As a manager of a team of 8 developers and working in a full-remote company across the globe, I share here a list of simple yet useful tips to make remote work more efficient.
👤Use profile pictures
In all the tools you're using, use a picture of you as a profile picture. Do not leave a default one or do not use unrelated content. It helps the team members know each other and remembering that we are all humans after all...
🖼️Post personal photos of things you are doing out of work. Show your pets, family members, how your surroundings look like, outdoor activities... It might seem weird at first, but it is very appreciated and commented. Use appropriate channels and the right frequency (once a week?).
⌨️Learn to type fast
Written communication is so omnipresent in remote teams that fast-typers deal better with team work. Expressing ideas will be a lot easier if you can type fast. If it's not your case, don't despair and use train regularly with tools like kebr.
🙌Use emojis
They seem unprofessional at first, but they are a premium artefact to have rich remote conversation. Sometimes an emoji is just what you need to react to an assertion. Remote teams use emojis as a second, and subtle, language.
📹Use your video in all meetings, at least for the first and the last minutes. Every meeting is an opportunity to connect to others and show how you look today. We all need this to work together! People deactivating it are suddenly more distant and can alter a team spirit after a while.
⏰Be punctual
Respect scrupulously meeting end and start times. It is frustrating to wait for someone in front of a screen. Being on time is more respectful and more efficient than ever.
📅Reduce the default meeting length
Remote meetings are more energy-consuming than their physical counterpart. They can be more frustrating as well. Use 20 or 30 minutes as the default duration. 40 minutes for long meeting and 1 hour for exceptionally long meetings.
🌴Expose your break times
Personal and professional spheres are more porous than ever. Indicate in your calendar your availability zones and make clear when you won't be working (beginning and end of a regular day, breaks, focus times...). This will reduce your stress and liberate a lot of positive energy.
Happy remote work! 🎉
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