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You're reading Leading Software People, a curated newsletter for people who are managing software teams, brought to you by the people who built Status Hero.
With so many people making a sudden transition to remote work, we're dedicating this issue of Leading Software People to articles focused on helping you stay productive while working at home.
Team Communication
Designing in an all-remote company
GitLab knows how to do all-remote. With over 1,200 employees, they're one of the largest all-remote companies on Earth. GitLab's Director of UX, Christie Lenneville, breaks down some of the challenges facing UX designers in all-remote companies and how GitLab overcomes them. If you find yourself suddenly remote these are great tips for how to collaborate and they apply to more than just creative roles.
Taking the Pain Out of Video Conferences
Almost everyone is spending more time on video calls nowadays. In this article, Ken Miller of Infinite Red outlines some easy tips for making video conferences more useful. Although it's was originally published in 2017, the guidance is still very relevant and helpful (unless you're worried about Zoom's security).
7 ways to build your team's communication strategy—especially when remote
Communication debt can add up quickly on your team - especially when working remotely. Page Grossman of ZenDesk sat down with Status Hero founder, Henry Poydar, to discuss how to reduce communication debt and the strategies you can use to keep your team up-to-date without crushing them under a deluge of Slack and email notifications.
Leadership & Management
Going Remote Overnight: Day 10
Rachel Kaplowitz, CEO of Honey, was forced to take her team remote in response to COVID-19. Learn about the tools and rituals that Rachel's team is using to stay productive, as well as her tips for making the transition to remote.
GitLab's Guide to All-Remote
With no company-owned offices anywhere on the planet and over 1,200 team members in more than 65 countries, GitLab is the world's largest all-remote company. They're also incredibly transparent and have a fully public handbook. GitLab created this guide to working all-remote based on their years of experience and iteration, and they've made it all public for everyone to use.
How to Prioritize Your Work When Your Manager Doesn’t
For people used to working closely with their manager, the transition to working remotely can introduce challenges with understanding what to prioritize and where to focus. And for people with managers that are already "distant", the physical separation only makes things harder. So what do you do? Amy Jen Su breaks down a simple framework (a good old 2x2) for figuring out where to focus one's time in order to be most successful.
Productivity & Estimation
Transitioning to Remote Work - Tips from Someone Who’s Done It
Transitioning to remote work can be hard. Our own Michael Karampalas made the transition about nine months ago and he shares his experience in this article. This isn't pro-remote propaganda - it's an honest look at the pros and cons of remote work and how you can make the transition as smooth as possible. The important thing is to keep at it and find what works for you.
The Meetings and Rituals that Actually Make a Difference when Working Remotely
Sofia Quintero and her team at EnjoyHQ have been fully remote since 2015. Over those years they have iterated on and fine-tuned their rituals and processes. Learn what works well for them and how you can apply similar rituals to your own work.
You should be working asynchronously (async)
One of the most powerful aspects of remote work is that it enables (if not forces) a certain level of asynchronous work. And asynchronous work provides better resource management, reduces waste and optimizes productivity. In this article from Marcelo Libre, he details the three core tenets of async: Multiplexing, Communication, and Action. Check it out to see how you can start employing more asynchronous work in your day-to-day.
People & Culture
How to Work Remote by A Company That Works Remotely
This is an awesome video on working remotely. It has some practical tips as well as detailing the many benefits of working remotely. Make sure you stay tuned all the way until the end!
Only Slightly Off-Topic
Powerful VS Code extensions for remote work
Geoff Stevens of software.com created this extension pack that brings together some of the best extensions for Visual Studio Code to help your remote team be more productive. There's also a great collection of resources at the bottom of the article.
Have you tried Status Hero yet?
Status Hero is a lightweight tool for tracking daily goals, activity, and status updates from your team. It works with your existing tools, like email, Azure Devops, Jira, GitHub, Trello, and Slack. Skip costly meetings, map goals to accomplishments, and unearth blocking issues quickly. Status Hero helps you and your team get more done with fast access to the big picture. Give it a shot with a free trial.