Distributed Team: Experts Talk about Getting it Right

1. Access to talent without geographical constraint
A distributed team provides a wider pool of top specialists from all over the world. We especially recommend considering nearshoring options.

2. Easier access to out-of-box ideas
Having a team of skilled people with a similar background is a limiting factor in taking decisions. A diverse team provides access to a wider set of views, skills and knowledge. Zoryana Drapaylo, Delivery Manager makes the following point: “I worked in a distributed team as a developer and now as a Delivery Manager. My current delivery team is distributed itself. Thanks to all this experience, I can say that diversity (including cultural and gender) is a springboard for creativity and effectiveness provided that each team member has equal possibilities to express themselves”.

3. Adaptability
There are different types of distributed teams. It is possible to combine them within one project, if it benefits the final outcome. Olha Kohut, Team Lead, explains how it can be done:

4. Cultural diversity
Distributed teams help team members to expand their own horizons. As Halyna Shporlyuk, from Management Team, says: “I would like to stress the positive cultural impact of working in distributed teams. It is a chance to meet colleagues from different countries and expand personal views of each team member. For me, personally, it is also a possibility to dispel myths about so-called post-USSR countries.”

There are four pillars that make a distributed team strong:

• Communication
• Trust
• Respect & Flexibility

Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

The art of managing a distributed team lies in finding a communication formula that works for a given group of people. The challenge is that there is no silver bullet and each team is a separate case. Communication might suffer due to distance, cultural difference and the inability to meet in less formal settings. It’s up to the manager to test as many approaches and tools as it takes to make communication flow smoothly and coherently.

1. Meet in person where possible
Informal contact helps us to see managers, developers and QA specialists as human beings instead of only roles. During such meetings, teams can also work through initial project steps and get to know each other better. Ivan Popovych, Scrum Master:

2. Create an understandable work process
People are more likely to effectively connect with each other when they understand the flow. And, of course, who to ask if they don’t.
Halyna Shporlyuk, from Management Team: “From the very beginning it is vital to establish a clear workflow and define a set of tools and systems everyone will use. This kind of precision will lead communication into the right direction.”

3. Communicate. Communicate more.
For reasons of distance and principally virtual contact, non-verbal signals and informal conversations are almost missing in distributed teams. Just how to keep communication warm and human is explained here by Zoryana Drapaylo, Delivery Manager: “In my team we follow a rule: “Assume less and get in touch more”. It means that we would prefer a non-virtual meeting when starting a new project over meeting each other online, video call over just audio, or at least audio call over an email. Of course, it’s all about the balance. Some information and decisions should be stated in emails and not every issue requires a team call. It is important to explain to all team members what channels we use for different requests.”

4. Organize. Prioritize. Revise
Olha Kohut, Team Lead: “Enhancing and managing communication is a continuous process as people and tasks are often shifted. In my team we communicate through emails, video calls and chats. Video calls are always followed by a written summary, which serves to be sure that nothing has been missed. Of course this rule applies mostly to important calls that influence big decisions. Also we prioritize communication channels by their importance. For example, messages in a DevOps messenger’s chat are the most important and they require an immediate reaction. In other cases, chats are more of an additional feature than a primary channel.”

Distributed teams usually unite people with different cultural, ethnic and gender backgrounds. This can bring additional value to the project and spark a creative process. It might also create grounds for stereotypes. People acting on stereotypical assumptions are more prone to mistrust or double-check each other. The question is: how to control the process without over controlling the team? Halyna Shporlyuk, from Management Team: “I have never experienced trust issues in my projects. We pay great attention to technical skillset, responsibility level and a respectful attitude towards others when sizing up a person for a team. We use team visits, video calls and organize team-building activities to make adaptation smooth for everyone. Seems like there is nothing really new, yet it really works. To track performance we stick to tracking results, instead of the process itself. The team uses one repository, task tracking system, time reporting, and defect tracking system. In that way, it is easy to check results and avoid unnecessary micromanagement.”

The main role in creating the whole team falls on managers. It is their responsibility to nurture team spirit and maintain equal treatment of all team members. Zoryana Drapaylo, Delivery Manager has this to add: