We at Markk started working from home from March 16, 2020 and India officially went under lockdown from March 24th.
Initially we were not sure how we set the tone for co-ordination among teams and to manage an all remote team. But we decided to keep it simple. Here is how we have been working for last 40days
- Have 2 daily 15/20mins checks in with entire team. Morning and evening.
- Goals for the week are planned as per current sprint
- We dont ask teams to be online during fixed hours. They can connect what works for them.
- No phone calls or email follow ups asking for instant responses.
- If you need something urgently call the other person.
- Slack responses need not be instant (we saw many startups set rules that people need to reply within x mins)
- You may be cooking, walking your dog, taking an afternoon nap, spending time with family etc…work at hours that suit you. Delivery of planned work is all that matters.
For me, the biggest distraction has been the non-stop webinar requests that have been setup. Have personally cut back on almost all video calls, and I am back to regular phone calls and only when needed.
Many people think that WFH is easy and more relaxing, but I feel this can easily get overwhelming if you dont plan your day well. The lockdown is mentally taxing with family, home, kids, work etc to be managed every single day with no ‘breaks/vacations’ on weekends.
As a founder or a startup employee the only thing that should matter to you is execution, a webinar or advice won’t help you much here.
For for small startups (<30ppl), dont over complicate. Trust your team & give them the freedom to execute.