yourself time to find your rhythm, your hours, your family balance. Progress beats perfection, always.

The Real Lesson

Behind every Slack message and Zoom square is a human doing their best, probably juggling more than you can see.

I made it work from a boat, internet cutting out with big waves and three boys wrestling in the background. If I could do that, you can make it work from wherever you are.

Whether you’re building a remote-first culture, managing a distributed team, or just trying to find your rhythm working from home, these principles apply.

You just have to give yourself permission to do it your way.

Key Takeaways to Making Remote Work Work

• Remote work runs on trust and intentional communication.

• Documentation and async workflows are superpowers, not compromises.

• Human connection requires deliberate effort online.

• Boundaries and grace matter more than perfection.

• You can build sustainable, human-first remote work from anywhere.