Working Effectively Across Spacetime

Remote work is becoming more and more popular, but how do you build and maintain effective teams that are spread throughout space and time?

Engaged, effective remote teams don't happen by accident. They require buy-in, trust, communication and empathy. Thankfully, there are a variety of strategies & tools that help make a remote team effective and enjoyable.

In this talk we'll explore
- common concerns & how to handle them
- effective communication strategies
- how to handle different timezones
- tools to make remote workflows nice and smooth
- how to keep your team engaged and productive

Transcript

2. About Me - Android dev at Udacity - last 2+ years fully remote - currently based in Seattle @n8ebel #DCNYC18 2
3. Our Team - 75% remote - 2 continents - 3 countries - 4 timezones @n8ebel #DCNYC18 3
4. remote work sounds great @n8ebel #DCNYC18 4
5. Increasing Popularity - 60% companies offer telecommuting opportunities 1 - 37% would change jobs to work where the want 2 - 11.5%/year increase in fully remote programmers 2 2 Gallup - https://news.gallup.com/reports/199961/7.aspx 1 2016 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) benefits survey @n8ebel #DCNYC18 5
6. remote success doesn't happen by accident @n8ebel #DCNYC18 6
7. How can teams work effectively when spread across locations and timezones? @n8ebel #DCNYC18 7
8. Working Effectively Across Spacetime Requires: - trust - communication - engagement - proper tools @n8ebel #DCNYC18 8
9. Working Effectively Across Spacetime What We'll Cover: - benefits & challenges - communication strategies - team engagement - common questions @n8ebel #DCNYC18 9
10. What Is A Remote Team? @n8ebel #DCNYC18 10
11. What Is A Remote Team? - email & chat from a mobile device? - work from home once in a while? - one person that isn't colocated? @n8ebel #DCNYC18 11
12. Our Definition Of Remote? - remote first - spread across locations & timezones - practices & technologies in place - 5% increase from 2012 - 2016 2 2 Gallup - https://news.gallup.com/reports/199961/7.aspx @n8ebel #DCNYC18 12
13. Why The Distinction? - differences in technology, policies, workflows - easier to let things slide @n8ebel #DCNYC18 13
15. The Benefits @n8ebel #DCNYC18 15
16. What's the biggest benefit to working remotely? 3 3 Buffer - State of Remote Work 2018 Report @n8ebel #DCNYC18 16
17. Individual Benefits: Time - 53% say greater work/life balance "very important" 2 - less travel time & expense - more time with family & friends 2 Gallup - https://news.gallup.com/reports/199961/7.aspx @n8ebel #DCNYC18 17
18. Individual Benefits: Flexibility - flexible hours - flexible location - cost of living - new location != new job @n8ebel #DCNYC18 18
19. Individual Benefits: Productivity - control over working environment - fewer distractions -> increased flow - 10-15% increase in productivity with less observation 4 4 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0001839212453028 @n8ebel #DCNYC18 19
20. "90% of remote workers plan on working remotely for the rest of their careers" 3 3 Buffer - State of Remote Work 2018 Report @n8ebel #DCNYC18 20
21. Organization/Team Benefits - lower costs - larger talent pool - diversity - increased retention @n8ebel #DCNYC18 21
22. Organization/Team Benefits - easier meetings/scheduling - increased productivity @n8ebel #DCNYC18 22
23. The Challenges @n8ebel #DCNYC18 23
24. Organization: Support - must invest in supportive technologies - must develop clear policies & expectations - must trust employees @n8ebel #DCNYC18 24
25. Organization: Hiring - larger talent pool to screen - screening a more diverse set of applicants - selecting for remote-friendly traits @n8ebel #DCNYC18 25
26. Team: Engagement - full team communication - equal contribution - team building - timezones @n8ebel #DCNYC18 26
27. What's the biggest struggle with working remotely? 3 3 Buffer - State of Remote Work 2018 Report @n8ebel #DCNYC18 27
28. Individual - staying productive - boundaries - isolation - no catering/snacks/perks @n8ebel #DCNYC18 28
30. Communication Is Key @n8ebel #DCNYC18 30
31. Communication - set expectations - be intentional - embrace various mediums @n8ebel #DCNYC18 31
32. Communication: Set Expectations - async communication - core hours - define where communication happens @n8ebel #DCNYC18 32
33. Communication: Be Intentional - over communicate - document & share your work - share questions, concerns, ideas @n8ebel #DCNYC18 33
34. Communication: Different Mediums - escalate when needed - use video, emoji, images to make up for lack of non- verbal cues - always put a face to the voice - find a quite space for video @n8ebel #DCNYC18 34
35. Intentional Engagement @n8ebel #DCNYC18 35
36. Engagement - must be first-party citizens - buy in - trust from day one @n8ebel #DCNYC18 36
37. Engagement: Group Involvement - regular sync ups & 1:1s - encourage casual communication - schedule time to chat as a team @n8ebel #DCNYC18 37
38. Engagement: Group Involvement - make time to discuss & brainstorm in a high- bandwidth manner - value/seek input & views from everyone - groups > 1:1 @n8ebel #DCNYC18 38
39. Engagement: Team Building - team on-sites - shared activity weeks: hackathons, tech-debt, etc - lunch & learn, conferences, etc @n8ebel #DCNYC18 39
40. Engagement: Build Connections - assume good intent - protect 1:1 time with manager - make yourself visible - build relationships @n8ebel #DCNYC18 40
41. Refined Workflows @n8ebel #DCNYC18 41
42. Workflows: Planning - diligently plan - document & update requirements - enable async assessment of progress @n8ebel #DCNYC18 42
43. Workflows: Code & Design Review - blend async & video review - escalate when appropriate - leverage available tools @n8ebel #DCNYC18 43
44. Workflows: Pair Programming - still fully possible - video chat & screen share @n8ebel #DCNYC18 44
45. Workflows: QA - group video & screen share - images & video are invaluable - shared documents @n8ebel #DCNYC18 45
46. Build Your Toolbox @n8ebel #DCNYC18 46
47. Tools - must have proper technology available - network connection is your lifeline @n8ebel #DCNYC18 47
48. Tools: Chat & Video - Slack - Hangouts, Zoom - Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, etc - Vysor - auto-add video to meetings & conference rooms @n8ebel #DCNYC18 48
49. Tools: Planning & Documentation - Jira, Trello, GitHub issues - Confluence, GitHub wiki @n8ebel #DCNYC18 49
50. Tools: Code & Design - GitHub, GitLab - InVision @n8ebel #DCNYC18 50
51. Tools: Secret Sharing - LastPass, Dashlane @n8ebel #DCNYC18 51
52. Tools: Misc - World Time Buddy - Doodle - Slack polls - QuickTime, screenshot @n8ebel #DCNYC18 52
54. "Do you work in your pajamas every day?" @n8ebel #DCNYC18 54
55. "How do you manage working across timezone differences?" @n8ebel #DCNYC18 55
56. "How do you stay productive when not in an office?" @n8ebel #DCNYC18 56
57. "Don't you get lonely working from home?" @n8ebel #DCNYC18 57
58. Working Effectively Across Spacetime @n8ebel #DCNYC18 58
60. Effective Remote Teams - communicate intentionally - cultivate engagement - develop remote-first workflows @n8ebel #DCNYC18 60
61. Thank You with("n8ebel").apply { Twitter YouTube .com Medium Facebook } @n8ebel #DCNYC18