RailsConf 2017: A clear-eyed look at distributed teams

Distributed teams can have big benefits for both employers and employees. But there are many challenges. Being successful requires changes to work practices, communication, and style — and not just from the remote people. Everyone will experience changes. It helps to be prepared … and most of what we see being written and discussed is focused on remote workers, not the organization that supports them.

In this talk, we will look at the challenges and rewards of working in a distributed team setting based on several years of experience growing large distributed engineering teams.

Transcript

1. A Clear-Eyed Look

   at Distributed Teams
   Maria Gutierrez
   VP Engineering, FreeAgent
   Glenn Vanderburg
   VP Engineering, First.io
   

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8. @mariagut
   

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9. @mariagut
   

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10. @mariagut
    

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11. @mariagut
    

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12. We’ll hire some senior
    engineers and we’ll figure
    it out.
    Distributed teams are just as good as
    colocated teams in exactly the same
    ways!
    It’ll be easy!
    

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13. It’s hard to live and
    breathe something if
    you aren’t actually
    breathing the same air.
    There is something about a team being
    more powerful, more impactful, more
    creative, and frankly hopefully having more
    fun, when they are shoulder to shoulder.
    Speed and quality are often sacrificed
    when we work from home
    Shane Mac,
    Zaarly
    Michelle
    Peluso,
    CMO IBM
    Jackie
    Reses, Head
    of HR Yahoo
    

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15. Make a Commitment
    1
    

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16. But how do you build
    company culture when you
    are not working “shoulder
    to shoulder”?
    1Make a Commitment
    

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17. 1Make a Commitment
    

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18. “Organizational culture represents the
    collective values, beliefs and principles
    of organizational members”
    David Needle
    

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19. 1Make a Commitment
    

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20. product manager
    DC/Seattle
    project manager
    DC
    engineer
    Seattle
    engineering manager
    Edinburgh
    

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21. Use proper tools
    1Make a Commitment
    

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23. Critical mass
    1Make a Commitment
    

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24. 1Make a Commitment
    

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25. Remote leadership
    1Make a Commitment
    

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26. 1Make a Commitment
    

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27. 1Make a Commitment
    

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30. Everyone partly remote
    1Make a Commitment
    

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32. Treat on-site and remote
    employees fairly
    1Make a Commitment
    

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33. Communicate Intentionally
    2
    

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34. Intentional vs
    accidental and implicit
    communication
    2Communicate Intentionally
    

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35. Intentional vs
    accidental and implicit
    communication
    2Communicate Intentionally
    

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36. Build Trust
    2Communicate Intentionally
    

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37. 2Communicate Intentionally
    

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38. You and your team
    You and the company leadership
    Your team and other teams that
    interact or depend on yours
    2Communicate Intentionally
    

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39. Be religious about 1:1s
    2Communicate Intentionally
    

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40. 2Communicate Intentionally
    

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41. Out of sight should never
    be out of mind
    2Communicate Intentionally
    

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42. Learn to be good at internet
    video/audio
    2Communicate Intentionally
    

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43. 2Communicate Intentionally
    

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44. 2Communicate Intentionally
    low bandwidth
    asynchronous
    ephemeral
    persistent
    synchronous
    high bandwidth
    

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45. Choose the right channel
    for each situation
    2Communicate Intentionally
    

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46. Choose the right channel
    for each situation
    2Communicate Intentionally
    

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47. 2Communicate Intentionally
    

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48. Fewer meetings, more
    shared documents
    2Communicate Intentionally
    

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49. Show your work
    2Communicate Intentionally
    

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51. 2Communicate Intentionally
    

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52. Be Clear
    3
    

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53. Watch the work product,
    not the worker
    3Be clear
    

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54. Which jobs are closed

    to remote workers?
    3Be clear
    

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55. Know the law
    3Be clear
    

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56. 1203.47
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    CE %
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    Understand and
    control your budget
    3Be clear
    

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57. Start with the
    recruiting process
    3Be clear
    

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58. Make a Commitment
    1
    Communicate Intentionally
    2
    Be Clear
    3
    

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61. Makes change easier
    

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62. Organizations which design systems ...
    are constrained to produce designs
    which are copies of the communication
    structures of these organizations.
    — Mel Conway
    

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63. Strengthens your company
    communication strategies
    

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64. Aids diversity
    

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65. Aids diversity
    

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66. Aids diversity
    

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70. Be intentional
    

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71. Brainstormed, designed and rehearsed in Dallas and Edinburgh
    Remotely!
    

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72. Brainstormed, designed and rehearsed in Dallas and Edinburgh
    Remotely!
    

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73. Thanks!
    @mariagutierrez
    @glv
    

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