Remote work is common today, but it wasn't always that way. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, this practice was unusual for companies and workers. This is well illustrated by the example of Sophie Parry-Billings, who decided to fully switch to remote work in 2017.

Sophie worked as a marketing associate director for a London company called Acceleration Partners, which was trying to introduce a new type of workplace. For instance, Sophie worked in an open-space office, sitting at the same desk with dozens of workers. She was annoyed by constant distractions and music always playing in the office. Moreover, she spent about two hours every morning getting to the office by subway, and that's only if the woman didn't fall into rush hour.

At that time, remote work was atypical for London, but Parry-Billings decided to change her work conditions radically and took this step. The woman immediately saw the advantages of this type of work. First, it allowed her to organize her life better and plan her schedule. Now, she didn't have to rush to the subway in the morning, snacking on some junk food instead of a full breakfast. Secondly, Sophie wanted to spend more time with her loved ones and work in a comfortable environment without distractions.

Of course, Parry-Billings faced difficulties in the beginning. Because remote work was uncommon among companies at that time, the workers' homes were not prepared for it either. Therefore, Sophie spent her first working hours in the bathroom, setting up an "office" there. Besides, at first, it was difficult for her to determine a fixed time in the evening when she should stop working and finally return to her usual life. Nevertheless, there were many more advantages.

After 2020, when the world was engulfed by the COVID-19 pandemic and most companies switched to remote work, the issue of online team organization couldn’t be more relevant. Many now believe that online workers are less productive and responsible, but this is not true. The main task of every manager whose company works remotely is to organize the team and work so that they bring the greatest results. Let's find out how you can do it!