The pandemic rapidly accelerated the remote work trend, forcing many companies to adopt distributed teams out of necessity. Now, as the crisis fades, organizations face difficult decisions on remote work policies. According to Adam Graham, CEO and founder of JustFix, embracing distributed teams was always part of his company’s core philosophy. With decades of experience leading global teams, Adam sees this model as the inevitable future of work.
The Rise of Remote Work
The pandemic served as a catalyst for remote work. As Adam reflects, “JustFix came of age post-Covid. It was an idea conceived during the pandemic when I had difficulty finding a locksmith.” With people confined indoors for long periods of time, homes transformed into offices, schools, and gyms. This fuelled a surge of home improvements as people reconfigured their living spaces.
JustFix launched to meet this demand. Unlike legacy companies, Adam designed JustFix as a distributed team from day one, noting its defensive and offensive advantages. Defensively, distributed teams provide resilience against potential future disruptions like pandemics. Offensively, Adam saw the effectiveness of remote collaboration during his time leading a global public company. With experience managing worldwide teams across time zones, Adam realized the inefficiencies of required in-office work.
The Case for Distributed Teams
While some companies mandate return-to-office plans, Adam believes hybrid remote models are ideal for most. When asked why organizations insist on in-office work, he identifies three primary factors.
First, major property owners have a vested interest in filling offices and revitalizing urban centers. Adam notes, “If you look at people’s investment portfolios, I think that’s part of the rationale behind it.”
Second, some argue for fairness to essential workers who must work onsite. For example, Elon Musk asserted that office workers shouldn’t get special remote work privileges over factory employees. Adam sees this primarily as an emotional argument rather than a logical one.
Finally, and most validly, he notes potential disadvantages to younger workers. Without the hands-on guidance and osmosis of in-office work, early career professionals can lack opportunities to learn.
Still, Adam sees the benefits outweighing the costs for knowledge workers, especially in modern open plan offices. He comments, “If I have to find somewhere other than my desk to get work done, my desk is clearly suboptimal for its purpose.”
Optimizing Hybrid Teams
Given these considerations, how can companies optimize hybrid remote models? Adam recommends these strategies:
- Facilitate Organic Interactions – Instead of frequent low-quality social activities, plan memorable bonding experiences like competitive socializing venues.
- Empower Subgroups – Rather than a one-size-fits-all policy, allow teams to self-organize optimal in-office time. More junior members may benefit from more frequent meet-ups.
- Accommodate Different Work Styles – Mandatory office days can overwhelm introverts. Allow flexibility for people to manage their energy.
- Engineer Mentoring and Growth – Create formal remote mentoring programs and resources to support early career professionals.
- Focus on Collaboration – Reserve in-person days for interactive creative sessions, not work that can be done remotely.
- Meet Consistency Demands – Hold occasional organization-wide touchpoints, such as monthly or quarterly all-hands meetings.
The Sustainable Future of Work
Adam predicts hybrid models will prevail as the future of knowledge work. The pandemic permanently shifted workplace expectations. While some companies will insist on full-time office work, they will struggle to attract as much talent. Adam concludes, “People who want the freedom to work remotely will find there’s plenty of companies happy to have them.”
This shift can revitalize new areas outside major cities while still preserving human connections. Adam notes, “It actually helps spread affluence across wider areas and not make it all centered around a small number of city centers.”
With intentionality, hybrid models allow organizations to sustain culture, collaboration, and development. Adam sees a distributed approach as both a defensive move and an offensive opportunity. By reimagining inclusive and flexible policies, companies can unlock productivity and resilience. JustFix provides a case study of designing remote work from the ground up, poised to thrive in the new era of distributed teams.
To learn more about Adam Graham and JustFix, check out his LinkedIn profile.