12th May 2020
Tips for how to manage teams whilst working from home
As companies across the globe have been forced into a 100% remote working model, one of the world’s largest all-remote companies, outlines their 7 top tips for managing teams from afar.
All 1200 of Gitlabs employees have been working remotely across 67 countries for the past 9 years. GitLab’s Head of Remote, Darren Murph, and his colleagues give their advice on how to manage culture, processes, communication, collaboration and efficiency all while working from home.
From the Article:
Establish a handbook — there should be no unwritten rules.
Document everything. “Building a culture across a company where there are no offices requires intentionality,” Murph and his co-authors relate. “While technology and tools are enabling companies to operate efficiently in a remote setting, it’s important to focus on documenting culture first, then using tools to support. There should be no unwritten rules in remote culture.” With a handbook-first approach, “team members have ‘a single source of truth’ for answers. Even though documentation takes a little more time upfront, it prevents people from having to ask the same question repeatedly.”
Emphasize and keep reinforcing values.
GitLab sees its values as the cohesive force that binds its global remote workforce together. The company’s core values include collaboration, results, efficiency, diversity and inclusion, iteration, and transparency. “To be effective, and to impact culture in a meaningful, sustainable way, values must be more than words written on a page. Apathy towards company values leads to cultural degradation and dysfunction. Values can only shape an organization if they’re respected and lived by each team member. This is particularly meaningful in an all-remote setting. With less physical interaction, there’s less buffer to compensate for indifference towards company values.”
Establish a remote-work leadership team.
“Rally a team of experts who have remote work experience, can communicate nuances, and serve as resources to others.”
You can read the full article online: 7 Tips For Managing Working-From-Home Teams, From An All-Remote Company.
Make sure to explore Inspiring Workplace’s other content and insights about leadership.