The pandemic has changed a lot about the way we live. Some we hope stick around, others we cannot wait to rid ourselves of. One thing it has shown us, is that technology can help us to feel more connected when that would otherwise be impossible. Communication platforms have become verbs like Google, Slack notification sounds have become part of the well known dings in our lives, and our Zoom backgrounds are our new way to show our love for the Office or Parks and Rec. Moving forward from this worldwide event is something we all will be welcoming but we also should look at what we can take from this time to make our future better.
Remote work has become the mainstay for many companies, while others grasp onto the last grips of cubicle world and offices full of people all working together. As a person who grew up with the internet, I believe that almost all occupations can be done over a webcam and camera with some help from other technologies. This is where what we are doing in this project can help us to be ready for this type of work. Getting used to things like GitHub, Teams, Slack, Jira, and working on a collaborative project in real time without seeing any other person we are working with in person will put us ahead of the game when we leave this course to enter the workforce.
Keeping everyone on the same page is the most important piece a manager or a leader can do in a remote workspace. Their job is to ensure every piece of the application that is being built not only works with each other part, but enhances each other part of the software. Keeping track of the timeframes agreed to ahead of time and adjusting as needed to help meet those deadlines are a huge part of their job as well. This is where a piece like Jira or another board where everyone can see what is expected and when as well as who is responsible for that piece. This part of collaboration being set up as early as possible ensures that everyone is on the same page and there is no confusion about responsibilities across the team.
Listening to the team is what keeps the team engaged. Airing grievances to the wind is not helpful and will not solve any future or current problem. What does help in the now, is discussion. Having an issue be brought up during a meeting shouldn’t be a stopping point for conversation, if anything, it should spark more conversation about the topic at hand. Being open to that type of feedback is important in any role we take on as people. In Computer Science, reviews are a key part of our training and being open to and responding to others opinion and thoughts on our code are part of any upper level class. This definitely helps in the short term, but keeping that feedback mentality going as you grow as a coder is a huge part of being successful.
Being apart does not mean your ideas are not one. Keeping everyone engaged, listening and responding to feedback, and ensuring that all involved know the responsibilities and adjust as needed will help to make sure your remote project is successful, and your team might even want to work with you again.