Remote & Local - Getting the Best of Both Worlds

Our company is traditional in many ways, one of which being the need to come into the office each day. Our team of software developers bucks that trend, spreading across 6 states and 4 countries. Dev teams consider themselves "Remote First", while DevOps and Application Support are "Local First." Each has adopted tools, habits, and practices to maximize their configuration. Each style has learned valuable lessons from the other. This presentation is about how our teams have evolved: the tools, the compromises, the wins and losses, and how we successfully blend Distributed and Concentrated teams.

Transcript

1. Local & Remote Getting the Best of Both Worlds
2. About Me
3. Previously: Founder of Remote-First Company Ben Klang 10-year Rubyist 20 years in Open Source Currently: VP of Business Technology Supporting: 51 People 7 Scrum Teams 6 States 4 Countries
4. What types of teams exist?
5. Local Teams
6. Remote Teams
7. Mixed Teams
8. Mixed Teams
9. Mixed Teams
10. Mixed Teams
11. Local Teams Win.
12. But We Want To Be Remote
13. 53% of job seekers say remote options are a top priority http://stackoverflow.com/insights/survey/2017#remote-work
14. 11% higher job satisfaction among
 remote workers vs. on-site http://stackoverflow.com/insights/survey/2017#remote-work
15. 1. Application Support 2. Infrastructure Support 3. Junior Developer Teams Not Everyone Can Be Remote
16. What are the benefits of enabling Remote teams?
17. Benefits to Employers Broader Applicant Pool Best Person < 50 Miles
18. Benefits to Employers Broader Applicant Pool Best Person +/- 3 Hours
19. Benefits to Employers Broader Applicant Pool Best Person For The Job
20. Benefits to Employees One Size Does Not Fit All Live & Work Where You Choose
21. Mutual Benefits
22. Mutual Benefits Life Is Not Static Location Independence Adds Longevity
23. What are the Challenges?
24. What are the Challenges? 1. 2. 3. Communication Communication Communication
25. Communication Challenge #1 Timezones Rule of Thumb: +/- 3 Hours
26. Communication Challenge #2 Deep Understanding “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw
27. Communication Challenge #2 Deep Understanding
28. Communication Challenge #2 Deep Understanding Start Date W-2 or 1099 Extend Offer Offer Accepted Collect Travel Info: Full Name Date of Birth Home Airport TSA Known Trav. # Loyalty Pgm #s Notify Talent Acquisition & HR of start Notify Talent Acquisition to send offer letter Local or Remote? Rem ote Request HQ Travel Order Computer Equipment W -2 Notify HR to send Paperwork HR Paperwork, Benefits & Orientation Shadowing Ninjas Sales Training & Factory Tour Developer Environment Setup First commit/ deploy to production Introduction to Ninjas Shadowing Ninjas Sales Training & Factory Tour Introduction to Dev Process Demo/Retro Observation Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday AM PM First Week
29. Communication Challenge #3 Perceptions & Distractions “If I can’t see them at their desks, How can I be sure they are working?” – Pointy-Haired Bosses
30. Communication Challenge #3 Perceptions & Distractions “My team lead is always multi-tasking, does she take me seriously?” – Remote Employees
31. Communication Challenge #3 Perceptions & Distractions
32. Communication Challenge #3 Perceptions & Distractions
33. How Power does it: 
 Maximize the benefits of each style Identify and address the challenges
34. 1. Small Teams: 3-5 people 2. Consistent Teams: all remote or all local It Starts with Structure
35. 1. Scrum It Up •Daily standups •Retrospectives 2. Emphasize remote-friendly communication •Code Reviews •Text Chat •Video Conferencing & Screen Sharing •Diagrams It Continues with Process
36. 1. Regular face-to-face meetings 2. Lunch & Learns via Video Conference 3. Coffee Dates (Coming Soon!) It Finishes with Culture
37. Optimizing Local Teams
38. Optimizing for Local
39. Optimizing for Local
40. Optimizing for Local
41. Optimizing for Local
42. Optimizing Remote Teams
43. Optimizing for Remote
44. Optimizing for Remote
45. Optimizing for Remote
46. Summary
47. 1.Optimize local teams for
 face-to-face interactions 2.Develop tools & practices to communicate with remote people 3.Don’t accept status quo -
 always be improving Summary
48. martinfowler.com/articles/remote-or-co-located.html
 Many thanks to Martin Fowler for this article
 WeWorkRemotely.com - Job site for remote positions Further Reading
49. Ben Klang @bklang