Thinking Remote

if we are really competitive, those spaces might end up being unhealthy, bragging noticeboards. Or if we are used to keeping our heads down and barely interacting with anyone else, when we move to online communication, we could end up with an unused space that screams: ‘Nobody cares!’

If it’s competitive, designing an open space for discussion, where everyone can hear everyone else and see each other’s designs or scribbles, might not be the best option – that is, unless you want to challenge and change that culture through changing the environment.

I have observed that little thought goes into designing the digital workspace in a way that is in line with the organisation’s or team’s culture, or that helps us change it when we need to do so.

When objectives are well defined, trust is maintained, and everyone communicates effectively and appropriately – they will not get hung-up on needing to be seen to be ‘busy’ while working remotely. They can just enjoy being truly productive and effective.

f you use shared tools – for example, a Kanban-style board such as Trello or Planner – it’s easy to maintain an overview of what you are working on, which anyone can examine if they want to see the status of something

remote working can greatly improve productivity and focus, especially on deep work tasks.

How truly two-way is the process, and are we all comfortable giving and receiving feedback in both directions – speaking ‘truth to power’ and asking for help where we need it?

Do this to review your process, not necessarily your results. Answer questions such as:

Is communication effective?
Do you feel supported?
Are there any blocks you constantly come across?

During the conversation, the team member reports on:

three things they have done well
two areas or skills which need improvement
one way in which the team lead and organisation can support them.
Finally, the ‘Oh’ brings one or two sentences on what they are most excited or grateful for in the organisation, and how they would like to develop their career.

The most important thing about these one-to-ones is that they are regular, even if sometimes they only last five minutes. It is important for both of you to know that you have a slot where you can have uncomfortable conversations when you need to, rather than expecting a problem to be flagged every time that a one-to-one meeting is called