How GitHub Uses GitHub: Communicating with remote teams

Hear from two of our seasoned managers as they share how we pattern our work to build tools with 60% of our team members being remote. We'll cover communication patterns, the tools we use, and the cultural elements that contribute to more successful collaboration across timezones.

Transcript

1. the best way to build and ship software
   Communicating with Remote Teams
   How GitHub uses GitHub
   

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2. the best way to build and ship software 2
   Cynthia Rich
   @crichID, Manager of Training
   

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3. the best way to build and ship software 3
   Bonnie Chatterjee
   @BonnieC, Director of Professional Services
   

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4. the best way to build and ship software
   A few logistics
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   ▸ 40 minutes presentation, 10 minutes Q&A
   ▸ Please ask questions in the GoToWebinar Q&A panel
   ▸ Recording
   ▸ Yes, we are! It will be sent via email after the presentation.
   ▸ Additional Questions
   ▸ services@github.com
   

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5. the best way to build and ship software
   In this session, we will focus on how we use GitHub to
   make remote work more effective. This includes:
   ▸ Why remote teams are important to us
   ▸ The tools we use to work effectively
   ▸ Getting things done in remote teams
   ▸ Culture building in remote teams
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   Our goals
   

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6. the best way to build and ship software
   Our remote philosophy
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7. the best way to build and ship software
   “In order for us to meet our goals
   we can't have a hub. We are
   distributed out of necessity.”
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8. the best way to build and ship software
   Intentionally remote
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9. the best way to build and ship software
   “If you look at the carbon footprint
   ... or the time wasted by people
   traveling to work, remote working is
   making a positive change on the
   environment, employee happiness,
   and the way teams work.”
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10. the best way to build and ship software
    “I am remote because I'm not
    based at HQ but I don't feel
    remote.”
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11. the best way to build and ship software
    Remote Workers
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12. the best way to build and ship software
    Remote Workers
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    Distributed
    

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13. the best way to build and ship software 13
    Creating togetherness
    

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14. the best way to build and ship software
    “our meetings are a pretty evenly
    split between "business" and "I'm
    building a tube amp for my
    headphones" kind of discussion.”
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15. the best way to build and ship software
    “Help people pair up on projects
    they can do or review together, so
    ICs form relationships amongst
    themselves.”
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16. the best way to build and ship software
    Cultural values for successful distributed teams
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    ▸ Focus on inclusion
    ▸ Assume positive intent
    ▸ Be empathetic
    ▸ Form genuine relationships
    

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17. the best way to build and ship software 17
    The tools we use
    

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18. the best way to build and ship software 18
    How we communicate
    

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19. the best way to build and ship software
    “consider Slack the office
    building, and public channels are
    open work areas or meeting
    rooms; private channels are team
    meetings/hallway/over the cube
    wall conversations …”
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20. the best way to build and ship software
    We write things down
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    GitHubbers put a URL on it:
    ▸ We believe in open communication
    ▸ We track our work, discussions, and decisions in
    Issues and Pull Requests
    ▸ We write with the reader(s) in mind
    ▸ We are committed to being thoughtful
    

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21. the best way to build and ship software
    “remote team members do not
    default to async-only
    communications”
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22. the best way to build and ship software 22
    Getting things done
    

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23. the best way to build and ship software
    Team patterns
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    ▸ Weekly radar
    ▸ Regular team stand-ups
    ▸ Projects
    ▸ Tracking issues with checklists
    

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24. the best way to build and ship software
    We brainstorm in Issues and Pull Requests:
    ▸ Include a tl;dr
    ▸ State the problem and ask for input
    ▸ Do your research and cross-link
    ▸ Make it easy for team members to contribute in 5
    minutes or less
    ▸ State when you will close the ideation phase
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    Brainstorming
    

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25. the best way to build and ship software
    ▸ Agenda in an Issue ahead of time
    ▸ All meetings include a zoom link
    ▸ Take notes in the same Issue
    ▸ Discussion items
    ▸ Checklists and PRPs for next steps
    ▸ Decisions are documented and cross linked with the relevant
    Issue or Pull Request
    ▸ Use emoji reactions to ensure absent team members
    are in the loop
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    Meetings
    

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26. the best way to build and ship software
    ▸ Day-to-day discussion happens in Slack
    ▸ Hubot helps us tie the pieces together
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    Day-to-day discussions
    

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27. the best way to build and ship software 27
    Hubot drops notes in Issues and PRs
    

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28. the best way to build and ship software 28
    Hubot drops notes in Slack
    

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29. the best way to build and ship software
    ▸ Don’t be afraid to jump on a Slack call or Zoom
    ▸ Bring the outcomes back to the relevant Issue or Pull
    Request
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    Ad-hoc conversations
    

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30. the best way to build and ship software 30
    If you worked in the same physical workplace, there are
    certain things you get for "free". You might bump into
    coworker you don't know in the kitchen. You might walk
    past a colleagues desk and see pictures of their kids. You
    might see crochet needles sticking out of a messenger bag.
    When you're not in the same place at the same time, you
    have to take an affirmative step to create the opportunity
    for those otherwise serendipitous interactions.
    

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31. the best way to build and ship software
    ▸ Co-working sessions
    ▸ Agenda-less 1:1’s with peers
    ▸ Hack-houses and mini-summits
    ▸ Virtual play sessions
    ▸ Celebrate accomplishments
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    Having Fun
    

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32. the best way to build and ship software 32
    Having fun with Hubot
    

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33. the best way to build and ship software 33
    Work-life balance
    

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34. the best way to build and ship software
    Making it safe to unplug
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    ▸ Inherently difficult for distributed team members
    ▸ Protect out-of-office time
    ▸ Trust and autonomy
    ▸ Working remote is a gift
    

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35. the best way to build and ship software
    ▸ July 25: Communicating with issues
    ▸ August 22: Communicating with remote teams
    ▸ September 26: Managing your teams
    ▸ October 24: Managing your projects
    ▸ November 28: Writing documentation for your
    projects
    Sign up at services.github.com
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    How GitHub Uses GitHub
    

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36. the best way to build and ship software
    Questions?
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