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Working in a globally distributed team#

Tips on working outside of a traditional office environment

Working online#

Working online as opposed to in an office environment can be isolating. These are some things we can do to feel more connected:

  • Say hello👋 on Slack when you start your day - let people know that you are around
  • And then goodbye at the end, so that they can see your day is done
  • When joining a zoom call with colleagues, take a couple of minutes to ask how they are before jumping into the agenda
  • Share a bit about yourself - add a personal slide in the Staff Meeting, join some non-work Slack channels (e.g. pets, makers, foodies) and join the watercoolers when you can

When most conversation happens in text, it can lead to misunderstandings, if it’s read in the wrong way as intended. This is overcome with good communication

  • Be as clear as possible about what you need to say
  • Sometimes write a message to yourself first, and check it, before posting publicly
  • If text feels arduous, jump into a short Zoom call or Slack huddle - it doesn’t all need to be text, and some people express themselves better spoken

Working across timezones#

Some tips on global interactions

  • When discussing setting up a meeting with someone, always state the time zone that you are referring to
  • If possible, talk in terms of their time zone, not yours
  • Rotate the discomfort for people in opposite time zones to your own
  • Be open to meeting outside of your usual working day on occasion
  • Be aware of Daylight Saving Time changes
  • Not all countries have this, and not all parts of some countries have it either
  • The switch is usually around March and October each year, although countries switch on different weekends and can span over to 6 weeks - which causes some temporary confusion for everyone
  • Check the time zone your events are created in and keep an eye on meeting times during the switchover period
  • Time and Date is always useful for time zone converters, meeting planners,  DST Events and much more

Working from home#

Some things to keep in mind when you work from home:

  • If possible, have an office space, that at the end of the day, you can close the door behind you and 'leave work'
  • If you don’t have a dedicated space, close your laptop and put it aside, or put it away in a cupboard until the next morning.
  • Get each day going as if you were going into an office - i.e. take a shower, get dressed, create a ‘normal’ routine for yourself to get the day started
  • At the end of the day, step away from your desk and move into a difference room or space, take a stroll outside - take a few minutes to transition from work to personal (in traditional circumstances, you’d be travelling home for some time, which would otherwise be that transition time)
  • Try to keep home distractions minimal while you are at work
  • Or set focus times when kids and pets shouldn’t disturb you
  • Else if your day allows, give in to the distractions and make up for it later
  • Remember to get out of the house!
  • And be sure to use your fitness budget to keep yourself active

Tip

Use the tools

We have a number of tools available to us to help balance online visibility, online noise and time zone challenges

Slack#

  • Set up your Notification preferences in detail
  • Turn notifications off after hours
  • Limit the sounds and pop-ups to the most urgent
  • If you are out of office
  • Set yourself as away
  • Update your status to show when you will be back - if on extended leave
  • Connect Google Calendar in Slack to show when you are in meetings or out of office automatically
  • Consider using the scheduled messages when sending a message to someone in another time zone - so that they get your message at their 9am - not 10pm
  • Don’t feel obliged to respond to a message sent to you at midnight (if you happen to be online)
  • Default to open conversation in channels everyone can see. This helps create an archive that everyone can benefit from going forward.

Google Calendar#

  • Make sure your working hours are set up, so others can see how early or late they can set meetings with you
  • Use Out of Office blockers (OoO) all the time - even if you are out for a long lunch, or popping to the dentist
  • If someone is trying to get hold of you via Slack, making your day visible will help both sides
  • You don’t have to make the reason for your OoO visible always

Be mindful of...#

It’s not to say that all conversations need to be neutral to take everyone into account, but when chatting with colleagues, if you see someone seeming left out or feeling uncomfortable, keep some of these aspects in mind.

Language#

  • We have many languages and accents, so please be patient
  • If you didn't understand something, ask for it to be repeated
  • If English is your first language, remember that you shouldn't speak too quickly
  • You may not always be speaking to people who have the same level of technical knowledge as yourself

Culture#

We come from many different cultural backgrounds, so please keep in mind that:

  • Some idioms (like ‘the elephant in the room’) might not be understood by all
  • And even some slang is not used in the same way
  • Ask if you didn’t understand the meaning
  • We didn't all grow up with the same TV shows, movies, or music. And many of us still don’t watch or follow all the same things. Let alone use the same social media platforms.

Life circumstances#

Our current life situations may differ, where responsibilities may impact availability and presence at various times.

  • Kids/pets
  • Family scenarios
  • Country-based influences
  • Natural disasters

Think globally 🌎🌍🌏