Improving Communication Habits for Effective Remote Work

Communication is one of the essential skills to develop for any engineer. Communication skills in software development are necessary because it creates accountability. Accountability and trust are built due to consistent behavior critical.

Communication crosses all the boundaries of our lives. It includes how we use our voice — the tone, volume, and pace at which we speak. The holistic aspect of Communication makes the process dynamic. Effective Communication depends on our ability to be present.

Trust is the bedrock of any successful team, and virtual teams are no exception. When an in-person meeting is an absolute must, ensure everyone is on the same page and that remote colleagues feel heard and valued. Ensure the video call options are enabled and available, so everyone is always included. When leading a virtual team, assuming everyone is working hard and doing their best is essential.

Leaders must foster an environment of connection within virtual teams to achieve success. Every team member must feel included in the process, no matter how far away they may be. Start meetings with tailored discussions to encourage group connections and help build rapport. Ask colleagues in varying time zones what times are best for them to participate in meetings. Establish a robust rhythm of Communication for your team, with regular check-ins with remote workers as a collective unit.

Good Communication is essential to coordinate with everyone within the organization and outside of it — customer collaboration over contract negotiation. Instead of having to change deadlines is better to collaborate often with the stakeholders of the system that the team supports. Sometimes we have to if we’re combative, but most times, in a good business environment, we are going in good faith and collaborating.

Coordinate with engineering and product leads to define, focus on, and task projects that help us meet business objectives. In a remote environment, this is only sometimes the case. Remote meetings are chaotic. As Software Engineers, we must devise clever ways to keep everybody in the loop when different time zones are involved.

Leadership is something that comes with trust. Collaborate rather than demand. Set up a framework for collaboration. Break down the project into milestones & provide estimates on these. Define milestones that are easy to communicate to stakeholders. Communicate project status to stakeholders. Manage and call out risks. Help the team ship and delegate (both to the team and upwards).

Ensure the quality and reliability of the shipped product. Define your goals and objectives for yourself and your team. Develop your communication skills, both verbal and written. Be clear and concise in your Communication, and try to listen to others. Encourage your team to take ownership of their work and give them the freedom to make decisions and solve problems. This will help them develop their leadership skills and feel more invested in their work. Practice what you preach and set a positive example for others to follow. This includes being punctual, meeting deadlines, and being respectful and professional. Seek feedback from others, both positive and constructive, and be open to learning and improving. This will help you identify growth and development areas and become a better leader. As a leader, you will often be faced with tough decisions. Practice making decisions, even if they are small, to build your decision-making skills and confidence.

Develop strong relationships with your team, clients, and stakeholders. This will help you to create a positive and productive work environment and build trust and respect. Build trust through consistent behavior and habits. Every team should embrace the most critical practice of Communication. Communication is essential to keep everybody aligned. An easy way to do this is by leaving a micro-standup within tickets or PRs.

Micro-standup

The template that I often use is the following:

Description of what I accomplished

Following Actions: What I am planning to do next

These two pieces of information help me to focus while at the same time allowing other teams member to jump in if I am getting off track.

Weekly Report

A group of tickets, for the most part, conforms to a project. To merge everything that was done for a particular week, the template that I use is the following:

Project name: emoji status signaling progress, blockers, or warnings. I use traffic lights.

Bullet point of at least three accomplishments for the week.

Next Action:

Bullet point of every following Action for the project

Blockers:

Bullet point of blockers or warnings to consider for next week

Years of experience developing software don’t translate into working software. Software development experience doesn’t allow you to listen and learn from domain experts. Communication does. Working software is only applicable when it provides value to users. Developers must establish accountability through Communication. To understand the potential value and impact delivered to users. Rather than writing something that works is more important to focus on writing the right thing. Understanding the problem is not a matter of coding skills but communication skills.

[¹]: Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication