☕️ (R)emote Expresso #26

Hi (R)emotes,

☕️ (R)emote Expresso is your weekly dose of creator insights on remote collaboration designed to fuel your day - Once a week in your inbox 💌

Hey Remote Rebels and Digital Daydreamers,

Ever feel like remote work made you quieter? Like you’re showing up… but not really showing you?

You’re not alone.

We’re in a new era of professional ghosting - where people are logged in, camera on, audio working… and still totally unheard.

This issue? We’re going all in on the unspoken.

Let’s talk about what’s muting us - and what it’s costing us.

🎙️ 3 Ways Remote Work Is Muting Us

In the world of remote work, silence isn’t always golden. You show up to meetings. You react with emojis. You drop a carefully worded Slack message… and still feel invisible.

If you’ve been sensing that your voice is quieter than it used to be—or that it’s getting harder to cut through the digital noise—you’re not alone.

Here are three ways remote work is quietly muting us, and why it’s time to take the mic back.

1. Digital Disappearance

You’re technically there. But emotionally? You’ve ghosted yourself.

Why it’s happening and how to get your signal back.

2. Passive Politeness

“Circling back!” “No worries if not!” “Just checking in!”

Why we’re afraid to be clear - and how it’s quietly wrecking collaboration.

3. Systemic Silencing

Some voices were always at the edge. Remote work didn’t fix it.

It made it easier to scroll past, speak over, or filter out.

🌀 POV #1: Digital Disappearance

You’ve gone from bold brainstormer to emoji reactor. From idea machine to background tab.

Remote work didn’t remove your voice. It dispersed it - across 17 tools, 5 time zones, and 3 Slack threads no one read.

Why it happens:

• Zoom fatigue = defaulting to “just listen” mode

• Slack swirl = signal gets drowned in pings

• No hallway serendipity = fewer moments of spontaneous contribution.

What it costs:

• Missed opportunities

• Misread silence as disengagement

• Slow erosion of creative confidence

🧽 POV #2: Passive Politeness

Remote made us too nice. Like… aggressively nice.

To the point where we’re afraid to say what we mean without a soft cushion of “lol” or a calming emoji.

You know the phrases:

• “Quick ping!” (It’s never quick)

• “No worries if not!” (But we do worry)

• “Just wanted to follow up…” (For the third time.)

Why it happens:

• Text strips tone - so we overcompensate

• Fear of seeming rude or direct

• Email + Slack etiquette pressure = Polite Paralysis

What it costs:

• Misunderstandings

• Delayed decisions

• Resentment under the surface

✋ POV #3: Systemic Silencing

Let’s be real : some folks have always had to fight to be heard at work.

Remote didn’t fix the bias. It just made it easier to ignore.

The patterns:

• Interruptions still happen - just sneakier

• Cameras off = assumptions made

• “Loud” ideas get traction; nuanced voices get lost in the scroll

Who it affects most:

• Neurodivergent folx

• Women and nonbinary team members

• Global team members whose language or time zone isn’t the default

What it costs:

• Exclusion from decision-making

• Talent drain

• Innovation death by sameness

⚡️ How to Show Up, Speak Up & Speak Out

Let’s get loud (in a productive, joyful, non-chaotic way).

1. Add rituals that invite all voices.

Rotate facilitators. Do async idea storms. Use polls, reactions, and 1:1 follow-ups to check for what’s not being said.

2. Rewrite your passive go-tos.

Try:

• “Here’s what I’m proposing…” instead of “Just a thought!”

• “Let’s decide by Friday” instead of “No rush, whenever works.”

3. Use your influence.

If you’re regularly heard - share your mic. Call in the quieter voices.

Allyship in remote space is active, not ambient.

4. Normalize naming emotional labor.

Say it. Acknowledge it. Honor it. That’s how we build trust - and turn the volume back up on each other.

✨ YOUR TURN

When have you felt muted at work - and what helped you find your voice again?

Reply to this email and share.

We’re listening - and we’ll treat your words with care (and anonymity, unless you say otherwise).

✨ Next Event : Beyond stupid OKRs

Hosted by Boris Petrovitch Njegosh
Guest : Fabrice des Mazery, CXO for ProductROI, ex TheFork

📅 Thursday, June 12 | 10:00 AM CDT - 05:00 PM CET

​Most OKRs and orgs optimise siloed execution instead of focusing efforts on what really matters. Let's try to: Connect the org with its impact; Craft it to follow the strategy; Invest our time = our money in the right leverage points.

What you’ll leave with:

​Rethink OKRs with Purpose

​Design Strategy-Aligned Structures

​Bridge Silos & Boost Impact

​Invest Time Where It Matters

🥷 Meet Your Speaker

Fabrice's journey kicked off as a three-time Product Entrepreneur, navigating the unpredictable waters of product creation with a healthy dose of humor (that's what he likes to think). Serendipity, mixed with a dash of chance encounters, steered him into the coveted roles of Product Leader at three IPOed companies: IBM, Deezer, and TripAdvisor.

🎟️ Join the Session, spots are limited, so save yours now!

🫶 ONE LAST SIP

You’re not too quiet.

You’re not too much.

You’re not “just tired.”

You’re navigating a system that rarely asks how you feel - and often punishes you for answering honestly.

Let’s make space for all of it - even the parts that are still whispering.

With empathy and a mic check. 💜

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R GENERATION is a dynamic global community where remote professionals, creators, and digital nomads come together to reimagine the future of work. We bridge cultures, time zones, and creative frontiers, uniting around a shared passion for innovation and meaningful connection.

Through engaging events, hands-on workshops, and exclusive access to cutting-edge AI tools, we’re transforming remote work into a space for bold experimentation, open knowledge-sharing, and limitless growth.

Join us in a collaborative and empowering environment where your ideas spark innovation, your curiosity fuels lifelong learning, and your ambition shapes the future of remote collaboration.

Go forth and unmute - boldly, bravely, and unapologetically. 🎤✨