I remember sitting at my desk at 7 PM during the pandemic wondering — when exactly did my workday start today? And more importantly, when does it end?
Remote work had collapsed every boundary I had. Back-to-back video calls. Screen fatigue by noon. Lunch eaten while half-listening to a meeting. I started blocking my calendar just to protect basic human things — a lunch break, a 15-minute walk, a moment to breathe. I even started doing my 1:1s on foot, phone to my ear, just to get outside.
I figured it out eventually. But it took longer than it should have.
The Game Has Changed — And Not Equally
Back in 2020, everyone was remote. The playing field was level — your manager was on the same video call, dealing with the same awkward unmute moments, navigating the same uncertainty. Nobody had the home court advantage.
That’s no longer true.
Today’s hybrid reality is more complicated. You might be remote while half your team is in the office. Your manager might be physically present with your colleagues — stopping by desks, having lunch together, catching up in the hallway between meetings. Those casual, unplanned interactions are where relationships are built and where visibility happens without anyone even trying. And if you’re remote, you’re missing all of it.
What’s equally overlooked is the flip side — some people come into the office every day, but their manager or key collaborators are remote. They’re physically present but still navigating the same disconnection. They just don’t realize it has a name.
Hybrid work didn’t solve the remote work challenge. In some ways, it made it harder — because now the gap between in-office and remote isn’t just about logistics. It’s about access. Access to your manager’s attention, to informal conversations, to the kind of visibility that doesn’t show up on any org chart but quietly shapes who gets opportunities and who gets overlooked.
So when our engagement survey flagged that remote employees weren’t sure how to grow their careers without being in the office, I didn’t just see a data point — I saw my own early pandemic self. Uncertain. Overloaded. Trying to figure out the rules of a game no one had fully explained.
That’s what led the career development and mentoring group I co-lead to put together a panel discussion. Instead of sending out another article, we brought in three people from our own organization — different backgrounds, all remote, all thriving — and asked them to share what actually works.
Here’s what I took away.
The Fundamentals Matter More When You’re Remote
In an office, effort is visible. People see you staying late, jumping into conversations, showing up. Remotely, none of that is automatic — you have to make it visible on purpose.
Raise your hand for stretch assignments before you feel ready. Don’t wait to be invited. Proactively taking on projects that push your skills increases your exposure and signals ambition. Visibility is built, not handed out.
But don’t overcommit. Reliability is one of the easiest things to quietly damage when you’re remote — people can’t see your effort, only your outcomes. Your “say-do” ratio is your reputation. Commit to what you can deliver, and if something changes, say so early.
Responsiveness is your presence. When someone pings the team and you reply promptly, you’re telling people: I’m here, I’m engaged, I can be counted on. That reputation compounds over time in ways that are hard to see in the moment — but impossible to ignore later.
But set boundaries. Be responsive during working hours — not all hours. Answering messages at 9 PM quietly sets an expectation that isn’t sustainable. Protect your off hours, and let your daytime responsiveness speak for itself.
Invest in your setup. Camera, microphone, lighting. Every video interaction is a chance to project presence and engagement, and quality equipment signals that you take this seriously. People notice more than you’d think.
And don’t underestimate your background. A picture behind me consistently sparks conversation — it was a gift from my mother-in-law for my MBA graduation, and that story has opened more genuine connections than any formal introduction. Your background tells people who you are before you say a word. Just make sure it’s something you’re comfortable talking about — it can cut both ways.
Relationships Require Intentional Investment
In an office, relationships happen in the margins — hallway conversations, coffee runs, the chat before a meeting starts. Remote work eliminates all of that. Which means you have to manufacture those moments deliberately.
Stay connected with your manager in a way that works for both of you. Some relationships thrive on weekly 1:1s. Others operate on high trust with check-ins only when needed. What quietly derails careers is when both sides assume they’re in different kinds of relationships. Get explicit about it.
Be intentional about skip-level visibility. In an office, you might bump into senior leadership in the hallway or get noticed in a team meeting. Remotely, that doesn’t happen by accident. Proactively schedule skip-level conversations — even a quarterly coffee chat with your manager’s manager keeps you visible to the next level of leadership. Just be transparent with your manager when you do it. Skip levels work best when they’re not a surprise to anyone.
Schedule virtual coffee chats. Block time to connect with colleagues across functions — not for any agenda, just to build the relationship. These informal conversations are where unexpected collaboration and opportunity come from.
Use your organization’s recognition tools generously — but with intention. A simple thank-you goes further than you’d expect, but only when it’s specific. Quality over quantity. Most platforms offer pre-populated templates, and people lean on them heavily — but generic recognition loses its value fast. The recipient can tell when someone clicked a button versus when someone actually thought about them. I always include the what, the why, and the impact. One specific, thoughtful note builds more goodwill than ten templated ones.
Volunteer for cross-functional initiatives. Committees, ERGs, projects outside your core work — these expose you to people with shared values and interests, and those relationships often become the strongest ones in your network.
Small Rituals Create Big Impact
Some of the most memorable moments from the panel were the personal habits panelists had developed — small things that most people would never think to mention.
One uses humor intentionally to break the ice, making video calls feel more like in-person conversations.
Another makes quarterly visits to the primary office — not because it’s required, but because those in-person moments build and sustain relationships that carry through the remote months.
And then there was the perfume.
One panelist wears perfume before video meetings. Not because anyone can smell it — but because it’s a ritual that creates confidence, presence, the feeling that the interaction actually matters. I didn’t expect that answer. But it made complete sense.
The best remote workers don’t just manage logistics. They manage how they feel — and they’ve built small habits to help them show up as their best selves, even on the hard days.
The Mindset That Changes Everything
The insight that hit hardest was the simplest one. One panelist described the shift that changed everything for them:
“Get to do this — not have to do this.”
That reframe — from obligation to opportunity — changes how you show up in meetings, how you approach tough assignments, and how you engage with people in the small moments no one’s watching. It’s a small shift, but the effects are anything but small.
What You Can Take From This
If you’re a remote employee trying to grow your career:
→ Own your visibility. No one will advocate for you if they can’t see your work.
→ Protect your time intentionally — block your lunch, take the walk, set the boundary between work and life. No one will do it for you.
→ Be deliberate about relationships. They won’t happen by accident.
→ Find the small rituals that make you feel confident and present — whatever that looks like for you.
→ Shift from “have to” to “get to.” It changes everything.
If you’re a leader supporting remote employees:
→ Create space for stretch assignments and make it safe to raise a hand.
→ Be explicit about what good communication looks like in your relationship — don’t assume.
→ Recognize that remote employees may need different support. Not less. Just different.
Remote success isn’t about secrets. It’s about habits — built deliberately, sustained consistently, until they become your reputation.
What’s one practice that’s helped you succeed remotely? I’d love to hear it.