On the outside, working remotely as an engineer in a software team seems like a dream come true for many devs. You get to work from the comfort of your home, you can set your own hours, and you don't have to deal with the daily commute. But there can be challenges. In this blog post, we'll discuss some tips for running a remote team that addresses some of these common challenges.
Communication, or lack thereof
Communication is key in any team, but it becomes even more important when working remotely. Without the ability to walk over to a colleague's desk and ask a quick question, it's important to have a good communication strategy in place. This might include regular team meetings, daily stand-ups, and the use of tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams to keep everyone in the loop.
You have to be proactive and go out of your way to push people to collaborate even more closely to compensate for what is lost in working remotely. In the past I've scheduled meetings on behalf developers just to push them to ensure that they attend and engage
Collaboration
Collaboration is another area that can be challenging when working remotely. It's important to have a system in place for collaborating on code, sharing documents, and working on projects together. Tools like GitHub, Google Docs, and Trello can be invaluable for remote teams.
Isolation, mental health
Working remotely can be isolating, especially for those who are used to working in a busy office environment. It's important to have regular check-ins with team members to make sure everyone is doing okay. This might include one-on-one meetings, team-building activities, and social events.
Time zones
If your team is spread out across different time zones, it can be challenging to find a time that works for everyone. It's important to be mindful of this and to be flexible with meeting times. This might mean scheduling meetings at different times of the day to accommodate everyone.
Make sure everyone communicates not just their adjusted working hours, but their adjust working times. What I mean by that is, some people do their deep work in their morning hours. In some situations this might be a peak time for other people to schedule calls, meaning they might not be getting their focus time. It's important to communicate this to the team.
Work-Life Balance
One of the biggest challenges of working remotely is maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It's easy to find yourself working late into the night or on weekends, especially if you're working with a team in a different time zone. It's important to set boundaries and to make time for yourself outside of work.