Remote Work Charter

Preamble

This charter sets out Flagship's fundamental approach to and principles for remote work.

We do not consider remote work to be a “way of working with many restrictions” or a “second-best option.” It is the optimal solution we have actively chosen to maximize value creation and innovation.

Not being tied to a specific workplace or travel time expands possibilities for both individuals and the organization. On the other hand, the “invisibility” of remote work can lead to misunderstandings from small silences, which can unintentionally damage trust. Therefore, remote work requires autonomy from every individual. This charter puts our shared standards into words. By mastering this charter as our daily common language and increasing our “predictability,” we free ourselves from fruitless doubt and the cost of constant checking, allowing us to pour that energy into creating value. This is the key to the true innovation we aim for.

Chapter 1｜The Philosophy of Professionalism

We evaluate work not by “physical visibility” or “time spent,” but by the “value produced” and the “trust built.” Here, “results” are not just the volume of output.

Designing Trust: Remote work is a way of working designed on the premise of trust. Trust is built only through the continuous “meeting of shared expectations and fulfilling accountability.”
Definition of Results: In addition to producing value in one's own area, “creating a state where the team can move without hesitation” and “sharing the context that led to a decision” are also important parts of one's results.
The Premise of Autonomy: The more freedom an environment provides, the more self-discipline is required. We respect each other not as “those being managed,” but as “subjects providing value.”
Visualization of Process: We do not ignore the process; instead, we position the transparency of the process itself as a result. “Silence” where progress is unknown is regarded as a loss of results that significantly lowers the contribution to the team.

Chapter 2｜Prerequisites for Success

Remote work at Flagship is a way of working that combines freedom of location with high autonomy. To maximize this freedom and keep the organization functioning, the following foundations of trust are essential.

2-1｜Non-negotiable Premise: Security

Security in remote work is not something left to individual attention or goodwill. We believe security is “something guaranteed by design.”

Authentication and authority must be designed to not depend on where one works.
Information sharing and business processes must be consistently controlled.
As an ISMS (Information Security Management System) certified organization, we have a duty to systematically and continuously improve our information management system.

Failure to follow security rules is not a simple mistake but a “damage to trust.” Even if caused by individual carelessness or lack of awareness, it is treated strictly as a serious event that threatens the continuity of remote work for the entire organization.

2-2｜Expectations of Individuals and the Organization

What we expect from individuals:

To be able to put your work into words and share it.
To be able to voice issues or delays early.
To take responsibility for your own time and results.
To share the context (background, reasons, constraints) that led to a decision.

What the company promises:

To fairly evaluate autonomous contributions and the embodiment of Values based on this charter through the evaluation system.
To maintain a state where processes can be tracked and referenced by making the most of tools as a team, regardless of physical location.
To provide onboarding and growth opportunities where you can improve your skills without feeling isolated in a remote environment.
To respect the maintenance of individual condition and the securing of “non-working time,” as long as expected results and team-agreed availability are maintained.

Chapter 3｜Principles of Communication

We base our communication on asynchronous methods. This is not because we ignore speed, but to maximize the speed of the entire organization.

Thinking as Stock: Writing is an act of organizing thoughts and aligning understanding. Organized, searchable information lowers the team's cognitive load in the mid-to-long term and accelerates decision-making.
Business Hours and Responsiveness: During our business hours (10:00–19:00) and in client work, appropriate responsiveness is required to meet the other party's expectations.
When to Use Synchronous Communication: Meetings or calls (synchronous) are “high-density energy” intentionally chosen when sharing emotions, decoding complex contexts, exploratory discussions, or immediate consensus-building is necessary.
Responsibility of the Sender: The responsibility to deliver information to those who need it always lies with the sender. For important requests, use mentions or short messages along with reactions to ensure “recognition” is synchronized.
Utilizing Offline: While we are asynchronous-first, there are cases where face-to-face (offline) discussion is judged to be the best way to move a theme forward. Proposing a switch to offline or holding a session in such cases is a proactive judgment to maximize the organization's speed.

Chapter 4｜The Cycle of Results and Trust

Trust is born from the accumulation of results and accountability, and it determines where we can focus our energy. With trust, we can channel the energy previously spent on checking and doubting into value creation. Trust, once lost, can only be recovered through action, not words.

Duty of Visualization: Not only producing results but also “making visible” the process and progress is a professional accountability.
Silence Is a Risk: In a remote environment, “silence” where progress is unknown is a risk that creates anxiety rather than agreement. Voicing status early is encouraged, especially in uncertain situations.
Context Is Part of the Results: Share not only the final product but also the “context that led to the decision.” The context—such as why this design was chosen or why this priority was set—is treated as a vital asset to be circulated within the team's intellectual property.

Chapter 5｜“Availability” (Team Agreement and Self-Management)

We prioritize “availability” (times when you can be reached) agreed upon with the team over formal “working hours.” However, this does not mean constant standby; it refers to the rough time slots agreed upon within the team.

Showing Availability: Updating Slack status and calendars is a “contribution” that lowers the team's coordination costs.
Managing On and Off: Remote work does not mean working all the time. It is a professional's responsibility to design and secure the rest and recovery time necessary to maintain one's condition, provided that expected results and availability are met.

Chapter 6｜Transparency in Meetings and Decision-Making

Meetings are the highest-density synchronous spaces. We treat meetings as the “minimum unit where synchronization is necessary.”

Async-First Design: Before holding a meeting, consider whether it can be replaced by a discussion in a document.
Consideration for Those Absent: Always record the decision-making process so that members who were not present are not at a disadvantage.
Quality of Online Meetings: Turn on the camera to exchange information including facial expressions. Careful handling of microphones and screen sharing is a manner that improves the quality of the “collaborative work” called a meeting.
Decision Memory (Principle of Recording): We leave important decisions in “records,” not “memory.” The organization moves through an external brain (records), and decision logs are the infrastructure for our future selves and new colleagues.

Chapter 7｜Onboarding and Co-creative Growth

Growth in a remote environment is the interaction between a designed environment and individual proactivity.

Questions as a Co-creation of “Culture” and “Courage”: The organization designs systems that make it easy to ask questions, and individuals have the courage to autonomously seek and share information.
Intentional Amplification of Feedback: Intentionally verbalize both praise and constructive feedback, and increase their frequency. Isolation is not an individual's problem but is seen as something that can be prevented through communication design.
Designing Belonging: Strengthen belonging through continuous practices such as regular reflections and sharing of learning.

Chapter 8｜The Role of Management (Environment Design and Context Sharing)

Management in the remote era is not about monitoring individual actions, but about designing an “environment where value is born.”

Sharing Background: Before evaluating surface-level actions, strive to understand and share the context behind them.
Synchronizing Goals: Instead of managing progress, align the goals to be aimed for and the expectations. Management based on distrust harms professional productivity.
Autonomy through Alignment: Do not manage actions in detail; instead, encourage autonomy by “aligning” purpose, principles, and priorities. It is management's responsibility to clarify expectations, completion conditions, and judgment criteria.

Chapter 9｜Team Culture (Soil for Challenge and Learning)

Casual chats and accidental encounters do not happen naturally. That is why we treat psychological safety as a subject of design.

Diversity of Contribution: Evaluation is based on the content of output and contribution to the team, not the loudness of one's voice.
Presence in Text: Value accurate sharing and reactions in text over talkativeness in person. At the same time, be aware that excessive silence in text leads to an “absence of presence.”
Learning from Failure: We define “high psychological safety” as a state where failures are not hidden but shared and turned into the organization's learning assets.
Visibility Is Good: Recommend posting in open channels rather than individual DMs. Treat information as something that has value for those who come later as well.

Chapter 10｜Connection with Flagship's Purpose and Values

This charter serves as the “shared standard for judgment” for embodying Values in a remote environment. Therefore, an individual's level of practice of this charter may be referenced as a criterion for Values evaluation in the evaluation system.

Purpose
- Develop Maps: There is no finished map for ways of working. We continue to update it through experimentation and reflection.
Values
- Start with Hacker Spirit: Do not use constraints as an excuse; keep thinking about “how we can make it happen.”
- Be Professional: Because it is an invisible environment, do not neglect verbalization, sharing, and accountability.
- Pay it forward: Return individual knowledge to the organization's assets and keep it circulating.

Chapter 11｜Exceptions, Review, and Evolution

Remote work is not a cure-all. The optimal solution fluctuates depending on the job type, phase, and individual situation.

Handling Exceptions: Exceptions are not noise to be excluded, but judgments to be handled along with their reasons.
Dynamic Document: This charter is not in its final form. We will continue to try, reflect on, and update it in step with our own changes. This attitude itself is our competitive advantage.