Organizing an offsite for a distributed company

Atwix is a distributed company. But once a year we break all our rules… Well, almost all :). For the whole year Atwix heroes work hard and from anywhere they want, except during one summer weekend when we all take a break together at the annual offsite meeting. This is an informal event that brings all our teammates, no matter where they are located, together for a long weekend – to spend time together and communicate face-to-face. Last year we had a pilot offsite, and since then we are committed to doing it annually.

This year, we wanted to improve our experience, and came up with some basic principles for holding a successful offsite.

Does-a-distributed-company-need-an-office-manager

An office manager is an obvious hire for any company. The very definition of an office manager implies that there needs to be an office. Thus if you have one, after reaching a certain size there is no question whether you need a person, who provides day-to-day comfort and maintenance of the working environment. But when it comes to remote or distributed companies, the question is not that easy to answer. And since Atwix is a distributed company with both remote-only and in-office employees, we decided to share our experience with having an office manager, who manages more than just a physical office. This is what we are going to learn from Ksenia, our office manager.

Three-tips-for-productive-remote-work

The first association with the term “remote work” is dream-like: working while lying in a hammock by the sea. We take it as a holiday, rather than usual daily responsibilities at an office. But when you start your remote job, you soon figure out that your table, a chair (or a hammock) and your laptop become your work place for a full busy day. It’s like an office, with the added benefit that you don’t have to wake up early to commute. You also have the chance to escape the soul-crushing winter and work from any warm location you desire. Because what matters in the long run is the result.