Dialed In: How Teams Are Adjusting To Remote Work
Agile teams are making the most of their new remote arrangements. What’s been working?
The news is on, the kids are home, and no one is sure what is happening next. In the age of COVID-19, offices are faced with unprecedented challenges.
In Liberty Mutual’s digital department, agile squads are adjusting to their fully remote realities. There’s a learning curve, of course, when the amount of time away from the physical workspace is undefined. Thankfully, development teams are outfitted with dedicated scrum masters who are tasked with keeping teams running smoothly. Two of them shared their insight.
“Each of us is working hard,” said Katie Rowbottom, scrum master for the account management squads. “We’ve put a lot of time and effort into helping our squads prepare for something like this. We knew working remotely for an extended period of time would probably happen, and we should be ready if it does.”
“Really, the main thing is to emulate the human aspect of being in the office as much as possible,” said Nick Rutherford, a senior scrum master for squads specifically working on the claims process.
Video Chatting
One theme echoed again and again is the power of video during meetings. There’s no way to replicate sitting next to a coworker, but seeing a face and communicating directly is a strong substitute.
“It’s helpful to have that view — no weird, unexplained pauses, the emotional cues that are missing from a strictly voice call — whenever its technically possible, it’s great to have the camera on,” said Katie.
“I encourage web cams being on during meetings,” Nick explained. “You can miss a lot of the candid moments, so finding time for virtual coffees or happy hours or whatever you can do to keep people engaged and connected.”
Digital Tools
“Even just making sure everyone has their mic on to capture the little things, like laughing at a joke. I’ve also been using Miro, a digital whiteboarding tool for retros and other meetings. It allows everyone to write sticky notes in real time.”
For some, there can be hesitation to learning new software platforms or digital apps on top of the day’s regular work. “I communicate early and often,” Nick said. “If I want to try out a new digital tool for a meeting, I try to ping the team at least a day in advance with a link so they can sign up and test it out before the actual meetings happen.”
Be Sincere
“You have to acknowledge what’s happening in life,” said Katie. “Life has turned upside down for everyone. We just need to embrace it. We’ve been sharing breakfast pictures to acknowledge that things aren’t normal, but it’s okay, because it’s a good way to bond and keep it light. It helps us not to ignore the reality of it. That goes a long way emotionally, mentally, every little bit helps. Embracing the lack of normal.”
Communicate
“Challenges that come up virtually exist in person, too,” Katie continued. “It’s sometimes easier to see issues — the communication challenges — in person. They just become apparent in a world that relies on constant remote communication.
“When you feel like you would have an in-person conversation with someone, it’s important to try to just jump on a video call. The casual coffee chat is making a comeback, because trying to keep up with Slack can be overwhelming. I’m not used to a lot of messaging, so if I see too many backed up, I’ll just make the call.”
Stay safe out there, and give your coworkers a call!
