Creating A Remote Product Team

Over a year ago when our CEO brought up that the company needed to build a plan for the company to work completely remotely I had no idea it would be in execution within days, and for the next year. Yet, here we are and so far so good. Although I’ve always had members of my team who’ve worked remote for a short period of time or specific days, we’d never had the whole team remote along with the rest of the company. I’ve learned a few good things over this time.

I have the opportunity to work with some outstanding people. However, there is always friction when making big changes, and it helps to have guidelines. Here are 6.

1) First, make it a team project

No one likes being told what to do after a decision that affects them has been made. We all know that sometimes that’s the way it has to be, but when there is the opportunity to collaborate it should be taken. Even though I drafted the initial idea for my team, I sent it to them for edits and comments before we collectively decided that it was good for our situation. Through that process, they all know why we’ve established what we have, and I’ve made sure that it’s not an unreasonable or illogical requirement for an individual.

2) It takes a whole village

Remember that it does not just affect you, but also everyone around you.

When starting to work remotely, this does not just affect you or your team directly, and no one is completely in control of what will happen at their new office. Especially right now when many people have children who are learning from home, it’s unusual territory for everyone. This needs to be acknowledged and taken into consideration.

3) We’re still working at the same company.

Reinforce the basic company policies with your team. Although no one will be in the office, the team still needs to adhere to the company guidelines. Work hours, quality of work, reporting, and respect for each other are just a few of the points that should be included in the reminder for everyone. Just because we’re not going to be seeing each other in the office does not mean that we’re no longer working in the company.

Although I’m certain that my team would not consciously violate company policies, it’s a simple reminder that will ensure these don’t get lost in the shuffle. e.g. “Please remember to adhere to all company policies.”

4) Identify the tools and methods

Software, platforms, and other online services are the bread and butter of our day to day operations within the office. Although I sit just a few feet from anyone on my team, I’d guess that about half of our communication is over email or Slack. So, we primarily had to choose what tools we’d use for various forms of communication.

Ensuring that everything remained secure was a little more complicated. As a product team, we’re constantly working with sensitive information. Either within the company or for clients and testers. Drive encryption, virtual private networks (VPNs), and other similar measures were all set up and verified for systems that would be used remotely.

5) Establish a cadence for communication

Once we had the tools in place we needed a slightly modified routine for weekly activities. It’s common knowledge that communication is key for a thriving team, so we had to ensure that was maintained. Here is a quick overview of what we established for ourselves.

• Monday / Wednesday / Friday morning video conference syncs. Think agile scrum standup, just without the standup.

• Tuesdays and Thursday mornings a simple morning update via slack. This gives us a good combination of face to face interaction and written history of what’s happening.

• Every evening a quick recap of items accomplished and any blockers, sent to our team’s slack channel for everyone to see.

• Every Thursday afternoon we have a project review meeting to do a deep dive into the status of any projects going on.

6) Maintain accountability

Lastly, there is the “burden of leadership” (as we called it in the Corps). Expectations are set, equipment is ready, everyone is prepared and trustworthy - but you have to inspect what you expect. I’ve found the discipline of maintaining consistent accountability can be harder than being an individual contributor. And accountability goes a long way in a strong team. Each person is responsible for items that others are relying on. As a team leader, you’re responsible for giving them the tools and direction they need to be successful. That might be a structure for strong communication, equipment for efficiency, or flexibility because someone has a unique situation. Just as you’re accountable to the company for your team’s progress, and they’re accountable to you for their work, you’re also accountable to the team to maximize their ability to be successful.

When we first started the team proved their adaptability by the hour. There are many advantages to working alongside people in an office. There are also many advantages to working remotely. As time has gone on it’s been exciting to see us learn this new skill and add it to our catalog of abilities as a team.

Although we now communicate using different mediums, at the end of the day, the same principles of teamwork apply. This was a very useful lesson for me.