As Companies pivot towards remote work, our experiences may be helpful
So you may have been doing the work-from-home thing for quite a few weeks now and for some, this may be going on for months to come. Team Inclind has been working remotely for about 5 years and we’ve learned some lessons on how to work best in this environment. So if you are still finding your company’s rhythm with this way of working, we can give you some fresh ideas of how to keep moving forward.
Invest in Hardware that Can Handle It
Our team is buzzing with excitement as we traded in our old Macbooks for new ones this month. Sure, we are the definition of computer geeks, but we would recommend routine upgrades for any team. Older and slower computers can get more bogged down with trying to log on to Zoom or file sharing apps. In the work from home scenario, lots of apps need to run concurrently so having a computer that can handle that smoothly keeps up productivity.
Finding the Right Tech to Facilitate Communication
We have tried most communication tools out there for remote teams. Our tried and true formula has been Zoom for online meetings (far before Zoom was the thing), Slack for ongoing chats and discussions around projects, GitHub for tracking issues and Google Docs and Slides because of the collaboration features. It takes a little trial and error to find the right combination of tools that work best for the purposes of the team but worth the effort to try something different if a tool doesn’t quite cut it.
Accountability, Productivity & Flexibility
Since we are project and deadline-oriented, team members are clear on expectations defined daily in project standups. Everyone is available during normal business hours to answer questions and communicate on projects but as long as deadlines are met, team members can schedule their work time around kids’ schooling and family/home obligations.
Avoiding Distractions
So nope - we don’t have a great solution to this. Kids, spouses, dogs, cats, the neighbor mowing the lawn...this is all part of the work-from-home scene. If you can find time in the day where you can isolate, focus and tackle your most challenging tasks, it definitely helps with productivity and sanity.
Working remotely and interested in working with a remote team for your next website project? Connect with us today.