Remote working manifesto¶
Nextbit has formally adopted remote working. We will strive to make continuous efforts to update and evolve our remote working policy, this is a general Manifesto where we provide some general guidelines.
Employees at Nextbit need to sign the formal remote working policy which contains further details about remote working as a Nextbit team member.
We used as inspiration:
The Hola’s DNA
Suggestions from company training that was held by a very qualified business psychologist on remote working and remote collaboration best practices
Nextbit has employees living abroad or far away from the company headquarter, it is important to build relationships with those working remotely whom we may see in person less often.
Here there are some tips and tricks on how to improve collaboration leveraging the remote working tools provided.
Internal communications¶
All written communication happens in English, even when sent one on one, because sometimes you need to forward an email or chat.
Use asynchronous communication when possible (issues and email instead of chat)
Issues are preferred over email, email is preferred over chat, and people should be able to do their work without getting interrupted by chat.
If using email instead of chat message, it is OK to send an internal email that contains only a short message, similar as you would use in chat.
For chat messages we use Microsoft Teams, it is integrated to with other Microsoft solutions available in the primary cloud platform. Please use only MS Teams for chats (and videocalls).
You are not expected to be available all the time. But you need to utilize the MS Teams Status functionality as collegues need to know your availability during office hours. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-your-status-in-microsoft-teams-ce36ed14-6bc9-4775-a33e-6629ba4ff78e
If your status is “Available” (green light), you are expected to respond within a reasonable time (few minutes, not hours).
If you receive a message outside office hours, it is perfectly fine to respond to emails and chat messages upon returning to your regular working hours.
Sometimes synchronous communication is the better option, but do not default to it. See the guidelines on video chats for more detail.
It is absolutely fine to ask as many questions as you have, but ask them so many people can answer them and many people see the answer (so use issues or public chat channels instead of private messages or one-on-one emails) and make sure you try to document the answers! We tend to forget and other colleagues mey have the same question.
If you mention something (a merge request, issue, commit, webpage, comment, etc.) please include a link to it.
All company data should be stored in Nextbit’s private cloud environment and made be made available to colleagues if necessary. Don’t use a local text file but rather leave comments on an issue.
When someone asks something, give back a deadline or that you did it. Answers like: ‘will do’, ‘OK’, ‘it is on my todo list’ are not helpful. If it is small is better to spend 2 minutes and do the tasks so the other person can mentally forget about it. If it is large you need to figure out when you’ll do it, by returning that information the other person might decide to solve it in another way if it takes too long.
Video Calls¶
Use video calls if you find yourself going back and forth in an issue/via email or over chat. Rule of thumb: if you have gone back and forth 3 times, it’s time for a video call.
Always, always keep your camera on. Speaking to a dot with your initials (or a static picture) is not pleasent and is extremely inpersonal and innefective. If you have bandwith problems than ask other colleagues if you can turn off your camera. They will say “yes” but this should be the exception, not the norm.
Having pets, children, significant others, friends, and family visible during video chats is fine, but be aware of privacy and sensiste information. If they are human, ask them to wave at your remote team member to say “Hi”, so other colleagues on the call know that it is not a private conversation.
For meetings that are scheduled via calendar use the built functionality for MS Teams videocalls. This is the “meeting place”. Having the clickable URL in advance is much more time effective than trying to call once the meeting has started.
When scheduling a call it is good practice to include: the objective of the call, attach any document that may be relevant for participants to read ahead of the call, provide brief background information (or refer to email/documents previously shared which provide backgound information).
It is considered good practige to take digital notes during the call, or follow-up with an email that summarizes the actions and decisions that have emerged during the call. Digital notes should be taken in MS Sharepoint and be available to all particpants.
Use a headset with a microphone, it reduces noise and it helps with privacy. Avoid computer speakers if you are in a public place or shared space.
Consider using a utility to easily mute/unmute yourself.
When in a call with many partipants, if you have a question or comment, use the “raise hand” feature. Having multiple attendees speaking simultaneasly is something that absolutely does not work in videocalls
Be succinct and to the point, do not monopolize the conversation and leave “air time” for other participants.
Apply “Precision Question and Answering” methodology, if you need more information on this ask your Manager.
In video calls everyone should own a camera and a headset, even when they are in the same room. This helps seeing and hearing the person that is talking. It also allows people to easily talk and mute themselves. Using a headset also prevents echo. You wouldn’t share an office seat together, so don’t share your virtual seat at the table.
We start on time and do not wait for people. People are expected to join no later than the scheduled minute of the meeting (before :01 if it is scheduled for :00). The question ‘is everyone here’ is not needed.
It feels rude in video calls to interrupt people. This is because the latency causes you to talk over the speaker for longer than during an in-person meeting. We should not be discouraged by this, the questions and context provided by interruptions are valuable. This is a situation where we have to do something counter-intuitive to make remote-only meetings work. Everyone is encouraged to interrupt the speaker in a video call to ask a question or offer context. Just like in-person meetings be cognizant of when, who, and how you interrupt.
We end on the scheduled time. It might feel rude to end a meeting, but you’re actually allowing all attendees to be on time for their next meeting.
User Communication Guidelines¶
Keep conversations positive, friendly, real, and productive while adding value.
If you make a mistake, admit it. Be upfront and be quick with your correction.
There can be a fine line between healthy debate and incendiary reaction. Try to frame what you write to invite differing points of view without inflaming others. You don’t need to respond to every criticism or barb. Be careful and considerate.
Answer questions, thank people even if it’s just a few words. Make it a two way conversation.
Appreciate suggestions and feedback.
Don’t make promises that you can’t keep.
When facing negative comment, respond patiently and treat every user as an individual.
Say Thanks¶
Thank people that did a great job in our “Thanks” chat channel. If multiple people were working on something try mentioning each person by “@name”. “Thanks everyone” does not say much.
In-person meetings¶
In-person meetings are encouraged. The Nextbit office is always open for anyone who wants get away from home for the day or week, and for in-person meetings with other colleagues.
Every three weeks we schedule an in-person meeting by the office, everyone must attend and participation is mandatory.
We ecourage that you establish a personal relationship with all your colleagues. Digital solutions have come a long way for remote working, but nothing replaces an in-person conversation.
If you live close to a colleguae it is absolutely fine to meet up to work togheter for the day. Nextbit will provide local office space or extra monitors / chairs so that you can host colleagues.
Tips for Working Remotely¶
Arguably the biggest advantage of working remotely and asynchronously is the flexibility it provides. This makes it easy to combine work with your personal life although it might be difficult to find the right balance. This can be mitigated by either explicitly planning your time off or plan when you do work. When you don’t work it is recommended to make yourself unavailable by turning off Teams (use the Status functionality) and closing down your email client. Coworkers should allow this to work by abiding by the communication guidelines.
If you worked at an office before, now you lack a default group to go out to lunch with. To look at it from a different perspective, now you can select who you lunch with and who you do not lunch with. Haven’t spoken to a good friend in a while? Now you can have lunch together.
“Coffee Break” Calls¶
Understanding that working remotely leads to mostly work-related conversations with fellow colleagues, everyone is encouraged to dedicate time to having social calls with any teammate - get to know who you work with, talk about everyday things and share a virtual cuppa’ coffee. We want you to make friends and build relationships with the people you work with to create a more comfortable, well-rounded environment, go ahead and schedule a coffee-break call.
How Remote Work is Changing the Workforce¶
Documentation of knowledge
Fewer Meetings, if you miss one, they are recorded
Everything is public, everyone can contribute
More flexibility in daily life
Reduce interruptions to productivity
Cost savings on office space and compensation; Reduce inequality due to bringing better paying jobs to lower cost regions
Possibility to live or move to an environment and geographical area that best suits your needs
Encourages focus on results, not hours worked
Reduce environmental impact due to less commuting