Managing Engineering Teams Remotely by Snehal Shinde

Presentation on Women Who Code Tokyo x Mercari collaboration event on May 19th, 2020.

Talk by Snehal Shinde, Engineering Manager at Mercari.

Transcript

1. Managing Engineering Teams remotely Design by katemangostar / Freepik
2. Work : Engineer Manager at Mercari !! Home : Mother of 14 month old Hi !! I am Snehal ( Sneha )
3. Since 2009 60+ 7 10 Apps worked on Ecosystem developed Award winning apps Organizations : XTPL, IBM, Nubee, Therapy Box, MUV Solutions, Mercari Locations : India, Singapore, London(UK), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Tokyo (Japan)
4. “ Coding can change lives… ”
5. 5 Confidential - Do Not Share - By John Milton “ Every cloud has silver lining… ” Design by YusufSangdes / Freepik
6. What is remote work Remote Work, also called telework, teleworking, working from home, mobile work, telecommuting, and flexible workplace, is a work arrangement in which employees do not commute or travel (e.g. by bus, bicycle or car, etc.) to a central place of work, such as an office building, warehouse, or store. - According to Wikipedia
7. How remote work look like when you first hear about it... Design by katemangostar / Freepik
8. On our very first day... Design by rawpixel / Freepik
9. 9 Confidential - Do Not Share So what made it challenging for Managers & there teams …
10. Level 1 Challenges before COVID-19 • Communication Issues • Work and home become synonymous • No camaraderie/ No feeling of togetherness • Lack of motivation • Security Threats
11. Level 2 Challenges with Emergency Declaration • Disruption in business • Mental preparedness • Disruption in daily routine • HR activities on hold • WFH comfort?
12. Level 3 Challenges during COVID19 • Volatile market • Isolation ( Social Distancing ) • Family & personal safety • Business Challenges • Security threat due to mass WFH • Stress & anxiety • Compliance check
13. 13 Confidential - Do Not Share Managers often think about
14. How do I? • maintain engineering culture in WFH condition? • make engineers feel less disconnected and stressed due to WFH situation? • enable work-life balance in the team? • ensure communication gap is reduced between different team members? • achieve business goals and meet deadline as a team and also as an organization? • maintain an environment of psychological safety in the team? • keep morale and productivity high?
15. Solution Every single member is unique in their own way so do the team. Some solutions might work some might not. To resolve team/individual issues as a manager we should have “People first” approach in these uncertain times.
16. Simple do’s for Managers ✓ Be Empathetic ✓ Be aware about Unconscious Bias ✓ Over communicate ✓ Set correct expectation ✓ Be agile ✓ Compliance checks ✓ Build trust ✓ Reprioritization ✓ Talk about work life balance ✓ Raise awareness of mental health ✓ Remote team buildings ✓ Praising team members
17. Simple don’t for Managers • Do not micro manage the team. • Don’t ignore issues in the team. • Don’t ignore conflicts. • Don’t cancel 1on1 with team members. • Don’t try to create new process. • Don’t pick complicated new tools for collaboration.
18. Meet the awesome remote team and there comments regards to WFH
20. Positive impact of remote work • Conducting effective meetings. • Proactive communication. • Efficiently manage time. • Collaborate with other team members. • Being honest in retrospective about the team. • Taking ownership. • Clear expectation. • Helping team members in need. • Learning soft skills. • Spending time to work on themself.
21. It’s still ‘work in progress’ Design by Freepik
22. What are other teams in Mercari doing for #ALLFORONE ...
23. Testing our drawing skills... Remote team building ◦ Casual conversation ◦ Playing online games ◦ Tea time conversation ◦ Dinner or lunch together
24. Talking about random topics with “Batman” Virtual Happy Hour
25. Learning amazing things ... • Online Study groups • Online Lunch & Learn Sessions
26. Showing support from hangout ... - Initiative carried out by Pride@Mercari
27. Virtual Event -- Hackweek (Spring 2020)
28. Virtual Event - Education program build@mercari
29. Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Healthy
30. Q & A