Effective communication between remote teams doesn't just happen. Here Josh Lynas, Agile Coach at AND Digital, shares four essential elements to consider in your new ‘working from home’ landscape. He'll cover: 1. The Right Frame Of Mind 2. The Three 'Difficult Ds' 3. Everyday Tips 4. Personal Connection

1. Front cover to add - EM
Effective habits for remote working
Life Offsite
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2. Effective communication between remote teams
doesn’t just happen
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Some essential elements to consider, right from the get-go:
Establish a remote
mindset fast.
Design for common
challenges early.
Embed simple
practices consistently.
Prioritise bonding -
regardless of distance.
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The Right Frame Of Mind
Establish a remote mindset fast.1

4. Adopting a remote mindset means
needing to accept a new normal
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For you... ...and your team

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You
✔ Master your environment
Make sure your remote workspace is
ready to go.
❗Listen first
Seek to understand, before trying to
be understood.
❗Assume good intent
Be generous - don’t let distance mean
you jump to conclusions.
❗Give yourself a break
It’s easy when remote to lose track of
time - be sure to take breaks.
❗Watch your boundaries
Even when in your home office, find
ways to keep work/home separate.
✔ Set up a Team Charter
Agree team ways of working and
expectations up front.
✔ Agree the Golden Hours
Decide meeting-free time slots for
focused work.
✔ Get the playbook going
Remote working really benefits from
lightweight, documented processes.
❗Default to open
Assume the need to
over-communicate; be transparent.
❗It’s ok to fail
Remote working has its challenges:
things go wrong - that’s ok.
Your team
Embedding a
remote mindset
This is good advice - whether
you and your team are
remote or not.
However, focusing on these
elements when you are at a
distance from each other is
really vital.

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The Three ‘Difficult Ds’
Design for common remote working challenges early.2

7. Remote sessions often face three common challenges
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These are the ‘Difficult Ds’: designing ways to manage them upfront
can improve remote team sessions dramatically.
Distraction Disconnection Discomfort
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Source: Judy Rees - https://judyrees.co.uk/remote-meetings-the-3-difficult-ds/

8. 8 © AND Digital 2020 Source: Judy Rees - https://judyrees.co.uk/remote-meetings-the-3-difficult-ds/
Distraction
✔ Mute notifications
That ping distracts you - and others
when on audio.
✔ Minimise noise
Speakers can distort background
sounds - keep things quiet.
✔ Anticipate boredom
Avoid too many ‘check-ins’ and keep
timing tight.
✔ Keep tools simple
Ensure joining and participating
is friction-free.
✔ Check your set up
Prevent literal disconnection:
ensure good internet connection, that
headphones/headsets are working
and devices are charged.
❗Be aware of behaviours
Look for signs of metaphorical
disconnect: remote sessions are less
effective at conveying body
language, or allowing spontaneous
‘water cooler’ chat.
Disconnection
❗Home alone
Remember many people dislike long
hours alone at home.
❗Anticipate camera shyness
Be aware many hate being on a
webcam - but visual connection can
be important.
❗Watch the time
Overly long remote sessions can get
uncomfortable; plan breaks.
❗Mind group manners
Good etiquette, like not talking over
others, should always apply.
Discomfort

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Everyday Tips
Embed simple facilitation practices consistently.3

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Good habits seem obvious
- but making them happen consistently has a big impact.

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Nine helpful reminders for remote sessions

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A word of warning:
watch out for ‘groupthink’
Groupthink is a common phenomenon - it
can happen anytime a group of people
deliberate together.
Remote sessions, though, have a tendency
to make this problem more likely.
Think about it:
Online meetings tend to be shorter, right? The leader
presents, invites questions. We’re done.
Sounds efficient. Except information updates like this
represent the lowest level of conversation. It can be a
useful approach, but it rarely supports collaborative,
effective decision-making.
Key ways to minimise
groupthink
Ensure sessions have an agreed
facilitator to keep things moving.1
Ensure everyone speaks early in
a joint session.2
Ask open questions to encourage
productive discussion.3
Practice active listening, and
acknowledge people’s input.4
Invite difference, separating
divergent/convergent phases of
discussion.
5
Avoid over-dominance - leaders
should speak last.6

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Personal Connection
Prioritise team bonding - regardless of distance.4

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It’s not all about
work, all of the time
A lot of invaluable relationship building in the
workplace happens in the space ‘between’ the
work itself.
In a remote team, spontaneous opportunities for
this are reduced: it’s critical to build this in, in
order to maintain or develop trust and
high performance.
Consider:
● What opportunities/channels exist just for banter and chat?
● How can you encourage personal updates/sharing?
● How can you support fun group activities?
● What remote games and competitions can you create?
Image right courtesy of The Wall Street Journal

15. Thanks
Got questions?
Email: hello@and.digital
Visit: www.and.digital
© AND Digital 2020