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The rules are the same. Treat people well. Expect great things from them. Be human. The details though, they make all the difference. Managing the nuances of engagement and productivity with a couple thousand miles between you and your team is both science and art. My name is Shane. I have been running a fully distributed team of 20-40 North American creatives for the last 5 years. Our success has come from a cohesive set of technical and cultural systems: the right people, the right environment and the right tools.* Build the right team: happy, helpful, curious & accountable* The rhythm: offer consistency* Relationships in the void* Use the right tools
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Managing a Distributed Team LEADING WITHOUT SEEING
@justlikeair #remotemgt
Hi, I’m Shane & I run a 100% DISTRIBUTED company.
(some people call them clients) A COUPLE OF OUR FRIENDS
www.shaneandpeter.com
CHALLENGES FOR DISTRIBUTED TEAMS • Leadership • Accountability • Synchronicity • Trust • Culture • Isolation • Balance
1. The Future of Teams 2. Building the Right team 3. Rhythm 4. Relationships 5. Communication & Technology 6. Conclusion
DISTRIBUTED TEAMS REQUIRE
A UNIQUE APPROACH
The Future of Teams
1. THE FUTURE OF TEAMS
A team of people using technology to work on the same stuff from different places.
DISTRIBUTED TEAM
Team Structures
Co-located
Co-located part time
Remote offices
Distributed w/ overlapping hours
Distributed w/ different hours
Increasing Distribution
50-FOOT RULE Teams on separate floors (more than 50 feet apart) actually talk less than a distributed team.
Distance Probability of collaboration Same corridor……………………………………. 10.3% Same floor………………………………………... 1.9% Different floor……………………………………... 0.3% Different building………………………………….. 0.4%
Study by Bell Labs & University of Arizona 1988
ADVANTAGES • Talent • Productivity • Diversity • Minimal infrastructure • Cost savings • Ecological • Work - life balance • Individual control
• The future of work • Highly productive • Major benefits • Significant challenges • Calling all leaders
FUTURE OF TEAMS REVIEW
2. BUILDING THE RIGHT TEAMS
THE RIGHT PEOPLE • Talented • Happy • Helpful • Curious • Accountable
TALENTED 1) Normal interviews often don’t work 2) Remote interviews certainly don’t 3) Try before you buy 4) Hire slowly and fire quickly
PERSONALITY MATTERS MORE THAN TALENT When it comes to Distributed Teams:
HAPPY
HAPPY
HELPFUL
HELPFUL
CURIOUS CURIOUS
ACCOUNTABLE
get multiple contracts Not everyone is going to be the perfect fit
* In 2010, we tried 43 contractors of which 15 have multiple contracts (good year)
1 OUT OF 3 *
• Failures are inevitable, plan for them • Try before you buy • Figure out YOUR culture • S&P’s: Happy, Helpful, Curious, • Accountable
THE RIGHT TEAM REVIEW
Can anyone succeed as a valuable member of distributed team with the right training and support? Do people have specific predispositions that make
them more likely to succeed?
CHALLENGE Break into groups and discuss the following ques6on:
3. THE RHYTHM: OFFER CONSISTENCY
I can predict the long-term outcome of your success if you show me your daily habits. John Maxwell
“
How do I win? If your team can’t answer this right off the bat, stop what you are doing.
You are about to loose a lot more money.
• What’s next?
• Why, who, how and when
• Why more Is less
ARE YOU MANAGING THE QUEUE?
• What did you do last?
• What will you do next?
• What is in your way?
• Do you need a meeting?
We call it a “Scrum” THE REGULAR STANDUP: SCRUM
Everything has an
Just because you asked for help or for someone else to collaborate does not relinquish accountability. It is yours until it is done.
OWNER
Clear Feedback is Not Optional The only true measure of feedback quality: WTFs / Minute
Adapted froman OSNews.com comic
MEASURE PERFOMANCE NOT HOURS We should focus on what people get done, not how many hours or days worked. Just as we don't have a nine-to-five day policy, we don't need a vacation policy.
From the Netflix “Reference Guide on our Freedom & Responsibility Culture”
“
Flex time is contingent on availability
within communication patterns.
OPEN DOOR OFFICE HOURS
It’s your call, just be available
OR
Help your team with scheduling. Even our PMs need this.
It’s not out of sight if it’s in your calendar!
Every time I break rhythm
MY TEAM LOSES DAYS.
Rhythm Review • Create regular habits
• Make sure everyone knows how to win
• Manage the queue artfully
• Run a regular standup meeting
• Everything has an owner
• Provide clear and explicit feedback
• Figure out a consistent communication pattern
• Measure performance not time
• Help people with their time management
• Respect personal load and priorities
A couple times a year, one of our highest performers will simply vanish mid-sprint. No explanations, no warnings, no call-backs. 98% of the time we can count of him, but those time he disappears are
painful. The cause is burnout. How do you monitor your distributed team’s mental health? How is it
different with a remote worker?
CHALLENGE Break into groups and discuss the following ques6on:
4. RELATIONSHIPS IN THE VOID
Hello?
Anyone there?
LOVE
Where is the ?
BE ARTFULLY
It is the natural state of things to be disconnected from a distance. It takes additional effort to create
camaraderie through commonality.
INTRUSIVE
D I
S C
Outgoing
Reserved
Task People
Dominant Driving Do’er
Inspiring InteracDve InteresDng
SupporDve Stable SensiDve
ConscienDous Competent Careful
Social HR does it when hiring, shouldn’t you?
Online “Water Cooler”: life.shaneandpeter.com
Dear Bullies, You made me cry Painted Pelicans on My SurKoard
Ladybug Family on Halloween New Floors!!
Brandon & Alaire’s Puppy
Serenity Walks on Her Own!
Dan Peter Brandon
Shane Reid Shane
CO-WORKING: ALONE TOGTHER
COMING TOGETHER Meeting people builds trust
S&P Trip: Panama 2010
HIT SOME HOME RUNS
Motivation & trust comes from hitting home runs.
You pitch to hit their bat.
© Ed Yourdon via flickr
WAIT FOR ME! It is incredibly easy to become disconnected. As a leader, you might want to pause and see if anyone is following you. Ask your team “How can I be a better manager”?
I’m your leader!
6TH SENSE Working with people you can’t see is like surfing in the dark.
Relationship Review • Be open, honest and nosy • Pay attention to personality • Hit home runs • Engage using social media • Create online social spaces • Check out Co-Working • You can’t replace face to face • Intuition & self reflection
CHALLENGE What are good ways to reward remote workers?
I want to give a small reward to my developer for accomplishing a goal, such as taking them to lunch. However, we are a remote team, so I cannot take them to lunch. Yet, it seems like just sending them a gift card or something doesn't convey the same sense of gratitude. In other words, it isn't about the money...it's the thought that counts. ”
“
Question from Quora: http://b.qr.ae/eWqvEg
Break into groups and discuss the following ques6on:
5. COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY
THE PROBLEMS FOR WHICH WE USE TOOLS
• Communication • Community • Meetings • Track Work / Accountability • Knowledge Tracking • Source Control • Collaboration
SYNCHRONOUS vs ASYNCHRONOUS
COMMUNAL vs PRIVATE
Avdi Grimm, Wide Teams
The more universally captured, visible, and searchable communication mediums you use, the better.
“
Your systems should fit into a user’s habitual workflow. The less they have to change, the higher the rate of adoption.
WORK COMFORTABLY
Adium
One Duck to rule them all WORK COMFORTABLY
Email RSS Web API Mobile
Get your tasks & comments in any way you like
WORK COMFORTABLY
One-on-One Meetings
Group Meetings • Conference call : iPhone & freeconferencecall.com
• Conference suites : Go to Meeting, Adobe Connect
• Group chat : Campfire / ICQ / Skype
GROUP MEETINGS
Getting an idea across • Files & screen shots : CloudApp
• Doodles and notes : Skitch
• Screen-casts and audio : Jing
• Screen sharing : Team Viewer, Skype, iChat, join.me
• Code : Jsfiddle, Pastebin
Group Meetings GETTING THE IDEA ACROSS
EMAIL: TOOL OF LAST RESORT • Not transparent • Not accountable
ASSET MANAGEMENT What happens when you can’t get a hold of a file from a key person?
BAD Source
GOOD
You Team
Team
Team
You
Team
Team Team
Team
Control the Source • Dropbox • SVN / GIT • Shared drives • Google Docs, Open Office • Documentation (Wikis)
CONTROL THE SOURCE
Try things • Be agile with your systems • Have reviews and elicit feedback from your
whole team. • Ask people: “What do you know about our
team & tools that I don’t see?”
Synchronize your watches Control the Source TRY THINGS
S&P Tools Chest
• Be agile with your systems • Synchronous vs asynchronous • Work comfortably • Email is the last option • Control the source • Collaboration is easy with the right tools • Review for feedback
Technology Review
PEOPLE
PATTERNS COMMUNICATION
6. CONCLUSION
If you ask most people, they love the idea of working from home, and would gladly leave your company for the opportunity.
This is not a fad
Be On Scope, Budget & Time No matter where you work from
Find the Right People To accomplish your goals while having a great time!
Set them up to win Provide the information, support and consistency they will need to succeed fabulously.
Bring people together The art of management is in transforming a group into a team.
Use the tools and find the ones you are missing.
And in the famous words of Bobby McFerrin
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
@justlikeair shanepearlman.com