Social isolation. The complete opposite to what draws so many of us to educational organizations. I’m not going to lie, it has been – and continues to be – a challenge. While the teaching professionals in our office have broader opportunities to interact outside of the team, the same is not true for others. Working Remotely: Secrets to Success for Employees on Distributed Teams is helping us better understand the thoughts and emotions of our remote team members while offering insights into the physical and functional aspects of working remotely.

In Chapter 1: Secrets of the Right Mentality, lead author Teresa Douglas @teresamdouglas (along with Holly Gordon and Mike Webber) call out the lonely nature of remote working. We’re all missing the spontaneous everyday interactions – the water cooler meet ups, the hallway consultations, and the rides down the elevator that spill into parking lot conversations. The loss, intensified by a new work environment and new processes for carrying out the work, takes a toll on the human psyche.