9 resources to build a great remote organization
Asynchronous communication doesn’t make a company remote.
Trying to translate in-office culture into digital neither.
So what does?
Having a poor remote culture has disastrous effects.
Teams aren’t happy.
They aren’t productive, or even aligned on what needs to be built.
As human beings, we’re more complex than that.
We seek balance in the things we do.
Building a great remote organization is an art.
Here are 9 resources to improve your remote culture, today!
🎯 1. Know your goals: “7 habits of successful remote employees” (The Next Web — link)
Remote work brings freedom, but it can be easy for remote employees to get off track.
A goal-first approach to work is essential to keep everyone aligned and to start each day with purpose.
💬 2. Communicate asynchronously: “Everything We Know About Remote Work” (Buffer — link)
In remote, work doesn’t happen at the same time for everyone. Communicate asynchronously when possible.
Keep meetings on video calls too, but have the option to move to asynchronous when it feels best.
🔟 3. Adopt rules on team chat: “The 10 Slack Agreements” (Buffer — link)
Give all the context someone needs to reply to you later.
When in doubt, always post a message where everyone can read it.
Thread when you can.
🚷 4. Set I’m away status: “The Zapier’s guide to working remotely” — link
When you work remotely, you’re always invisible.
You need to go out of your way to let people know if you’re away from your computer. Use automatic status updates in your team chat tool.
💧 5. Set up a virtual water cooler: “What is a Virtual Water Cooler” (Mural — link)
We’re all human, online or not.
Create chat rooms where people can “hang out” virtually and interact throughout the day on any work or non-work issue.
🌮 6. Meet in-person: “Remote” (Basecamp — link)
It is important for the team to meet up in person occasionally, say, 2x a year.
It creates an opportunity for people to be get reacquainted with one another as individuals.
💜 7- Stay connected on a personal level: “5 tips for ramping up on remote work in a hurry” (Atlassian — link)
Working remotely can feel lonely.
Using video calls for impromptu discussions whenever possible goes a long way.
🧘 8. Show empathy: “4 Reasons Your Remote Team Needs Extra Empathy At Work” (Trello — link)
Resources on this list focus more on the practical aspects of remote work.
Prioritize caring and empathy while your teams are far-flung.
👶 9. Deal with kids: “A Remote Work Guide, For Parents” (Trello — link)
Remote work isn’t only for those with no other responsibilities in life.
Set ground rules for how other people in the house can get in touch with you during the day.
To see what works for you, you’ll have to test some of these ideas.
So go on, and try things out.
Share this post to help other startups test more ideas 🙏
