Communication and Empathy across Remote and Distributed Teams
A presentation at DevOpsDays Boston 2021 by Laura Santamaria
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Communication and Empathy across Remote and Distributed Teams Laura Santamaria Developer Advocate
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays The Basics
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays 3 kinds of distributed teams
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays What is empathy?
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Empathy is a two-way street.
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Empathy is the bedrock of all high-functioning teams.
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Being remote is different
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Language
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Communication mediums and meaning
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Timezones and culture
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Family and other distractions
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Great communication is the foundation of teamwork, no matter where you are.
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays General notes
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Start at common ground
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Build from a position of positive intent
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Listen radically…
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays … and show vulnerability.
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Talk less; listen more
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Aim for clear and concise
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Give and get constructive feedback constantly
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Respect everyone’s experience and views
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Aim for team wins over personal wins in conflict
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Building communication and empathy in distributed teams takes work—more so than with in-person teams.
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Special considerations
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Overcommunicate
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Be present
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Encourage casual communication (if folks are comfortable)
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Ask first
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Avoid sarcasm in text
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Set communication expectations
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Set Slack statuses
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Try working a day in someone else’s timezone
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Use public channels over private comms
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Use video conferencing liberally
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Run effective meetings, and meet (quickly) often
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays If you don’t remember anything else, remember this…
@nimbinatus | #devopsdays Listen. Reframe. Engage. (Thanks) https://nimbinatus.com https://pulumi.com
Over the past year and a half, the world went a bit sideways, and as a result, many companies went fully remote and are considering staying remote in some fashion. Some folks suddenly found themselves working remotely for the first time or working with teammates who have never worked remotely before, and that situation likely won’t change. However, working remotely means adopting different communication strategies and finding ways to empathize with coworkers without socializing or discussing things in person, and many folks still attempt to engage the same way as when they congregated in an office every day. The difficulties for remote and distributed teams around communication and empathy get even worse when tossing in high-emotion situations like incidents and being on-call.
Let’s explore:
- how communication and empathy across remote and distributed teams is different than for in-person teams,
- why these differences arise, and
- what teams and individuals can do to improve communication and to create and maintain empathy on remote teams, from using communication frameworks to helping others learn how to empathize with you.
Buzz and feedback
Here’s what was said about this presentation on social media.
