Remote work isn’t just about dealing with endless Jira tickets or lying in your pajamas all day. It’s a whole new way of collaborating that demands at least as much effort as being in the office.
Recently, we held a Team Lead Club meeting in OTS where we talked about the work environment, the challenges we’re dealing with, and which type of work setup is better.
Before we get into all the rituals, tools, and how our teams function, let’s take a quick pause and really ask ourselves: Why do we even work here?
What makes us get out of bed or open our laptops to meet the same people day in and day out? It’s kinda interesting to think about, right? Maybe it’s just a routine, or maybe something special?
When I tried to answer it, I found out the following:
- To make an impact: Not just closing tasks, but feeling that my contribution matters and truly make a difference.
- To grow: As professionals, as human beings, and as members of a larger system, we’d like to grow, upgrade our “levels.”
- To belong: Who you go into battle with matters more than where the battle is fought. I love my team and I’m really into spending time with them.
Remote work shouldn’t strip these away; it demands more self-awareness and internal motivation. That’s the real challenge: without the office by “default”, much can slip through the cracks.
I’d love to share some of my thoughts about remote work and teams. These are just my personal opinions, and I know everyone has different views. Still, I’ve found these ideas helpful for my own teams.
🤝 Prefer Trust Over Control
Trust your people: don’t micromanage. If you can’t trust them, you probably hired the wrong ones.
High performers love autonomy: Give them objectives, not step-by-step instructions.
Experienced developers, particularly the senior ones, really like to avoid pointless meetings and standups if they don’t have any updates. They appreciate working independently and will definitely reach out if they hit a roadblock or need help with something.
🧭 Provide Structure & Transparency
- Establish clear rituals: stand-ups, retrospectives, demos, one-on-ones.
- Use OKRs (or similar frameworks) to keep everyone focused.
- Make sure every role has well-defined responsibilities and priorities.
When you’re working in a remote setup, it’s super important that everyone knows the goals and priorities. It might be a wonderful idea to set up regular meetings to go over these goals and make any adjustments if needed. Make sure that everyone is on the same page about what’s prioritized and that all online tools show that clearly.
🌍 Culture — Even Without an Office
Keep things light with memes, informal chat channels, and at least one in-person meetup per year.
Psychological safety is the foundation of team effectiveness — if people are afraid to speak up, they won’t work.
Remote work doesn’t mean we can’t ever get together! Business trips and team-building events are really important for that. It’s so beneficial for people to meet face-to-face at least once while working together. Trust me, once that happens, the way everyone communicates gets way better!
👥 The Right People Are Your Foundation
Hire proactive, independent, accountable individuals. In a remote setup, look especially for excellent communication skills, a habit of taking initiative.
Picking these folks as the heart of your team means you won’t run into any major issues. They’ll jump on problems, keep the lines of communication open, and help push the project towards success.
🧑 Leader as Facilitator, Not Firefighter
A great leader prevents fires rather than putting them out.
- Their job is to remove blockers, set clear guardrails and empower the team.
- Delegation and constructive feedback are their chief tools.
- Motivated and proactive leaders are essential for the success of any team, particularly in a remote setting.
🚀 Growth & Development
Mentorship, code reviews, and keeping on learning are key. They’re not just nice to have; they’re essential. Also, it’s mandatory for career paths and chances for advancement to be clear and reachable for everyone, for the whole organization.
🌿 Respect for Life
Work shouldn’t burn people out. Remote work offers the flexibility to live life, not just stay online. Try to aim for balance rather than turning a living room into an office.
Some individuals may struggle with it, as their daily routines can be disrupted by missed deadlines and similar challenges. It’s essential to stay aware and monitor the situation closely.
A remote team isn’t about “making it look like everyone’s working.” It’s about building a meaningful, high-impact, and humane environment where people want to stay, grow together.
What setup will you choose now?
Report: https://onthespotdev.com/post/return-to-office-trends-what-data-says-about-workplace-productivity
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