Working remotely is demanding, you have to avoid getting distracted with domestic duties, visits, freedom, flexible schedule, etc.
Getting it right requires developing a new mindset, practices, and habits that will boost both your work quality and your happiness.
What’s the cost of doing a poor job? What’s the cost of doing a mediocre job? What’s the cost of doing an exceptional job? Which price are you willing to pay?
Best Practices
1. Manage your time
Define and share your working schedule.
- plan your day and share it with the team as early as you start working
- greet your team to let them know you’ve started to work and you’re available
- bid adieu when you’re calling it a day so no one gets blocked
2. Evidence your work
- share status updates whenever you start/finish a task
- do regular check-in with co-workers
- track time correctly
- share your work as soon as you start working on it (WIP Pull Requests, shared documents)
3. Expose your current status
- let your team know when you will be absent
- use chat status correctly (BRB, BBL)
4. Raise your hand
- if you get blocked, spend at most 15 minutes looking for a solution then ask for help
- give context: what’s happening, what the logs say, what solutions you’ve tried
- be clear and direct
5. Follow the Single Source of Truth principle
- if you discussed something in a call, take notes and share them in the team channel
- replicate conclusions from private channels to the team channel
- let your team know and replicate agreements at the board task
6. Justify yourself, don’t excuse yourself
The single difference between an excuse and a justification is the time it happens.
- Be proactive and propositive
- Anticipate to the events and let your team know
7. Clarify, optimize, and prioritize expectations
- make requirements less dumb
- delete the part or process you can make “in-case” arguments
- either simplify or optimize; DO NOT optimize a thing that should not exist
8. Focus on blockers
- ensure the team knows your blockers
- always assign an owner to the blocker
- follow up and make sure a resolution is reached
9. Improve your standup
- Yesterday. The Highlight of things you’ve done the previous day
- Today. The Highlight of things you are going to work on today.
- Blockers. If anything is blocking you and who will unblock you
10. Optimize your Agenda
- get ready 5 or 10 minutes before each meeting
- be proactive during the meeting
- be ready to always turn on your camera, participate actively