How to Work Faster in a Remote Team?

When I first joined a fully remote team, one phrase kept appearing in our chat: “OK, I’m done.”

I’d stare at the message, baffled. How did they finish so quickly? Coming from a traditional office environment, I was used to long meetings, constant interruptions, and the sluggish pace of in-person collaboration. Remote work was different—people moved faster, communicated more efficiently, and got more done in less time.

After months of adjusting, I realized that remote work doesn’t just allow for speed—it encourages it. But only if you structure your workflow correctly.

Here’s how top remote teams optimize for speed without sacrificing quality.

Table of Contents

1. Streamline Communication to Minimize Noise

In an office, communication defaults to the most distracting format: unscheduled conversations, impromptu meetings, and loud open-office chatter. Remote work, by contrast, defaults to asynchronous communication—written, deliberate, and structured.

How to Make It Work for You:

Move conversations out of email. Internal emails are slow and disorganized. Instead, use:
Team chat apps (like Slack or Microsoft Teams) for quick questions.
Document collaboration tools (like Notion or Confluence) for project updates.
Internal blogs or wikis for announcements and long-form knowledge sharing.
Reduce unnecessary replies. Encourage concise, actionable messages. If a discussion requires more than three back-and-forths, switch to a quick call.

“Communication feels cheap to do but often adds up to a lot of time costs.”
—Andreas Klinger, Head of Remote at AngelList

2. Choose the Right Tools for the Job

Remote teams rely on digital tools, but not all tools are equally efficient. The best ones reduce friction, automate repetitive tasks, and keep everyone aligned.

Key Tools for Speed:

Project Management: Trello, Asana, or Linear for tracking tasks.
Document Collaboration: Google Docs, Notion, or Coda for real-time editing.
Knowledge Sharing: Guru or Slite for centralized information.
Automation: Use workflows to connect apps and eliminate manual steps (e.g., auto-saving Slack files to Google Drive).

“If one tool doesn’t work, don’t waste time—just move to the next one.”
—Scott Hanselman, Microsoft

3. Leverage Time Zone Differences (Instead of Fighting Them)

One of the biggest advantages of remote work is the ability to have a 24-hour workflow. Instead of seeing time zone differences as a hurdle, use them to your advantage.

How to Optimize for Async Work:

Hand off tasks at the end of your day so teammates in other time zones can continue progress.
Document everything so work doesn’t stall when someone is offline.
Set core overlap hours (e.g., 3–4 hours where everyone is online for real-time collaboration).

“Our development is 24/7. Even when U.S. teammates sleep, our European and South African developers keep working.”
—Alex Turnbull, CEO of Groove

4. Eliminate Unnecessary Meetings

Meetings are one of the biggest productivity killers—especially in remote work, where video calls add extra friction (poor connections, awkward delays, tech issues).

How to Cut Meeting Time:

Default to async updates (written summaries, Loom videos, or Slack threads).
If a meeting is necessary:
Keep it under 30 minutes.
Require a clear agenda.
Assign action items at the end.
Replace status meetings with shared dashboards or automated reports.

“We canceled our weekly meeting and replaced it with a structured show-and-tell. It saved hours per month.”
—Former iDoneThis team member

5. Optimize Your Work Environment for Deep Focus

In an office, distractions are constant. Remote work lets you control your environment—but only if you design it intentionally.

How to Set Up for Speed:

Work where you’re most productive (home office, coffee shop, co-working space).
Use noise-canceling headphones to block distractions.
Schedule focus blocks (e.g., 2–3 hours of uninterrupted work with notifications off).

“The office is where ‘work moments’ happen—remote work is where real productivity happens.”
—Jason Fried, Basecamp

6. Write More, Talk Less

Remote work forces you to communicate clearly in writing—which, ironically, makes communication faster in the long run.

How to Improve Written Communication:

Be concise. Get to the point quickly.
Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs.
Standardize formats (e.g., use templates for common updates).

“Full sentences are harder to write—they force clear thinking.”
—Jeff Bezos (Amazon’s memo culture)

7. Take Ownership of Your Productivity

In an office, it’s easy to look busy without actually accomplishing much. Remote work removes that illusion—you’re judged by output, not presence.

How to Stay Accountable:

Track your tasks (Trello, Todoist, or a simple spreadsheet).
Set daily/weekly goals and review progress.
Experiment with productivity methods (Pomodoro, time blocking, or deep work sessions).

“I cut my blog post writing time from 2 days to 4 hours by eliminating distractions.”
—Belle Cooper, Hello Code

The Trade-Off: What’s Slower in Remote Work?

Remote work isn’t perfect. Some things take longer:

Complex brainstorming (whiteboard sessions are harder remotely).
Building personal connections (requires more intentional effort).
Time zone delays (waiting for responses from sleeping teammates).

But with the right systems, these downsides are outweighed by the massive gains in focused work time.

Final Thought: Remote Work Rewards Efficiency

Remote work doesn’t automatically make you faster—but it enables speed by removing office distractions, encouraging async communication, and letting you design your ideal workflow.

The teams that move fastest are the ones who:

Minimize unnecessary communication.
Use tools that reduce friction.
Optimize for deep work.

If you’re struggling with remote productivity, start with one of these strategies. Small tweaks can lead to big speed gains.

“The freedom of remote work means I can experiment and find what helps me work fastest.”
—Belle Cooper

What’s your biggest remote work productivity hack? Share in the comments.

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