I’m currently reading Remote: Office Not Required. From page 47:
Worth counting too is the number of days you spend emailing someone who only sits three desks away. People go to the office all the time and act as though they are working remotely: emailing, instant messaging, secluding themselves to get work done. At the end of the day, was it really worth coming to the office for it? (my thoughts: very good question!)
Look around inside your company and notice what work already happens on the outside, or with minimal face-to-face interaction. You my be surprised to discover that your company is more remote than you think.
Of the three meetings that I have had today, two of them might have been somewhat easy to do remotely via Skype, WebEx, or Google Hangouts. Other than the three meetings, I’ve spent the bulk of my day responding and sending emails (yes, to folks three desks away) as well as reading/researching in library literature. I would bet that the solo tasks of reading and emailing could have been a bit more productive without the occasional office interruptions, though I would have missed the side conversations and the ability to interrupt/talk-to others.