I've learned a few hard earned lessons about what works for distributed teams and what doesn't. They've started to form foundational principles I use to help ensure my teams have the best opportunity to navigate collaborating and working remotely.
Is this a definitive bulletproof list of industry best practices? No, it is very much a work-in-progress that I've gleaned by leading distributed teams the past few years. However it does represent adaptable approaches I've found help avoid a few of the pitfalls and limitations while working remotely.
Do
Be Proactive
When I started leading remote teams I thought that "no news is good news" and "people will reach out if they need help". These assumptions have proven to be off the mark. Communication and connection is substantially harder in a remote environment; things that you get for free in-person require proactive cultivation on remote teams. I now search for opportunities for the team to gel, create space for random interaction and connection, and actively look for signs of someone struggling.
Prioritize Async Methods
I lean heavily on asynchronous ways of communicating and gauging progress to help maximize focus time for my team while accommodating time zone differences. Pulling status information from team tools like Jira or Github, monitoring Slack channels, or testing features independently increases the likelihood that my team is more productive. If workflows and systems aren't setup to work async, but they should be, then my priority is to successfully transition them to work better for remote distributed teams.
Set Clear Expectations
Clearly outlining my expectations of the team and each person on the team ensures there's no ambiguity or uncertainty. Creating a foundation of cultural norms within the team is a necessary first step — the level of collaboration, how we'll communicate asynchronously, and the mechanics of work help created a shared environment for everyone to operate in.
Document, Document, Document
I feel the best long-term outcomes for remote teams come from instilling a culture of recording key information. Capturing decisions and actions ensures the free flow of information for across the team regardless of availability to attend virtual discussions. Documenting progress and changes using project management tools enables other members of the team to pick up and continue work if needed. All these steps contribute to reducing the burden or reliance on any one person, reduces the stress from FOMO, and empowers the team's resiliency over time.
Do Not
Avoid Sync Interactions
Some things just require being in the same space at the same time, even if that space is virtual. From brainstorming sessions to 1:1's there are certain things that cannot be handled async. Understanding when it's appropriate is crucial; just because you are remote doesn't mean you have to be disconnected.
Use Identical Communication Styles
To fully support my team I typically need to use different means and methods of communication with each person. Any member of the team could struggle with in-person conversations but excel in written form; another engineer could be a morning person and would benefit from shifting the schedule of 1:1's. It's all about adjusting and adapting to achieve as much transparency as possible with each person on the team.
Ignore Boundaries
Remote work is great for increasing the odds you'll be "in the zone" more over the course of a day. However blurring the line between work and home can happen subtly and innocently. The key is creating conditions for someone's best work while ensuring they are fully supported to maintain limits on their work availability.