80: Working Remote on Purpose with Yann Toutant

Yann Toutant believes companies can be more innovative by creating and working as remote teams. Our conversation explores Yann’s journey and what he’s learning.

Highlights

• Yann Youtant is the CEO of Econocom
• The main drive for a remote team is innovation
• Working remote helps you turn the cruise control of your life off
• Four steps of the remote ladder
  • Be remote in your own office–don’t work from the same desk every day
    • Forces you to digitize everything (no paper)
    • Changes perspectives, neighbors, etc.
  • Be remote within your ecosystem
    • Suppliers, customers business partners
    • Work from their offices
    • Embrace the unique energy of different offices and cultures
  • Work from a co-working space
    • Meet other entreprenuers
    • Take advantage of community vibe
    • Intentionally not at home where you are isolated
  • When traveling for holidays stay one or more weeks longer
    • Find local partners or co-working space
• Remote does not mean “no structure”
• Maximum solo focus in a day is two hours
  • Spend the rest of the day collaborating with others
• Creating silent spaces
• Managers tend to find remote work more challenging than individual contributors
  • Worrying that their people aren’t working because they cannot see them
  • Redefining the meaning of trust–losing control
  • Providing a safe place to make mistakes
• Losing control can lead to new discoveries
• Yann’s Atlantic crossing in a sailboat and the unique way he got the approval of his board
  • Talking to the heart and not the head
  • Setting aside what people will think
• Living and thinking more from our hearts
• The challenges and joys of being a CEO
• The unexpected benefits of remote work
• Why do we have grass in your yards?

Connect with Yann Toutant

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yann-toutant/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/YannTOUTANT

Credits

• Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund
• Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod

All songs licensed under Creative Commons

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