The Next Next Common Sense
Visible Work: Projects, priorities, and progress are made visible through digital tools, creating transparency that enables coordination without constant check-ins. Intentional Relationship Building: Recognizing that human con- nection doesn’t happen automatically in virtual environments, Gitlab creates structured opportunities for team members to build relationships, including virtual coffee chats and periodic in-person gatherings. These practices don’t replicate the experience of physical co-location; they reimagine how coherence works in distributed contexts. The coher- ence that emerges isn’t weaker—it’s different, with both advantages and limitations compared to traditional approaches. Research on distributed teams suggests that they often struggle ini- tially to establish coherence but can ultimately achieve stronger alignment than co-located teams. Without the shortcuts of physical proximity, dis- tributed teams must communicate purpose and process more explicitly, leading to clearer shared understanding once established. This pattern extends beyond fully remote organizations to hybrid work arrangements. Companies like Dropbox have adopted “virtual first” approaches that treat digital collaboration as the primary mode of coor- dination rather than an accommodation. Their physical offices serve as occasional gathering spaces for relationship building and complex collab- oration rather than default workplaces. These approaches recognize that in distributed environments, co- herence depends less on shared presence and more on shared meaning. Creating that meaning requires investments in communication infra- structure, collaboration practices, and cultural rituals that make purpose and values tangible across distance. TU HPDEANTEEUDRROESSCEIAERNCCHE OF COH ER ENCE:
Recent advances in neuroscience offer fascinating insights into why coherence matters for human performance and wellbeing. Our brains
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