Work from home (WFH) is now firmly established as the new normal and general employee preference.
Indeed, a 2023 FlexJobs survey shows that 95 percent of US employees would like to work from home “in some form”.
Most want to go fully remote (65 percent), while 34 percent would prefer a hybrid work arrangement.
Yet, for many, the opportunity to switch to WFH is still relatively new, and there’s a lot to get used to.
After all, feelings of isolation are commonplace despite the benefits of lower commute times and better work-life balance.
Social isolation is undoubtedly a powerful demotivator. Yet, these 21 work-from-home quotes may provide the ideal antidote to inspire managers to improve their teams’ remote performance, engagement, and well-being.
1. “People are more productive working from home than people would have expected. Some people thought that everything was just going to fall apart, and it hasn’t.” – Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Meta Platforms Inc.
Remember that remote working can improve productivity and the model can still facilitate the employee-centric workplace.
2. “If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” – Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple.
The purpose of an organization and the value of the task at hand is an excellent tool to inspire remote workforces.
3. “We like to give people the freedom to work where they want, safe in the knowledge that they have the drive and expertise to perform excellently. Yours truly has never worked out of an office, and never will.” — Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group.
Keep in mind that several business leaders and decision-makers regularly worked from remote locations, even before the pandemic. There is no reason the same should not apply to an average employee.
4. “Keep a team chatroom open. There is nothing more important in a group remote project than casual communication. Not just official emails and work updates, but the ability to sit back and chat.” – David Rabin, VP of Global Commercial Marketing, Lenovo.
This quote from David Rabin reminds us to value water cooler conversations, small talk, and other essential elements that reinforce interpersonal relationships in the workplace.
5. “We can handle real live difficulties, it is the imaginary ones that cannot be conquered.” – James Borg, author of Mind Power.
Without external voices constantly reminding us about the real-world environment, it is easy to make mountains out of molehills when working from home. Try to proactively avoid this.
6. “One of the secret benefits of using remote workers is that the work itself becomes the yardstick to judge someone’s performance.” – Jason Fried, founder of Basecamp.
This work-from-home quote reaffirms that the office experience was always supposed to be about the work, which is now increasingly the case in a remote environment.
7. “I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing.” – Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick.
Resilience is one of the key lessons to learn from this WFH period, and this quote tells us about the importance of humor and not taking oneself too seriously.
8. “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” —Judy Garland, American actress and singer.
WFH has greatly empowered each and every remote worker. Use this opportunity to demonstrate and augment individual strengths.
9. “To start building your remote culture, establish and share some basic rules. The first and most important rule is mutual trust between the company and its workers. The rules after that? As few as possible.” – Larry English, author of Office Optional.
WFH employees must be confident that the organization has their best interests at heart. Additionally, organizations should aim to increase empowerment and be wary of micromanagement.
10. “Encourage all of our employees to have a disciplined schedule for when you will work, and when you will not, and to stick to that schedule.” – Dan Springer, CEO of DocuSign.
Routines and discipline do not only apply to nine-to-five hours. Encourage employees to bring the same focus to schedules and safeguard wellbeing.
11. “Successfully working from home is a skill, just like programming, designing or writing.” – Alex Turnbull, Founder of Groove.
Do not worry if the transition to WFH is more challenging than expected. Remote work is a paradigmatic shift, and employees need to ease into it, like anything else, with the proper support.
12. “Focus on being productive instead of busy.” – Tim Ferriss, American Entrepreneur and Investor.
When working from home, the lines between someone’s personal and working lives blur. In this environment, it’s easy for a busy employee to become overwhelmed and work longer hours. As such, the focus must shift from being busy to productive.
13. “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar, American Author.
After a difficult few days at work, it’s easy for an isolated employee to feel down and have that sinking feeling slip into their everyday lives. Finding motivation every day is critical to avoid this dangerous pattern.
14. It is about workplace flexibility. It’s about giving our associates the opportunity to be who they are as an individual, whether that is a community member, a spouse or parent, or anything in between.” – Amy Freshman, senior director, ADP.
Workplace flexibility has shifted away from conversations about leaving early for doctor appointments or coming in late because of traffic. It has evolved into broader discussions about improving people’s way of life.
15. “People today really value workplace flexibility and remote work because it allows them to focus their energies on work and life as opposed to commuting.” – Ken Matos, Vice President of Research at Life Meets Work.
‘Sunday scaries’ are real, and commuting is part of that post-weekend fear for many workers. Remote workers should remember that morning struggle and remain grateful that their working day starts a little later than it perhaps did previously.
16. “Technology now allows people to connect anytime, anywhere, to anyone in the world, from almost any device. This is dramatically changing the way people work, facilitating 24/7 collaboration with colleagues who are dispersed across time zones, countries, and continents.” – Michael Dell, CEO, Dell.
Every company boasts of the benefits of collaboration. Remote workers worldwide can join the dots needed to not only push business growth but also to develop internal and external relationships.
17. “If we could be somewhere, experiencing the world in a beautiful setting while working, challenging ourselves, growing professionally, enjoying a community of like-minded people, and connecting locally, what’s stopping us?” – Michael Youngblood, CEO of Unsettled.
Highlighting the idea of blending work with personal fulfillment used to be a pipedream. Living and working in a place that sparks joy and growth while being part of a supportive community is becoming the norm.
18. “When people are free to choose where in the world they want to work, they simply enjoy their day-to-day work more.” – Brian De Haaff, Entrepreneur.
Stress and anxiety around commuting and being in an office environment can sap a lot of energy out of a workforce. Working from home allows people to work from where they are most comfortable, leaving more energy to be utilized for work.
19. “So many people think the remote work community is made up of only spoiled, privileged millennials and Instagram influencers, and that’s not who we are. We’re people of all ages, from all countries and all socio-economic classes, and what brings us together is our shared mindset that we want to do something different and have adventures sooner rather than later in life.” – Spencer Jentzsch, Head of Community at Baremetrics.
Pre-existing attitudes towards working from home still exist, but the tables are turning on these views.
20. “Work–life balance is not just a buzzy, self-help term that real business people laugh at. You need it.” – Stephanie Ruhle, Senior Business Correspondent for NBC News.
Many still dismiss work-life balance in high-pressure environments as less serious or even “soft.” But, in reality, it’s essential not just for personal well-being but also for professional effectiveness and sustainable success.
21. “The pandemic has shown us that remote work is not only possible but can be highly effective.” – Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google.
The pandemic forced many businesses to quickly adapt to remote work, and, as Pichai points out, it proved that it can be just as effective – if not more so – in many cases.
Final Thoughts
These quotes contain a handful of expert learnings that help us to find our bearings, garner inspiration, and wade through those darker moments that affect every one of us.
Also, they remind us to work on ourselves, find new meaning in what we do, and align our skills better to our daily deliverables to maximize the value of remote working.
As Scarlett from Gone With The Wind would say: “After all, tomorrow is another day.“
Eager to enhance the performance of remote contact center agents? Check out our article: From Burnout to Point of Pride: Calabrio Study Reveals Shift in Contact Center Agent Experience
