I love working remotely, whether for work, blogging or preparing a talk, nothing beats sitting at a coffee shop sipping a freshly made coffee. With wireless technology I can do pretty much everything I would in the office or at home while I’m out and about. I can make or receive calls on my mobile or on Skype, I can check my emails, I can design subdivisions in 12D, I can project manage jobs, review drawings, prepare presentations and talks and manage the workflow of my team.
Generally I find that my clarity of thought is improved in a neutral space such as a coffee shop, away from the office where everyone else’s work is competing for your attention. Being at my desk forces me to deal with (or at least acknowledge), other peoples issues as they bring them to me, whether urgent or not. This breaks concentration and workflow significantly, I’ve turned off all incoming mail notifications on my office computer for that very reason, if it were time critical they would have called me.
Some would say that a coffee shop is no better, there are noises, staff and people talking, and you can’t just get up and leave your stuff to go to the toilet or for a walk. But consistently, I’ve noticed increased productivity on certain tasks outside of the office.
I’m not alone in this, there are a growing army of Bedouin workers, freed from the need for a cubical space to call their own. In fact I recently stumbled across a great new blog aimed at helping people make this transition or improve their experience, through products, techniques and tips….
