Hi, Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Chris Dyer, and I’m a champion for remote workers, remote working companies and remote work as the future of work. I went fully remote in 2009, and since then I’ve trained thousands, including more than 100 companies when the pandemic hit to transition rapidly to remote work, such as Johnson & Johnson, the U.S. Patent Office and the U.K. National Health Service. My passion is company culture, remote work, and promoting social equity and progress. The future of work is flexible, I believe in the power of workers and leaders to change the way we do business so that we maximize human potential across the many dynamics of life.
What’s your profession, what do you do?
I’m an entrepreneur. I’m an author. I do consulting and speaking engagements and I am the CEO of PeopleG2. I work remotely, and so do the thousands of talented people who work with me.
What company do you work for? Are you a freelancer or Digital Nomad?
All of the above. I work as an independent consultant and consider myself a digital nomad. Travel is enlightening, to be able to work remotely while gaining exposure to new places, landmarks, environments and experiences is paramount to growth and fulfilment.
How did you start with a remote work journey?
Right now, we are in the Great Resignation, they say, but I think we should call it the Great Reflection. When the Great Recession hit things were not as dynamic or evolved as they were when the pandemic hit in 2020. In 2009, we had to do something drastic to survive. We went fully remote. We even kept it confidential for some time out of fear that we would lose credibility, but we proved that remote work, works. And not only does it work, it works more valuably and profitably, and more consciously.
What do you think are the main benefits of working remotely?
People who are on a war against remote work, are clinging to outmoded work ideals that benefit the few. Gripes about remote work, are actually gripes about remote work done poorly, not remote work done well. Remote work benefits us collectively and individually. From a broader scope, we are seeing companies better serve consumers and scale out their businesses so that they can expand at a lower cost. On an individual level, people are building stronger relationships within their teams, communicating more consciously, improving their mental health and better managing their relationship with work itself.
Do you think there are disadvantages or that you’re missing something by working remotely?
NO.
I say that without any hesitation, qualification, or considerations. There is nothing missing by working remotely. Anything you think you are not getting from remote work, again, is remote work done poorly, not well. When remote work is architected in a sound, sustainable and causative design problems are alleviated, value skyrockets and people are happier. I don’t believe that life has to be hard, or that work has to be hard. There are natural challenges and failures as the result of mistakes, but that doesn’t mean we need to craft business models that are unnecessary or overbearing.
From what cities or countries have you worked since you have become remote? What are your favourite countries or cities to work from?
Although my home base is in Orange County, CA, being remote has allowed me to travel and work in cities around the world. In most instances these have been small stints where I provided consulting, keynote speeches, or retreats for high level executives. Some of the best cities to mix remote work and play, include: Prague, London, Antigua Guatemala, Paris, Budapest, Kyoto, Zadar, Split, Johannesburg, and Granada Spain. Having good Wifi, and fun things to do is my criteria.
From what type of places do you prefer to work? Home, co-working spaces, coffee shops, or others?
I prefer either a work from home setting, or a home rental. Having a dedicated space to work and Wifi you can count on, is so key to being successful as a remote worker.
What places would you like to travel to while working remotely?
I would love to finally visit Bali, Austria, New Zealand, and Dubai.
What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? Share your remote productivity, communication, management, etc. tips based on your experience!
When we first started, we realized that our ability to measure people and productivity was outdated. We had to get better at setting goals and expectations, and finding better ways to fairly judge employees. After we figured that out, redesigning meetings and making them a place employees wanted to be, vs avoiding them, became an obsession for me. It took a few years, and we are always iterating, but meetings have become the unifying way our staff connects and speeds up innovation.
What tools do you use to improve productivity and manage work efficiently?
We narrowed the platforms we use to primarily Slack. Constraining communication channels and making communication consistent and deliberate produces better outcomes by preventing cross-communication, miscommunication and developing wasteful traffic. We have check-ins on a regular basis, we do not fill up the whole time of a scheduled meeting for filling it’s sake, and we generally let people do what they were hired to do. That’s the point of work. The old school office politics, water cooler gossip, etc. those days are over. People want a more elevated experience through work, where they are allowed and supported to reach their fullest potential. Leaders and investors, consumers, everyone benefits from that kind of approach.
How do you manage your business and taxes as a remote working professional?
OY! This is where remote work can be challenging. There are regulatory issues that need to be addressed and update policies to get aligned with where we are at with progress in the future of work.
What advice would you give to people looking to work remotely?
Be conscious and proactive. Be causative in how you approach work. Even small things like closing your laptop at the end of work signals that you are done for work and that it’s time to focus on the other areas of your life.
Do you work on any side projects?
Yes. I am an author, international keynote speaker, consultant for many companies around culture and remote work, and I have been in many bands over the years.
Links to your side projects?
Would you like to share any interesting stories while you worked remotely? Please share if you can.
Travel is always full of fun, friends, and adventures you never expected to have. Some good and some bad. I have made friends that so integral to my life while travelling, made huge deals, and been around while volcanoes were going off in Guatemala, large earthquakes in Tokyo, and had a plane make an emergency landing that was quite dangerous. I loved it all!
Travel Photos
Chris Dyer's website: chrisdyer.com
Chris Dyer's Twitter profile: https://twitter.com/ChrisPDyer
Chris Dyer's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdyer7/
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