Beyond Avatars: Managing a team of fully distributed teammates

@mwermuth Beyond Avatars Managing a team of fully distributed teammates
ScaleUp Porto - 14th October 2019 Marcus Wermuth - Eng Manager at Buffer

@mwermuth How many here do work remotely?

@mwermuth 4.7 million work from home 53 % Jobs involve
remote work 83 % Jobs could involve remote work Numbers represented are focused on the US and from the past years.

@mwermuth Remote Work is here to stay!

@mwermuth When do you think remote work was first mentioned?

@mwermuth 1973

@mwermuth Jack Nilles a former NASA engineer

@mwermuth

@mwermuth Organizational- and management- changes were more important in the
rate of acceptance of telecommuting.

@mwermuth „We are now at a decision point as a
society; we must decide whether the way of life made possible by the automobile since the turn of the century will (or can) continue, or if we should consider alternate or modified modes of working, communicating and living.“

@mwermuth • Working remotely since 2011 • I was a
Freelance Android & iOS Developer • Started at Buffer as a iOS Developer in 2015 • Since 2017 Managing the Mobile Team at Buffer Hey I’m Marcus. Nice to meet you all! @mwermuth

@mwermuth What does working in a fully remote company look
like?

@mwermuth That’s more like it!

@mwermuth

@mwermuth “Timezones are a big problem, when hiring or collaborating.”
Quote from my past self. “Timezones are a big problem, when hiring or collaborating.”

@mwermuth For real now, what are the challenges with remote
work?

@mwermuth Can we get everyone on the same call?

@mwermuth How do we collaborate & brainstorm?

@mwermuth Can you build relationships online?

@mwermuth How do I manage a team without being next
to them?

@mwermuth There are many more differences… but also quite a
lot of similarities!

@mwermuth Remember that remote work is still work!

@mwermuth 1 Be authentic 2 Become a great communicator 3
Look Beyond the Avatars 0

@mwermuth Be authentic 1

@mwermuth ... it has its roots in Ancient Greek philosophy,
which said that authenticity is an important state of being and enables you to control your own destiny. “

@mwermuth Being an authentic leader means leading by example. It’s
demonstrating through your actions that you practice the same values and behaviors you expect from your team.

@mwermuth Be authentic remotely? You are basically invisible to your
team most of the time. There won‘t be many opportunities to demonstrate the authenticity. Leverage the contact points you will have.

@mwermuth Set up your working routine.

@mwermuth How I created a physical distance between work &
life Use a spare room as ofﬁce if possible Change work location once a week Introduce Co-working/coffee-shop stipends

@mwermuth Invest in your ofﬁce setup at home!

@mwermuth Kill distractions outside of work hours: Enable Do not
Disturb (DnD) on your devices Delete Slack from your phone Move Work/Social apps away from your attention

@mwermuth Master your calendar

@mwermuth The calendar is the door to your ofﬁce!

@mwermuth Your calendar is sacred: Before booking a meeting with
someone, check if they are free Add your daily routine to your calendar Add Block events to your free time

@mwermuth Make it easy to collaborate: Use Calendly (or similar
tools) when scheduling Leverage all the settings your Calendar Software gives you

@mwermuth Sort your calendar: Sort your calendar to make context
switching easier Don’t overdo it, keep breathing room in between important meetings

@mwermuth

@mwermuth Thinking & Drinking Pause

@mwermuth Become a great communicator2

@mwermuth Exercise: Telefone Estragado

@mwermuth Say something seven times and half your folks will
have heard it once. - Mark Horstman “

@mwermuth Over-communication doesn’t exist Over-communication doesn’t exist

@mwermuth Communicate consistently, frequently, and through multiple channels, include if
possible a recorded video, writing, and more about what is about to happen.

@mwermuth Example: Miscommunication

@mwermuth Can you please put an icon next to the
paragraph on our website!

@mwermuth Glad we all agree!

@mwermuth

@mwermuth Oh!

@mwermuth Oh ha!

@mwermuth Glad we all agree!

IS GREAT AND IMPORTANT Talking to your team members IS
CRUCIAL FOR REMOTE WORK Writing down all your decisions

@mwermuth is the advice I give the most. Default to
Transparency

@mwermuth being more open and honest wasn’t easy but really
powerful. IN MY JOURNEY

@mwermuth Create better cross-team communication Grow relationships with my team
members To understand more about myself Transparency helped me

@mwermuth Transparency without Empathy will feel like cruelty!

@mwermuth Exercise: Find the ball

@mwermuth Empathy is not connecting to an experience. Empathy is
connecting to the emotions that underpin an experience. - Brené Brown “

@mwermuth helped me to train my empathy. Active Listening

@mwermuth With Active Listening you make a conscious effort to
hear not only the words someone is saying but, more importantly, the complete message behind it.

@mwermuth LISTENING IS NOT AGREEING. SHOWING THAT YOU ARE PRESENT.
ASK BEFORE YOU GIVE ADVICE OR COMFORT! Listen, then listen more.

@mwermuth Being focused only on efficiency isn’t always useful. ~
A time of no solution and silence can be powerful.

@mwermuth to build the best team possible! Trust is your
Foundation

@mwermuth Prepare for your communication Deliver your message Listen for
feedback Evaluate and correct My Communication Plan ©

@mwermuth Our tools

@mwermuth Weekly 1h One-to-One Calls with everyone Weekly Team Video
Call Daily Asynchronous Written Update (Standup) Career Frameworks + Step Promotions Quarterly Reviews (3x 180°, 1x 360°) ... and processes

@mwermuth Cute animal picture - pause Thinking & Drinking Pause

@mwermuth Look Beyond the Avatars 3

@mwermuth the system - and the individual. ENABLE

@mwermuth

@mwermuth BLOCKS COLLABORATION RESISTANCE TO CHANGE CENTRALISES AUTHORITY Why it
will not work well?

@mwermuth

@mwermuth ENCOURAGES COLLABORATION CREATES ACCOUNTABILITY DECENTRALISES AUTHORITY Why it will
work better?

@mwermuth has been the best improvement to our culture. Introducing
Entrepreneurial Spirit

@mwermuth Entrepreneurial Spirit is about approaching problems with curiosity and
seeing mistakes as an opportunity for growth instead of something to be feared.

@mwermuth Some Examples Start the Video Call Decision Maker Toe
Stepping No Decision by Consensus

@mwermuth delegate, delegate, delegate ... Delegate, Delegate

@mwermuth But Why? I learned that I had to stop
taking over work in the name of helpfulness. Because it would mostly block growth opportunities for my team. And that‘s not what you want.

@mwermuth First Team Mindset

@mwermuth What is my first team? Product Managers Engineering Team
Marketing Team Mobile Team Engineering Managers CEO C-level Executives Customer Service Design Team Finance Team People Team

@mwermuth Company first, your team second.

@mwermuth Practical Example:

@mwermuth What is the advantage? BUILD A STRONGER CULTURE HELP
EACH OTHER AND SHARE VULNERABILITY VISIBILITY OF WORK AND DEPENDENCIES

@mwermuth Psychological Safety

@mwermuth Psychological safety is a belief that one will not
be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes. - Amy Edmondson “

@mwermuth Lead by example / Be authentic Encourage active listening
Create a safe environment Develop an open mindset Tips to foster psychological safety in remote team Lead by example / Be authentic Encourage active listening Create a safe environment Develop an open mindset

@mwermuth Create a safe environment HIRE METICULOUSLY ENSURE EVERYONE HAS
A VOICE EMBRACE THE MESSENGER

@mwermuth Some Examples Personal Time in 1-1s Pair Calls In
person Retreat at least once a year. Avoid Artiﬁcial Harmony

@mwermuth Vulnerability does not come after trust is established. Instead
exchanges of vulnerability are the pathway through which trust builds.

@mwermuth I screwed that up - is amongst the most
important things a leader can say. Let them look beyond your avatar! “

@mwermuth 1 Be authentic 2 Become a great communicator 3
Look Beyond the Avatars

@mwermuth Obrigado https://marcuswermuth.com https://linkedin.com/in/mwermuth https://twitter.com/mwermuth

@mwermuth Q & A

Beyond Avatars: Managing a team of fully distributed teammates

Beyond Avatars: Managing a team of fully distributed teammates

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