Five remote coworking routines to try with your team
Remote coworking means spending a planned stretch of working time together online, even when everyone is working on a different task. The session can be quiet. Conversation is an option, rather than the reason everyone has to stay connected.
The routines below are suggestions for a team experiment, not claims about measured productivity gains. Pick one, try it with willing teammates, and decide whether it makes the working day better.
1. A quiet focus session
Try: a 45-minute session with two to four coworkers. Spend the first few minutes naming the task each person wants to work on. Work independently for most of the session, then leave a few minutes to say what moved forward.
In Walkin, join the same office and use your avatar and availability to show that you are around. Voice can stay off during focused work. If the group wants a brief opening or closing conversation, join voice deliberately and leave it when finished.
Boundary: showing up is optional, and progress is not a performance report. Do not turn the session into a requirement to narrate every task. If conversation keeps interrupting the work, shorten the check-in or keep it in chat.
2. A predictable window for quick questions
Try: a 20-minute office-hours window when an available teammate welcomes questions. This can help when small uncertainties otherwise wait until the next scheduled meeting.
State who is hosting, what they can help with, and when the window ends. Put enough context in a message that the host can understand the question. Switch to optional voice if a short conversation would be clearer.
Boundary: not every question needs an immediate answer. Keep a written path for questions outside the window, and schedule a separate discussion if the topic needs research or several decision-makers. Record the answer where the next person can find it.
3. A short morning arrival
Try: a ten-minute overlap near the start of the team’s shared hours. Say hello, share one useful piece of context, and flag anything that needs another person’s attention.
Use the virtual office as a place to arrive, without requiring a formal meeting agenda. A text message can be enough. Teammates who want to talk can choose voice; someone arriving later can read the written context.
Boundary: use the overlap that exists. Do not move someone’s working day earlier just to preserve the ritual. If the session becomes a lengthy status meeting, move task updates to your existing written workflow.
4. A first coworking session for a new teammate
Try: a 30-minute session with one welcoming teammate. First make sure both people can enter the same office. Explain availability, how to send a message, and when the team uses optional voice.
Work on a small real task with a clear next step. The goal is to make it comfortable to ask a question and find help again. Introduce one or two colleagues when they are available instead of bringing everyone into a large call.
Boundary: the office is only part of onboarding. Share the team’s written documentation, responsibilities, and support contacts separately. Do not assume that being present in a shared space tells a new colleague what to do.
5. A weekly wrap-up with a clear finish
Try: fifteen minutes near the end of a shared working week. Each person can mention one completed piece of work, one open question, or something another teammate should know.
Keep the discussion small enough for people to contribute. Write down decisions, owners, and follow-ups in your usual project tool. If a conversation needs more time, agree on who should continue it rather than extending the session for everyone.
Boundary: a wrap-up is not a substitute for a useful handoff. Teammates who cannot attend should still be able to understand what changed from the written notes.
Make a small agreement before you start
- Attendance: is this optional, and which time zone is the invitation written in?
- Availability: what means “open to a question,” and what means “please let me focus”?
- Voice: when will people use it, and can anyone stay in text?
- Records: where do decisions and tasks go after the session?
- Review: when will you decide to keep, change, or stop the routine?
After a week, ask specific questions: Did you get an answer sooner? Was it easier to ask for help? Did the session interrupt focused work? Use your team’s answers to adapt the routine. There is no need to keep a ritual that does not help.
Using Walkin for remote coworking
Walkin is a browser-based shared office with avatars, availability, text chat, and opt-in voice. There is no video in the current app. Sign in, create an office, and invite the teammates trying the routine with you.
If the format is new to your team, read what a virtual office is and when it helps. Walkin is free for now, with up to 40 people per office. For questions, contact Walkin.