working remotely: the good, the bad, and the ugly
DESCRIPTION
Remote collaboration is on the rise, particularly in the software industry. A majority of employees at companies like Automattic (makers of WordPress) and GitHub work remotely. My presentation will explore some of the benefits and downsides of remote work, drawing on my as well as others’ experiences. If you are looking to become a remote employee or are an employer with remote employees on your team, this talk is for you!TRANSCRIPT
W O R K I N G R E M O T E LYS H A U N A K K A S H YA P,
D E V E L O P E R A D V O C A T E , R A C K S PA C E @ S H A U N A K
T H E G O O D , T H E B A D , A N D T H E U G LY
W O R K I N G R E M O T E LYT H E G O O D , T H E B A D , A N D T H E U G LY
W O R K I N G R E M O T E LYT H E B A D , T H E U G LY, A N D T H E G O O D
W O R K I N G R E M O T E LYT H E B A D , T H E U G LY, A N D T H E G O O D
Take theNewbie Tour
Hang out in your team’s chat room
S TA R T I N G O U T
Being a new person on a remote team can be tough
W O R K / L I F E B A L A N C E : W H AT ’ S T H AT ?
I don’t know if I work 30 hours a week or 80
““
- Anne Gentle, remote coworker
W O R K / L I F E B A L A N C E : W H AT ’ S T H AT ?
Establish Pillars and Boundaries
Occasionally work from a coffee shop
Find aco-working space
C A B I N F E V E R
Energy at office can’t be faked at home
Missing out on colleagues’ brains
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
Sorry if that came off as { accusatory, rude, sarcastic };
I didn’t mean it that way.
“
“- at least one conversation every month
I’ve started five drafts of this response so far and discarded
them. It’s hard to carry on a conversation via email.
“
“- Glen Campbell, remote coworker
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
Oh, didn’t you see my { email, chat, text }?
““
- at least one conversation every week
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
T H E M E S S A G E
I N T E R A C T I O NV O C A L
VA R I E T YFA C I A L
E X P R E S S I O N SB O D Y
L A N G U A G E
I N P E R S O N Y Y Y Y Y
V I D E O Y Y Y Y ~
A U D I O Y Y Y
S Y N C H . T E X T Y Y ~
A S Y N C H . T E X T Y
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
Sorry if that came off as { accusatory, rude, sarcastic };
I didn’t mean it that way.
“
“- at least one conversation every month
I’ve started five drafts of this response so far and discarded
them. It’s hard to carry on a conversation via email.
“
“- Glen Campbell, remote coworker
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
Oh, didn’t you see my { email, chat, text }?
““
- at least one conversation every week
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
Switch to higher bandwidth communication channels
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
Try to assume positive intent
Ask clarifying questions
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
Repeat the message multiple times using multiple
communication channels
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
W O R K I N G R E M O T E LYT H E B A D , T H E U G LY, A N D T H E G O O D
Get togetherin person
whenever possible
Use collaborative editing tools
L E T ’ S W H I T E B O A R D T H I S P R O B L E M
Collaborative design sessions can be tough
N O S E N S E O F T E A M
I feel like I’m working alone, not as part of a team“
“
N O S E N S E O F T E A M
Setup pairing calls
Organize distributed but synchronized team activities
Short term: nip in bud
Long term: reinforce positive behavior, look for
it during interviews
F U D C A N K I L L M O R A L E
Fear, uncertainty and doubt spreads like wildfire on a distributed team
Inquire wheninterviewing
for the position
Don’t bethe lone wolf!It’s not worth it
L O N E W O L F
Being the only remote person on a team sucks.
W O R K I N G R E M O T E LYT H E B A D , T H E U G LY, A N D T H E G O O D
W O R K / L I F E B L E N D
M O R E H E A D S D O W N T I M E
• No drive-by interruptions
• Fewer unscheduled meetings
• You control the noise level
L E S S C O M M U T E , M O R E A U T O N O M Y
H E A LT H B E N E F I T S
• Morning walks/runs/workout
• Fresh, warm, home-cooked lunches
• (More) playtime with kids/pets
Y O U G E T B E T T E R AT C O M M U N I C AT I O N
• Lots of asynchronous communications - must get to the point quickly in each
• Learn to use a tl;dr + details format
B U I LT- I N Q U A R A N T I N I N G
• If you are unwell, need to stay at home… no problem!
• Team member is unwell, can’t affect rest of team
D I S T R I B U T E D T E A M = D I V E R S I T Y
W O R K F R O M A N Y W H E R E
W O R K F R O M A N Y W H E R E
W O R K F R O M A N Y W H E R E
W O R K I N G R E M O T E LYS H A U N A K K A S H YA P,
D E V E L O P E R A D V O C A T E , R A C K S PA C E @ S H A U N A K
T H E G O O D , T H E B A D , A N D T H E U G LY
S L I D E S J O I N D . I N / 1 1 4 3 7
T E S T D R I V E T H E R A C K S PA C E C L O U D ( $ 5 0 / M O F O R 1 2 M O N T H S )
R A C K . T O / P H P N Z 1 4
T H E M E S S A G E
I N T E R A C T I O NV O C A L
VA R I E T YFA C I A L
E X P R E S S I O N SB O D Y
L A N G U A G E
I N P E R S O N Y Y Y Y Y
V I D E O Y Y Y Y ~
A U D I O Y Y Y
S Y N C H . T E X T Y Y ~
A S Y N C H . T E X T Y
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
T H E M E S S A G E
I N T E R A C T I O NV O C A L
VA R I E T YFA C I A L
E X P R E S S I O N SB O D Y
L A N G U A G E
I N P E R S O N Y Y Y Y Y
V I D E O Y Y Y Y ~
A U D I O Y Y Y
S Y N C H . T E X T Y Y ~
A S Y N C H . T E X T Y
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N
convey intent easily
T H E M E S S A G E
I N T E R A C T I O NV O C A L
VA R I E T YFA C I A L
E X P R E S S I O N SB O D Y
L A N G U A G E
I N P E R S O N Y Y Y Y Y
V I D E O Y Y Y Y ~
A U D I O Y Y Y
S Y N C H . T E X T Y Y ~
A S Y N C H . T E X T Y
C O M M U N I C AT I O N B R E A K D O W N