How to build a remote, global, long-lasting team
Whether you're expanding your team, or working with a co-founder, it's pretty much a given that indie hackers will be working with people remotely. What isn't a given is that you'll do so effectively.
I've grown Uploadcare to several million in ARR and a team of 35 remote workers. Here's how I've ensured that remote work is working optimally for my company.
How to build an effective remote team
People are people and Maslow's hierarchy of needs gives a good overview of how to help them to be motivated and productive.
The basic needs at the bottom are the easiest to solve but can be overlooked. If there’s a heat wave – does your teammate have AC in their apartment? If they have a child, are they able to have at least some rest? Do they have a nosy neighbour who makes their lives a living hell? Or a mortgage that squeezes their budget so they need to save on food or freelance while working full-time hours?
As founders, we should have a good understanding of these needs in our co-founders and team, as they affect work much more with remote setup than it was when people were able to escape to offices.
Here are some easy wins to cover basic needs:
Comfortable work and life environment
- Make sure they have a safe place at home where they can work without any intrusions from their family members. It should be a separate room. If this doesn’t work (and you can afford it), rent a co-working space at the company's expense. This is always cost-effective for the company in the long run.
- Provide them with a laptop with 2 extra displays if needed. Nice keyboard, mouse, and noise-canceling headphones. An ergonomic chair. This is a bare minimum that will enable your teammates to keep the focus at work and avoid neck pain and tunnel syndrome.
- Check if their take-home pay is enough for them considering where they are located, including renting a decent apartment to have their own safe harbour. There are different strategies: to pay the same amount of money for the same position or to pay differently considering a tax rate and a cost of living, we won’t dive deeper into this.
Keep up with psychological needs
- The feeling of accomplishment is truly achieved only when people are able to deliver their set goals and this is acknowledged by their peers. OKRs, North Star metrics, or any other frameworks – apply the one that fits your current stage and follow it.
- Make the ground rules easy to understand, the company and product vision should make sense, the tools should be easy to use. We solved this by writing a Handbook, it has an overview of how we work, how we communicate, and plenty of other sections. A crazy thorough Handbook by GitLab.
- Do 1on1s with your peers and make sure that every team member has 1on1s with their managers. A cheat sheet on 1on1s by Ben Horowitz.
- Schedule virtual meetups where team members can just chat about random topics. We have an “Intercontinental breakfasts” – a group chat for everyone that is scheduled for once per week. And random coffees that are scheduled each week in our Slack by Donut.
- Play games! There is a study that confirmed that playing together improves empathy. We set up a Discord server for gamers and play co-op games like Valheim and Factorio.
- Meet in real-life! An all-hands meeting once per year helps to build rapport that lasts for many months.
Self-actualization
When you solve the bottom part of the triangle, your teammates will have all the prerequisites to work on self-fulfillment needs. If your company’s vision and strategy are aligned with a person's life goals – there is a good chance that they will be the most productive and both of you will achieve your goals.
The quick way to ensure that your vision and strategy is aligned, at least it has worked for us at least three times – is to run a 3 hour brand sprint. In just a few hours you’ll brainstorm: a roadmap, ‘What, How,’ Why’ circles, competitive landscape and how you plan to win your audience, and your company values. To run this sprint we used a ready-made recipe from Google Ventures.
Sync comms vs async comms
People are used to synchronous ways of communication. Meaning, if you’ve been asked a question – someone expects you to answer asap, the same as if they came to you in person in the office. If you don't answer or take too much time to think – this could be considered rude.
You answer, you lose your focus, this is unproductive
and everyone loses.
With remote work, the async approach is more fruitful.
Async communication allows for:
- Uninterrupted focus time
- Work with different time zones
- Chance to digest and think before responding
- Detailed records
- Every opinion matters
- Healthy work/life balance
The tools and how we use them
At Uploadcare, we use Slack in async mode and we don’t expect for everyone to answer the same moment we asked a question. We also use Google Calendar and everyone’s calendar is public so people can not just schedule events for multiple team members without going back and forth to find an open timeslot but also they post their availability and lock focus time to avoid interruptions. To make things even nicer we use Cron as a better UX for Google Calendar.
We try to avoid excessive meetings by writing down agendas for every event and follow-ups with action items after each of them. I wouldn’t say we perfected this, but we clearly understand it helps.
The rules that we apply to calendars
- Calendars are public for everyone
- Not in calendar = didn’t happen
- Agenda’s and follow-ups with action items after calls
- Strict timing, moderation
- Keep track of working hours and personal time
When we need to explain how something works we rely on Loom to record a screencast. This allows everyone to watch the explainer at their own pace, hit pause and try things: this is usually not possible during a call. And if someone else needs to take a look – it’s much easier to share a link than to schedule another call to boringly repeat stuff over and over.
I also drafted a document about communication for the company Handbook if you'd like to take a look.
Don’t let people to feel alone
No matter what tools and workflows you set up, we are social creatures and people tend to get lonely if no one is around. They also tend to get lost if there’s no one nearby to ask for directions. Extraverted people would start asking questions and share feedback, but that doesn’t apply for everyone.
Most of the potential downs can be avoided: just help people to navigate and meet virtually and in-person.
To ease the navigation, I suggest having a Handbook that is basically a WIKI-like directory of everything work-related. The GitLab Handbook that is mentioned above is a good example. It should navigate your team members from the day one where they install all the tools and set up services to how you do plannings, who to contact in case of questions, how to schedule personal time-off, and everything you can think about.
Meet virtually and in-person:
- Intercontinental breakfasts. Once per week we meet each other in Google Meet and chat about… nothing particular!
- Demo Days. Once per 2-3 weeks we present interesting stuff we’ve been working on: new launches, customer highlights, our open source projects, etc. This helps our team to see and feel what others are doing.
- Team retreats. We meet in person at least once per year. The idea is to work together and then spend time resting, cooking, playing games and chilling in a sauna (they usually take place in Finland where saunas are a big thing). But every time it becomes a 7 day hackathon that requires 2-3 days to rest afterward. And it's worth it every time!
Summary
The path to a perfect remote team doesn’t end after building the perfect pyramid of needs and setting up async communication. But these are the first steps that help to avoid the most brutal mistakes.
Some key takeaways are:
- Only results are meaningful. You can’t and either shouldn’t look at people's schedules and workplaces if they deliver.
- Change habits if you’ve just started working remotely.
- Lead by example. If you get used to working in async mode, people will follow.
- Use the right tools right. Online calendars and chats are neat add-ons but they aren’t solutions themselves.
- Don’t let people get lost. Help them to navigate and be nearby, make them feel a part of a real team.
If some remote-work techniques worked (or didn’t!) for your team – please share them in the comments, I’d be glad to join the conversation.
After 19,314 lines of code, i'm shutting down my project
Need feedback for my product.
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Very much agree with this! Too many companies expect employees to take good care of the company without a similar belief that they need to reciprocate.
Based on 8 years working remotely, I do have two additional things I've found important:
Thanks for sharing! I agree with both. We discussed (good) swag so many times and haven't started sending it yet, but we should. And we never met more than twice in a year, but again, it's something definitely worth doing.
100% agree with your two additions.
The box of swag is very much appreciated, and you can ask every new started from a collection of things what they would like to receive. So they actually will use it. A mug is for example not a good idea when you live as a nomad. Something I recently saw that I found genius, is to create a shop with printify and ask your new starters to pick an item there. You order it and send it to them.
On the meetup situation, it can be literally anything. Once we went hiking Kilimanjaro with the team another time we developed a small game together on a difficulty level where everyone could participate in the developing.
Absolutely, your insights are spot on! Sending a thoughtful welcome box is a fantastic touch, quality over quantity always wins. And in-person meetups, you nailed it. They're the secret sauce that reignites empathy and camaraderie. It's not just a cost, but an investment in building lasting connections.
Just a technical note. Maslow himself never described human needs as a hierarchy or a pyramid. That is just a popular myth: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/who-created-maslows-iconic-pyramid/
Dave, thank you! I always liked to learn when popular quotes belong to someone else. This fact is even better – I’ll remember that.
Fantastic insights! I particularly appreciate your focus on async communication; it's a game-changer for maintaining work-life balance and productivity.
I work remotely and none of this has really happened to me, they haven't really asked me about how I am working, the pc I use, screens, if I am comfortable....
I very much agree that taking care of your workers can result in improving their productivity in the long run, making the company more money and somehow compensating for these expenses.
However I see this more for established companies with a good revenue base.
Thanks for the article, it is valuable information!
yeah
Most of the companies should be built for “long run” – it increases chances of their success. Startups are marathons in majority of cases, not sprints.
So I hope that more and more of people start thinking about humane things that in the end result in better motivation and productivity.
100% agree. Almost impossible to keep everyone on the same page as the ecosystem constantly evolves. When working with colleagues in house, much much easier to get aligned.
I started the company with a remote work culture, but I'm certain that we will need to meet in person eventually to foster 100% relationship-building among employees.
It can definitely help to meet in person once or twice a year. We saved so much money in office space by being 100% remote, that we could afford to fly the whole team of 20 people to one location. This was for example Hiking Kilimanjaro, or a villa in Greece. Are you also doing such in-person events?
Fantastic insights, Igor! Your take on building and managing remote teams covers everything from basic needs to higher-level fulfillment. The integration of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a brilliant touch, offering a holistic approach. I appreciate the practical solutions you've shared, and your emphasis on asynchronous communication and effective tool usage resonates well.
100% agree with the author that the path to a perfect remote team doesn't end after building the perfect pyramid of needs and setting up async communication. These are just the first steps that help to avoid the most brutal mistakes.
Here are some additional tips for building a remote, global, long-lasting team:
Create a strong culture of communication and trust. This is essential for any team, but it's even more important for remote teams. Make sure everyone feels comfortable communicating with each other, both asynchronously and synchronously. And create a culture where people feel trusted to do their work independently.
Set clear expectations and goals. Make sure everyone on the team knows what their roles and responsibilities are, and what the team's goals are. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same thing.
Provide regular feedback and support. Even though remote teams don't have the same level of in-person interaction as traditional teams, it's still important to provide regular feedback and support to team members. This will help to keep everyone motivated and on track.
Celebrate successes. It's important to celebrate successes, both big and small. This will help to build team morale and keep everyone motivated.
Make time for team-building activities. Even though remote teams can't get together in person as often as traditional teams, it's still important to make time for team-building activities. This will help to build camaraderie and relationships between team members.
Igor, your insights into building and managing a remote team are incredibly valuable. Your approach to addressing the different levels of needs in Maslow's hierarchy is a thoughtful and comprehensive way to ensure that team members are not only productive but also fulfilled in their work.
The emphasis on providing a comfortable work environment, both physically and psychologically, demonstrates your deep understanding of the challenges remote workers can face. Your strategies for synchronous and asynchronous communication are spot-on, highlighting the importance of allowing uninterrupted focus time and accommodating different time zones.
The tools and techniques you've mentioned, such as public calendars, detailed agendas, and the use of tools like Loom for asynchronous explanations, showcase a proactive approach to maintaining clear and effective communication within the team.
Lastly, your emphasis on human connection and combating isolation through virtual meetups, demo days, and team retreats is truly commendable. It's heartening to see how you prioritize creating a sense of community and belonging even in a remote setup.
Thank you for sharing your wealth of experience and practical advice. Your post serves as a valuable guide for anyone looking to build a remote team that thrives both professionally and personally.
As a dev, I have been working remotely for last like 4 years and I can vouch for couple of things like
1- Better documentation. Even if take more hours than expected. Now we have AI powered tools but documentations really makes other developers independent.
2- Using the right tooling - Using a framework/library which has good community support around it helps devs to resolve common issues by looking online. Once I got into a situation where only the fellow dev sitting another country knew why did we do that in a certain way (docs can help)
3- Attaching loom/some explanation video with PR- Fellow devs can review fast if they can have a sound understanding of nuts and bolts.
4- Log your work- Log your work summary with your JIRA tickets. If other devs refer that ticket in future then they won't have to hop back to you.
5- Log your achievements- We usually tend to forget the good parts. So, why not log your achievements and share with your team lead/manager.
6- Block your calendars- Block your calendars so people messaging you in focus time can expect a delay.
7- Mention the level of urgency (Prioritise)- "Hey Naman, are we picking X bug in this sprint? " < "Hey Naman, are we picking X bug in this sprint as its blocking 2 other devs / feature".
These are on top of my head. Also, let me know if any of your org hiring remote frontend dev. I will be glad to discuss the opportunity. 🤓
I totally agree and to go another level - define how your team communicates best. Do they prefer Slack with threads, specific channels for specific projects, hopping onto hangouts to talk through whatever is happening and then logging the decisions async?
Every team is different and the personal preferences of individuals will mix together to create systems that are unique to the group. This is important to keep in mind when onboarding, as every new person will influence the culture and the team will have to go back to a "forming" phase (Tuckman's model)
I agree with all the points – documenting the work, follow-ups, they all help to speed up communication and avoid forgetting things, which is natural for everyone.
Shoot me a CV igor at uploadcare.com
Hey @igordebatur, thank you for such insightful post and providing your contact. I have sent you an email (from: namangupta.cse at gmail) with my CV. Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Super duper excited!
Hi Igor! I like the way you invest your efforts and time for communication with your team, not only about work!
Thank you! I believe that time and focus invested to the team is the most worthwhile long term
A remote team becomes powerful through several critical factors. I'd highlight my favorite five:
The right tools and technologies are also an important factor that helps to build a strong and multifunctional remote team.
For example, it's recommended to use daily task managers, time trackers, scheduling apps, and annual planning tools
https://blog.ganttpro.com/en/planning-software-daily-weekly-monthly-annual-planners/.
Great tips overall, I've really liked your scepticism and avoidance towards the excessive meeting culture we have. Three meetings throughout the day is the limit, anything more than that gets way too exhaustive and focus-draining.
Regarding agenda management, my team has been employing various tools for that, and I've used this guide of workload management tools to find what exactly suit our needs.
This was a wonderful
One of the major challenges I faced when building and managing remote teams was maintaining the velocity of strategic planning, execution, and iteration. It became too easy for team members to operate with blinders on and not realize strategy was shifting and that this had implications on what they were executing. When we were in-person, the exchange of ideas and information happened naturally. When everything moved to Slack and Zoom, the exchange of ideas and information moved 10x slower.
So ultimately I spent most of my time ensuring everyone was on the same page with the most up-to-date strategy and that their execution plans were accurate. I'd say after doing this, we were able to operate effectively as a full-remote team but it required a point person for strategy and communication.
I agree, it's one of the major challenges – to make sure that everyone is up-to-date with all the strategical and tactical changes. But I believe it's similar with offices – until we organize events where we share those updates, the only other way to learn about them is to randomly overhear them near a water cooler.
We host "demo days" every 2-3 weeks, and all of them include a CEO update where I tell about all the major changes and significant events.
To build a remote, global, and enduring team, prioritize clear communication, ensuring all members understand goals and tasks. Cultivate cultural sensitivity to bridge diverse backgrounds and prevent misunderstandings. Invest in robust technology infrastructure for seamless collaboration, and maintain regular check-ins to monitor progress and provide feedback. Foster team bonding through virtual activities and informal chats to strengthen relationships despite physical distance. Embrace flexibility in work hours to accommodate different time zones and individual needs. Prioritize training and development opportunities to nurture team growth. Adjust your website by moveinpak
incorporating multilingual support, showcasing your diverse remote team, facilitating access to collaboration tools, and featuring testimonials from team members to highlight the effectiveness of your remote work setup.
Covering the basics of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and translating them into the remote work context is brilliant. Ensuring a comfortable work and life environment for your team members, acknowledging their psychological needs, and fostering a sense of accomplishment through effective communication and recognition are key elements.
The emphasis on tools and communication methods, such as using Slack in async mode and utilizing Google Calendar for scheduling and focus time, showcases a practical approach to remote collaboration. Your advice on avoiding excessive meetings, providing detailed agendas, and recording screencasts for explanations are fantastic strategies to enhance productivity.
The incorporation of virtual meetups, games, and real-life team retreats to build rapport and combat feelings of isolation is commendable. The importance of leading by example in embracing asynchronous communication and using the right tools is a powerful takeaway.
Overall, your comprehensive guide provides actionable insights for indie hackers navigating the complexities of remote team management. 🚀
Started remote work due to COVID and quickly learned it's a whole different ballgame. It definitely demands a different set of "rules" to make it work effectively. Thanks for the article :)
Founders play a huge role in hiring an initial team - even with not a lot of money - a good team will be formed if the founder is inspiring and has a track record! I recently created a team of 10 for Samwell AI and we can't afford to pay big salaries, 5 of them are interns including our 2 designers (and we have an amazingly designed website, much better than my previous venture for which I raised $10m VC money and hired expensive designers)... it's really interesting, job market is changing !
I really want to do with a remote work. I am from China.
Now I need to improve my skills to have a future one
I’ve been remote since 2011. I worked for an org that would meet up every 6 months, but as the org grew, so did the costs, and they switched to yearly meet ups. A year is a long time between seeing people, enough that influenced my decision to go somewhere new.
I’m a full remote worker since almost five years and I think this article is really helpful! Thanks
Maybe Money is very important thing.
It is really helpful. I was looking for it and here i have found.
Awesome story @igordebatur.
Our remote team is all volunteers who give 2 to 3 hrs per day over 60 volunteer days under a 3 month Volunteer Agreement. We give them a chance to gain experience and skills to improve their career prospects. In return we get their time and focus. Many have gone to secure jobs after volunteering. As a result we have grown a bit and have created 5 jobs.
We are our best customer - https://skilledup.life - our secondary purpose is to help cash-starved tech founders get a start and survive. As they grow with our volunteer help, they go into creating jobs.
Our 41,500 skilled volunteers come from 134 countries and all remote.
Solo founders no longer need to be alone.
Came across this at the time I needed it most. Thanks, Igor.
Thank you so much for sharing
I think remote work, especially for service businesses, is here to stay. Technology is empowering the indie hacker/solo founder more and more, and helping them generate $1M/year in MRR. This puts pressure on companies to pay much higher salaries and hire from anywhere in the world. With AI, we'll probably see the billion-dollar solo founder emerge soon, so it seems that remote will win, except for roles like manufacturing, for example.
Interesting!
Good.
Thanks for sharing.
Recently I launched my subscription-based design agency https://www.pentaclay.com
I'm planning to hire remotely and grow as a remote-first team. I do have already 2 clients, after 7-8 clients I'll start hiring.
Liked how you laid out all the information.
No comment. just that I've enjoyed reading this one. :-) thx.
Hi! I am the founder of Kuberanix. I found that using gather[dot]town really helps. It is a fantastic virtual office. Highly recommended. Not sponsored.
The best decision we did in our company is to have a company discord server. We add everyone and strongly encourage people to keep it casual in the general channel. Sharing memes, videos, etc through out the day.
We also have a company gaming time every week during workhours. Just 2 hours of gaming really gets the team bonding going. Especially if it's a team game.
Building a remote, global, long-lasting team is an art, and you've captured the essence beautifully! Your focus on addressing basic needs, fostering psychological well-being, and enabling self-actualization resonates deeply. The emphasis on clear communication and balancing sync vs async is a game-changer. Solid advice for anyone navigating the world of remote work.
Great read. I love Maslow hierarchy of needs. "The feeling of accomplishment is truly achieved only when people are able to deliver their set goals and this is acknowledged by their peers. OKRs, North Star metrics, or any other frameworks – apply the one that fits your current stage and follow it."
This quote blows my mind and I feel like I have rarely worked under leaders who truly take this into consideration. Work would significantly change if this was in leadership practices.
Good. It really worked
Nice Post! Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Nice
I found the application of Maslow's hierarchy of needs to remote work quite insightful. Addressing basic needs like ensuring a comfortable work environment and adequate compensation, along with psychological needs through recognition and structured 1on1s, is crucial for remote team productivity. I agree with your approach of providing ergonomic work equipment and advocating for personal acknowledgment. This holistic view of employee well-being could be a game-changer for remote work dynamics.
I'm a big proponent of asynchronous communication for remote teams. It really helps with work-life balance and concentration. How do you ensure that important information is effectively communicated without the need for immediate responses?
Great insights on building an effective remote team! Prioritizing the well-being of remote team members, providing the right tools, and fostering a sense of connection are key. Thanks for sharing these valuable tips!
Could you share more about the 3-hour brand sprint, and how it has benefited your team?
How did you tackle the transition to asynchronous communication?
Thanks for sharing! I agree with both. These are just the first steps that help to avoid the most brutal mistakes. Many thanks
Agree with the post. Personally I've worked remotely for 8 years and at the end of the day the secret is pretty much to be a good human with your team the same way you would do in an office.
For guys who are working remotely.
So, how do you look busy while doing nothing while working from home? Here are a few tips:
Dress for success 👨💼
Activity Illusion 🧿
The Overly Prompt Responder 👨💻
The Virtual Whiteboard Wizard 👨🏫
If you have your own tip...share please.
Cheers and have fun.
Working with a remote team for one month and years is really something different.
As in real office you need people who will be strong connectors.
Without it you are just strangers working on the same thing.
Interesting insights!
Interesting read on the dynamics of remote teams. It struck a chord to emphasise asynchronous communication. I find the idea of international breakfasts fascinating. I value your suggestions!
Thank you for taking the time to compose such an essential article.
Great post I like it very much keep up the good work
Thanks for sharing an interesting blog. It is very useful for everyone, keep up the good work.
I am glad to read this post which includes lots of useful information, thank you for
providing these kinds of information.
Great post I like it very much keep up the good work
Great post! Thanks for sharing a piece of informative information. It would be kind for newbies, keep posting. I appreciate your efforts
Good read on the remote team setup. The async communication part hit home. Those intercontinental breakfasts sound interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Great Post Igor! As a co-founder of a remote distributed team, a lot of this resonates. Particularly your focus on async work. We put together a philosophy (the modern work method) on how to deliver business value fast in this kind of environment.
A few principles we follow are:
-Collaboration should always start with a document instead of a meeting
-The best managers focus on outputs and outcomes instead of hours worked or messages sent
Remote team is not easy.
This is so insightful! Thanks for sharing :)
quite challenging
Solid post. My favourite part that I've had success with:
"Only results are meaningful. You can’t and either shouldn’t look at people's schedules and workplaces if they deliver."
10000%. When I hire, I don't care about hours, timing, etc. I care about results. If someone wants to work 5 other jobs, doesn't matter to me :)
👋 Igor!
Your post is spot-on!
Building and nurturing an awesome remote team is absolutely vital in today's landscape. Your focus on taking care of the team's fundamental needs makes perfect sense – after all, happy team members tend to be the most productive, don't you agree?
I'm curious: when it comes to forming diverse remote teams, are you actively scouting talent from various corners of the globe?
I firmly believe that embracing remote work and asynchronous work is the key to transforming organizations into truly global entities. Yet, it seems like many companies are still hesitant about this shift.
What's your take on whether the tides are changing?
In addition to the asynchronous communication tools mentioned in the article, don't underestimate the power of face-to-face (well, screen-to-screen) interactions. Video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams can help bridge the gap and build stronger connections among team members. It's a fantastic way to see those friendly faces, share ideas, and foster a sense of camaraderie, even when you're oceans apart.
So, whether you're a seasoned remote worker or just diving into the world of virtual teams, this article is a treasure trove of insights. From clear communication and trust to embracing video conferencing, it's got all the tricks to make your remote team a true success!
IMHO most people start from the wrong end of that pyramid. Psychological, emotional needs and self-actualization mean zero for those who haven't yet covered their primary needs: food, safe home, and physical comfort. So, to keep your employees happy number one thing is decent pay. If you pay your people dog sh*t, don't expect team-building activities and an in-house psychologist to sort things out :) We all work to get paid, everything else is secondary at best.
Hey Igor, your post nails it! Creating and sustaining a kickass remote team is crucial in today's world. Your attention to looking after the team's basic needs totally makes sense, as happy folks are usually the most productive, right?
I'm wondering, in the context of building diverse remote teams, do you actively seek talent from different parts of the world? I believe that not only remote, but async work is a needed change to make organizations truly global, but I still think most companies resist this idea... do you think this is changing?
IT will beneficially to Online Business and not offline business
To build a remote, global, long-lasting team:
hope its clear that
Many of these advices apply perfectly to onsite jobs as well. Not many employers care about well-being of their staff at all.
Amazing insights! I like the way you communicate with people in the team!
This article provides valuable insights for companies aiming to transcend geographical boundaries and create a team that thrives regardless of location.
Thanks for sharing this! But how you tackle the missed dealines?
You nailed it.
Well written and brken down post.
Feels like I was reading a page from our journeys book :)
Thank you so much for this post! We have a remote team and it definitely has it challenges sometime. You brought up play games, we play bingo together for a gift card! Its been a huge hit and something everyone looks forward too!
Hey Igor!
Having delved into your insightful piece, and I couldn't help but appreciate the wisdom you've shared on remote work.
I'm completely onboard with your spotlight on the thrill of accomplishment and the joy of recognition among peers. It's like the sweet symphony of a goal achieved and a virtual high-five from colleagues echoing in harmony – a true recipe for motivation!
I just want to highlight why your article is so valuable and point out challenges that can arise from mismanaged remote work:
Communication Breakdown:
Without clear communication channels, team members might struggle to share updates, leading to misunderstandings and missed deadlines.
Isolation:
Working remotely in isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness and disconnection, impacting morale and teamwork.
Lack of Direction:
Without proper guidance and goal alignment, employees may feel unsure about their tasks and objectives.
Micromanagement:
Overcompensating with constant check-ins can undermine trust and demotivate employees.
Burnout:
Blurring the line between work and personal life might lead to overwork and burnout.
Inadequate Tools:
Without proper technology and tools, productivity can suffer, causing frustration and delays.
Cultural Disconnect:
Team-building and social interactions can be compromised, affecting team spirit and engagement.
Missed Recognition:
A lack of regular feedback and recognition can impact motivation and job satisfaction.
Decision-making Challenges:
Without access to reliable data and insights, making informed decisions becomes difficult.
Have a good one!
Nice article!)
This is great, thanks for putting it together.
I love the asynchronous approach to communication, makes a lot of sense I often don't have urgency and sometimes I do.
That little thing is important to note.
Do you have any recommendations for task management?
👍 Your insights on building an effective remote team offer hope for providing my future team with these possibilities as well. Prioritizing practical and psychological needs, aligning the company's vision with individual goals, and fostering a sense of community are impactful strategies. The emphasis on asynchronous communication and the use of tools like Loom for clarity is noteworthy. Thanks for sharing!
In my opinion, building an effective remote team begins with attracting the right talent, followed by establishing clear roles, utilizing remote-friendly tools, conducting regular check-ins, and nurturing a robust team culture.
Spot on!
I really liked the idea of intercontinental breakfasts 😆
It's crucial to find the balance between giving too much freedom and having the right amount of control and enforcing company policies to keep it tight.
Great post!
Very impressive write up
In my whole blogging experience I just found one thing that consistency is more important thank skills....
Your statement highlights a valuable insight about the world of blogging. Throughout my blogging journey, I've come to realize that consistency holds greater significance than mere skills. While skills undoubtedly contribute to creating compelling content, it's the unwavering commitment to delivering regular posts that truly captures and retains an audience's attention.
Consistency establishes a rhythm that followers can rely upon, creating an anticipatory excitement for each new piece. Over time, this routine fosters a sense of connection and reliability, forming a strong bond between the blogger and their readers.
On the other hand, skills, while essential, can only reach their full potential when nurtured through persistent practice and application. Consistency fuels skill development, allowing bloggers to refine their abilities and experiment with new approaches.
In essence, both consistency and skills are pivotal components of successful blogging. However, it's the steady cadence of consistent content that sets the stage for skills to shine and for a thriving blogging journey.
Thanks
What do you think of having time tracking/performance monitoring solutions for remote teams? Are they worth going for to ensure productivity and timely work?
As the modern work landscape continues to evolve, building a remote, global, and long-lasting team has become not just a possibility, but a necessity for many businesses seeking to thrive in a competitive world. This paradigm shift has opened up exciting opportunities for organizations to tap into diverse talent pools and create a dynamic workforce that can adapt to changing market conditions.
Thank you for posting such an amazing article.
We really need to promote the remote working, in many countries they use think the employ is like a slave.
Thx Andrew! I agree – people should be able to choose who to work for without any geo restrictions. I see the whole concept of countries and borders as quite outdated.
Super insightful content, thanks so much.
Do you have some kind of a template for follow-up notes and action points that is distributed after the calls?
We don't actually have a super specific template (but I'll consider having it), right now it's basically "follow-up notes" and "action points", exactly.
This is very helpful. We at Virtual FinPilot power startup growth, finances and exit with our small but mighty remote team. Holding weekly meeting and giving them regular training are by far the most challenging part from me as a founder with many things going on.
Great post!
Thanks, Lucas!
Thank you for sharing this insightful blog post. It's clear that building a remote, global, and long-lasting team requires a thoughtful approach to meeting both the basic and higher-level needs of team members.
At Lancr (www.lancr.co), we share a similar philosophy. We believe in the power of remote work and the importance of creating an environment that fosters productivity, collaboration, and personal growth. We understand that the success of a remote team hinges on more than just the tools used for communication—it's about creating a culture that values each team member's contributions and supports their individual needs.
Good post
Thanks!
I have worked in many remote teams from Australia. The 1 thing that makes it work well is coming together at the start of the project and and for 1-2 weeks every 6 months. You form tight bonds, get to know people personally and understand ways of working.
I agree for 100%, it’s the easiest way to build rapport that works for many, many months.
If your working remote, having a great team which you can regularly engage with is important.
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