The Year Lot Sixteen (and the World) Went Remote

Much like most of corporate America, Lot Sixteen recently reached its remote work anniversary. On March 12, 2020, we all congregated in the office for the last time, though we didn’t know it back then!

Throughout the course of the past year, we’ve acclimated ourselves to remote work. We’ve tested and tried out new ways of collaboration and team building. We’ve onboarded new employees and taken on new clients. It’s been a year of many firsts - but through it all, we’ve grown, learned, and worked hard for our clients.

I checked in with some of my Lot Sixteen teammates to hear their thoughts on remote work — how it's been for them, the highlights, and things they’re looking forward to (or not) about the possibility of returning to the office in the foreseeable future. 

McKinley Doty, Pat Brennan, and Gabby Massoud about one month before the office closure

Do you enjoy being a remote worker? Why or why not?

The group consensus is that folks overwhelmingly DO enjoy working remotely. Between saving money on food by cooking at home more, or being able to run a load of laundry during a weekday, having a flexible at-home work schedule has opened up new possibilities for the workday! A major item touched upon was the way the lack of a commute has opened up more time for productive activities, both in and outside of our jobs.

Missy: Even though I miss being in-person with my co-workers, I do enjoy the extra hour or two at home that used to be spent on commuting, and I love working outside when the weather is pleasant.

Pat: Working remotely is great. It allows me to be in control of my own schedule, and allows for greater flexibility overall. A big plus has been being able to spend more time with my family and work from different locations. As long as I’m keeping up normal work hours and getting my work done, there’s really no drawback!

Of course, there are a couple downsides to working remotely, even if WFH sentiments were generally positive. The vast majority of these negative comments dealt with one thing — missing the social interactions with coworkers.

McKinley: I do miss seeing my awesome colleagues in person!

Alli: I’m a very social person, so I definitely miss that part of being in an office. 

Gabby: Perks of working from home: getting to work next to your roommates. Cons of working from home: working next to your roommates.

Some Lot Sixteen team members chimed in about how they hope things will play out once we have the option to return to the office. Many agreed that, after we’ve worked remotely for this long, WFH isn’t a privilege that we’d like to give up entirely. 

Joseph: Yes, I do like [working remotely] most of the time, but I want an option to go into the office when I want. So when we open back up to normal, I would hope that we have a flexible policy.  

Missy: I look forward to a modified version of both in-home and in-office work environment once we can safely be back in the office together.

Gabby: I do miss the office and getting to leave the house to go to work. Wearing comfy clothes is nice and all but actually getting ready in the morning and looking nice to enter society is also a good feeling.

Team Member Missy Deerin stops by to water the plants, but other than that, this room hasn’t seen much use over the past year

How has working remotely altered your productivity?

A common response was that employees at Lot Sixteen felt they were more productive overall during this work from home phase. Between gaining back time that would be spent commuting to and from work, and not having co-workers around to chit chat with, most employees agree their performance has soared since being remote.

McKinley: My productivity is definitely heightened. With no one to talk to in between calls besides myself, and no longer having a commute that I have to factor into my work hours, I’ve been able to channel the extra focus and time into accomplishing more in one day.  

Missy: I’ve actually felt more productive with work and around the house. I divide my time differently now than I would if I were in the office, so I feel that I use my personal time and my work time more efficiently because it is easier to go between the two while at home. Three proposals finished AND three loads of laundry done in one morning? Now THAT is efficiency!

Pat: My productivity is definitely way up during the pandemic, because there are simply far fewer distractions at home. But in some ways, I’ve felt like I allow myself to work more than I should, including outside of normal work hours, because I’m home and there’s not much else to do! 

While nobody at Lot Sixteen responded that their productivity has decreased during this period of remote work, some folks said their impression of their own productivity was more of a mixed bag. 

Alli: I think I've been fairly productive while working remotely, of course it depends on the day! 

Joseph: In the past year, it’s definitely felt like I am working longer hours, but I’m not sure if that is due to COVID or all the new clients Lot Sixteen has taken on. I feel like my productivity is mixed and changes by the day. 

Gabby: It really depends on the day. For the most part I think my productivity has stayed the same but obviously some days are harder than others. One aspect where my productivity has skyrocketed: I never have dirty laundry anymore. There's no reason for me to put it off because there's no excuse when the washer dryer is at your beck and call 24/7. 

What do you miss most about being in the office & what do you look forward to most about the prospect of being back in the office?

It’s no surprise that the one thing people miss the most about being remote is their co-workers. At Lot Sixteen, we’re fortunate to work alongside some incredible, interesting people. While we’ve managed to do some socially distant team activities over the past year, and we see each others’ faces on our regular staff check-in calls, it can never replace good old fashioned in-person communication

McKinley: Overall, what I miss about being in the office the most is the social aspect. Being in person allows for more team bonding and a deeper understanding of my colleagues’ work styles and personalities, which I appreciate. 

Gabby: I miss the constant chatter around the office and getting to see my coworkers everyday. The collaborative setting is nice too - getting to work on something with someone face to face instead of having to call or message coworkers when you want to discuss or brainstorm.

Alli: Well, I joined Lot Sixteen during this remote setting, so I’m most excited about finally meeting everyone! Also, the happy hours of course! 

One other common thread emerged from teammates’ responses…It seems almost everyone misses the music from the office! 

Gabby: I miss getting to listen to other people's music and discovering new music. It's been a year of my own music taste and frankly, I'm bored of it. I need the variety that the office offers! 

Missy: Our work setting is collaborative - we all sit together at a large table - so I miss the daily banter, impromptu happy hours and sharing our Spotify playlists the most.

McKinley: Oh yeah, can’t forget about the collaborative Spotify playlists.

Joseph: I definitely miss most of all the people, the music, and being more easily able to separate my home life and work.  

Pat: Okay, obviously everyone just misses my fire Spotify playlists. No surprises there.