{"id":464883,"date":"2025-06-27T15:02:01","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T15:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/?p=464883"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T21:00:00","slug":"","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/?p=464883","title":{"rendered":"When the Office Is a Planet: How to Manage Distributed Teams<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Remote work in IT stopped being unusual a long time ago. However, assembling a distributed team is one thing; making it work without falling apart at the first deadline is entirely different.<\/p>\n

Remote work is embedded in our tech processes. To understand why it works for us, I spoke with colleagues\u2014both managers and developers\u2014who build the product from all corners of the globe.<\/p>\n

This article will be useful for anyone managing distributed teams or planning to go remote and wants to gain firsthand experience.<\/p>\n\n

A Bit About the Company<\/h2>\n

A brief note about my workplace: EXANTE is a global trading platform that allows you to trade in over 50 global markets from a single multi-currency account. Our clients include professional traders and institutional investors.<\/p>\n

Today, EXANTE has over 700 employees around the globe, and nearly 200 of them are IT specialists. Our team is spread across 36+ locations, including Ireland, Argentina, the US, Vietnam, and Tajikistan, and that’s just a partial list.<\/p>\n

We rent coworking offices in the most popular locations, including Tbilisi, Belgrade, Almaty, and Limassol. Going there is optional, not mandatory. Still, it\u2019s nice: the company provides soda, coffee, and lunch. At home, you have to handle that yourself.<\/p>\n

Statistics show that about 30% of colleagues work from offices, while the rest prefer to work remotely. Even where an office exists, it\u2019s still up to the employee. That said, Friday meetups and company events gather a lot of people\u2014they help everyone stay connected even when each of us is in our corner of the world.<\/p>\n

Right now, we don\u2019t have any teams located in the same place, let alone in the same time zone. But that wasn\u2019t always the case.<\/p>\n

How It All Started: The Origins of the Remote Format<\/h2>\n

The company leadership has always held modern views: from the beginning, employees received laptops, allowing them to work from home. If they wanted, they could take one or two remote days per week\u2014this flexible format was encouraged even when it was still new to most. However, the small development team that all started with worked in one office.<\/p>\n

System architect Yakov Kozlov, who joined us more than ten years ago as an Erlang developer, was one of the first to transition to remote work.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

When I got the offer, one of the conditions was relocating closer to the office. During my probation period, I took a couple of remote days and commuted to the office for the rest of the time. After six months, I moved to the city where the office was, but it turned out to be inconvenient. Around that time, our second child was born, and living in a big city with small children is a challenge.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The team\u2019s working format was flexible: you could take a couple of remote days. Over time, Yakov\u2019s schedule increasingly diverged from the others’.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

Gradually, I almost stopped going to the office. One day I came in, and no one was there: everyone was working remotely. Then it was my turn to work from home, and we started missing each other. At best, we\u2019d cross paths once a week. Then I approached my manager and proposed switching to full remote work. He said, \u201cLet\u2019s try it.\u201d And since then, I\u2019ve been working remotely for more than eight years now.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The experiment was a success. Since then, the company has followed this principle: work wherever it\u2019s convenient, but the office always stays open.<\/p>\n

\n

Anton Omelyanenko, Director, Software Development:<\/em><\/p>\n

You can work remotely, but being in the office offers some advantages. Of course, there are downsides\u2014you have to get yourself ready and commute\u2014but there\u2019s food, and it\u2019s interesting.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Remote work isn\u2019t just about working wherever and however you want<\/em>. It\u2019s the art of setting up processes so that everyone moves in the same direction, even from different continents.<\/p>\n

How we achieve this is what I\u2019ll explain next.<\/p>\n

Distributed Teams: Why We Chose This Path<\/h2>\n

From a business perspective, the biggest advantage is being able to hire the best without being limited to a single location. The company doesn\u2019t care where an employee is physically located\u2014what matters is their skills and experience.<\/p>\n

\n

Richard Forss, CTO:<\/em><\/p>\n

A huge benefit of remote work is that you can hire people you otherwise wouldn\u2019t be able to attract. The ability to hire globally gives us access to the best talent. The entire world is our recruitment pool.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But it\u2019s not just about hiring\u2014distributed work is built into the company culture.<\/p>\n

\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n

Two factors are essential for me. First, it\u2019s the ease of balancing personal and work life. This significantly reduces stress. In our remote format with a flexible schedule\u2014without trackers or surveillance tools\u2014it\u2019s much easier to live: you can go to the doctor when needed, enrol your kids in activities, or work from a caf\u00e9.<\/em><\/p>\n

Second, independence. We often say we want responsible teams\u2014people who are driven and motivated. Proper remote work supports that. When no one\u2019s watching your every move, but you still get up in the morning, sit down at your computer, and start working. We subtly but consistently nurture <\/em>responsibility and internal motivation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Still, remote work isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all solution. Many colleagues consciously choose to work from offices, because it\u2019s easier and more comfortable for them.<\/p>\n

\n

Anton Omelyanenko, Director, Software Development:<\/em><\/p>\n

There are several reasons I go to the office. Discipline is one of them. It\u2019s easier to focus and get into work mode at the office. And afterwards, it\u2019s easier to disconnect. When you\u2019re at home, that transition is more complex.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Richard Forss, CTO:<\/em><\/p>\n

I like being in the same room with people where you can feel the atmosphere. I can walk up, talk, see reactions, and experience live interaction. Although I officially work remotely, I frequently visit the company offices.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not saying working from home is ineffective, but for me, personal communication, eye contact, and body language offer a whole different level of interaction.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Having offices is an integral part of EXANTE\u2019s culture. However, the nature of distributed teams remains: we don\u2019t have teams where everyone is in the same city or even the same time zone.<\/p>\n

Over more than 10 years of working this way, we\u2019ve learned how to build processes for distributed teams. But can every employee work remotely? Of course not.<\/p>\n

Challenges and How We Solve Them<\/h2>\n

Every work format has its specifics. Distributed teams face their share of challenges in communication, management, and maintaining a cohesive rhythm. Here\u2019s what challenges we face\u2014and how we deal with them.<\/p>\n

Communication<\/h3>\n

A common problem in distributed teams is communication breakdowns.
When someone gets a task and works on it without a quick way to ask questions or clarify details, it\u2019s easy to get stuck. It\u2019s especially hard for people who haven\u2019t met their teammates in person\u2014remote work adds a layer of distance.<\/p>\n

How we solve it:<\/strong> The manager takes the initiative. We\u2019ve established the practice that if someone gets stuck, we solve the problem together on a call, no matter how long it takes.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

If I see in a daily stand-up that someone is stuck, I say: let\u2019s have a coffee call. We\u2019ll sit together for two or three hours, discussing, thinking it through, and solving the problem together.<\/em><\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t suit everyone, so we\u2019ve started paying more attention to people\u2019s temperament in interviews\u2014how well they can carry a conversation, how open they are.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Richard Forss, CTO:<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019d always prefer a developer to ask for help rather than stay silent and not complete the task. People are afraid to ask for help, thinking it\u2019s a sign of weakness. But it\u2019s not\u2014it\u2019s something managers must encourage.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In addition to online solutions, we regularly organise offline meetups where developers, QA, managers, and department heads come together in one location. Recently, the Platforms team met in Baku, the Web team in Belgrade, the Backend team went to Egypt, and the Post Processing team to Korea.<\/p>\n

\"Backend<\/p>\n
Backend team on the offline meeting in Egypt<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\"The<\/p>\n
The platform team at a meeting in Azerbaijan<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Each meetup lasts about a week, consisting of three days of work sessions and one day for team-building and socialising. We adjust release timelines to enable teams to focus on sharing experiences during these meetings.<\/p>\n

\n

Richard Forss, CTO:<\/em><\/p>\n

Teams work better when they\u2019re physically together. It\u2019s essential to bring colleagues from different locations together at least once a year. Nothing replaces live interaction.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

If an offline meeting isn\u2019t happening soon, we try to build personal rapport through short video calls.<\/p>\n

\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n

We recommend setting up a short video chat if you\u2019re working with someone new and haven\u2019t met on calls yet. In QA, for example, we have informal group calls once a month. In neighbouring teams, it\u2019s even more frequent, and we always invite new people.<\/em><\/p>\n

Face-to-face interaction and visual contact make future collaboration much easier.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Time Zones<\/h3>\n

When people work across time zones, new complications arise, and it becomes harder to coordinate.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

In one team, we had a 12-hour time difference between colleagues. Nick was in Indonesia, and Dima was in Canada. One was going to bed just as the other was waking up. We only crossed paths at daily stand-ups.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

How we solve it:<\/strong> We agree on \u201cgolden hours\u201d\u2014usually four hours a day in UTC when everyone is available. These hours are discussed even during the job offer stage.<\/p>\n

\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n

Fixed time slots help a lot. People can plan their lives around them: if you move to Bali, you shift your calls to the evening, move to Europe\u2014it\u2019s the morning. Yes, sometimes you have to compromise\u2014get up earlier or stay up later\u2014but that\u2019s the reality of work.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/p>\n

Remote work teaches you that people won\u2019t always be available. You must be able to cover for each other while keeping your promises: if you agree to join a call, please show up. And use everyone\u2019s time efficiently.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n

The most immense happiness is when a team magically ends up in the same time zone. Once, half the team moved to Bali while the other half stayed in Europe\u2014and it just so happened that one group would start the day and the other would pick it up in the evening.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

To structure interactions, we actively use Slack threads and interactive boards, such as Miro.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

Staying focused during meetings is crucial. We record agreements in Miro\u2014it\u2019s interactive, and you can see how the board evolves from meeting to meeting. But that requires training\u2014you can\u2019t just say, \u201cgo use it.\u201d You have to show how to use it correctly.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Onboarding<\/h3>\n

Having a new person join the team is always both exciting and stressful for both the team and the newcomer. With remote work, it\u2019s especially important to make the process smooth and clear.<\/p>\n

How we solve it:<\/strong> Lots of personal interaction. The manager stays in close contact with the newcomer. If specific questions come up often, we organise meetups to share experiences.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

I always try to be there: to explain, guide, and show the path, even if it takes a lot of time.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n

In QA, we use delayed questions: team members can ask something at any time and receive an answer later in the day. This helps mentors avoid burnout and helps newcomers feel supported.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Management and Performance<\/h3>\n

How do you know if someone is coping with remote work? This question never gets old.<\/p>\n

\n

Anton Omelyanenko, Director, Software Development:<\/em><\/p>\n

We hire people remotely and evaluate them based on results. If someone isn\u2019t performing, they don\u2019t pass the probation period. Only those who can truly work independently stay on.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

How we solve it:<\/strong> In daily stand-ups, everyone shares their plans and difficulties. If a manager or mentor sees someone lagging, they step in at the right time.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s essential to set an example: how to think, and how to work. That\u2019s part of mentorship\u2014teaching people not just to follow tasks, but to think with you.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

We don\u2019t track time or hours\u2014only results.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

Remote work gives you time freedom but demands accountability for results. Mentorship is like teaching someone to drive: first, you go together, then you provide them with the wheel.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Richard Forss, CTO:<\/em><\/p>\n

I trust my team. They genuinely care about the company\u2019s success, and they\u2019ve never let me down.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Informal Knowledge<\/h3>\n

In an office, the \u00abkitchen\u00bb plays an important role\u2014it\u2019s a place where you can accidentally learn about other projects, problems, and solutions. In remote work, those touchpoints hardly exist.<\/p>\n

How we solve it:<\/strong> Regular offline team meetups. Even if they\u2019re rare, they\u2019re critical for sharing knowledge.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

Remote work doesn\u2019t eliminate the need to meet: technical meetings, team meetups, and even online events\u2014all help preserve a knowledge-sharing culture.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Unexpected Benefits<\/h3>\n

Besides the obvious perks for the company and employees, distributed teams offer an unexpected bonus\u2014expanding the cultural code.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fascinating to see how colleagues change when they move to new countries\u2014and how eagerly they share cultural insights and experiences.<\/p>\n

\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n

We often discuss local quirks and language things. There are always photos in the chats of what someone saw and where they went. This is an unexpected but very pleasant side effect of distributed work\u2014you learn so much more about the world and the people around you.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Tips for Building a Distributed Team<\/h2>\n

In the end, I asked my colleagues: What\u2019s the most critical advice they would give to someone building a distributed team? Here are the principles they shared:<\/p>\n

1. Strong Managers on the Ground<\/h4>\n
\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The skills of line managers are fundamental\u2014team leads, test leads, and everyone who works closely with the teams. They\u2019re responsible for onboarding, engaging new hires, and integrating people into processes.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Remote work requires active involvement from the manager. And it\u2019s important that those responsible for these processes are actually invested in remote work. You can\u2019t let the formation of a distributed team run on autopilot\u2014the rituals and workflows are very different from traditional \u201coffice\u201d setups.<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Transparent Communication<\/h4>\n
\n

Richard Forss, CTO:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Make sure employees feel involved, that they understand what they\u2019re doing, and that you know what they\u2019re doing.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not about total control\u2014no screen monitoring or spying. Everything is built on clear goals, well-defined sprints, concrete results, and accountability for those results.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In remote work, you have to voice expectations more often. It\u2019s critical for both work and onboarding, especially if someone is going through tough personal changes at the same time.<\/em><\/p>\n

3. Regular Offline Meetups<\/h4>\n
\n

Anton Omelyanenko, Director, Software Development:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Always offer employees the opportunity to travel between offices.<\/em><\/p>\n

We tell people from the start: we have offices in ten cities around the world\u2014pick any, visit. There will be snacks, Coca-Cola, or a beer waiting for you. So, travel and change your environment\u2014it helps you work and recharge.<\/em><\/p>\n

4. Emotional Hygiene<\/h4>\n
\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I recommend that all newcomers read chat messages in the meme robot voice.<\/em><\/p>\n

It helps remove unnecessary emotional colouring. Most remote work conflicts don\u2019t come from real problems, but from how we interpret someone else\u2019s emotions, especially when we haven\u2019t met in person yet.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

Building and managing processes in a distributed team is no easy task, but it\u2019s achievable. I hope you found something helpful in this article for yourself and your teams.<\/p>\n

Every approach has its nuances, and our experience is just one of many ways to organise remote work.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love it if you shared your tools and life hacks in the comments: what works best for you when managing or working in distributed teams?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n


\u0441\u0441\u044b\u043b\u043a\u0430 \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u0440\u0438\u0433\u0438\u043d\u0430\u043b \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0438 https:\/\/habr.com\/ru\/articles\/922604\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Remote work in IT stopped being unusual a long time ago. However, assembling a distributed team is one thing; making it work without falling apart at the first deadline is entirely different.<\/p>\n

Remote work is embedded in our tech processes. To understand why it works for us, I spoke with colleagues\u2014both managers and developers\u2014who build the product from all corners of the globe.<\/p>\n

This article will be useful for anyone managing distributed teams or planning to go remote and wants to gain firsthand experience.<\/p>\n\n

A Bit About the Company<\/h2>\n

A brief note about my workplace: EXANTE is a global trading platform that allows you to trade in over 50 global markets from a single multi-currency account. Our clients include professional traders and institutional investors.<\/p>\n

Today, EXANTE has over 700 employees around the globe, and nearly 200 of them are IT specialists. Our team is spread across 36+ locations, including Ireland, Argentina, the US, Vietnam, and Tajikistan, and that’s just a partial list.<\/p>\n

We rent coworking offices in the most popular locations, including Tbilisi, Belgrade, Almaty, and Limassol. Going there is optional, not mandatory. Still, it\u2019s nice: the company provides soda, coffee, and lunch. At home, you have to handle that yourself.<\/p>\n

Statistics show that about 30% of colleagues work from offices, while the rest prefer to work remotely. Even where an office exists, it\u2019s still up to the employee. That said, Friday meetups and company events gather a lot of people\u2014they help everyone stay connected even when each of us is in our corner of the world.<\/p>\n

Right now, we don\u2019t have any teams located in the same place, let alone in the same time zone. But that wasn\u2019t always the case.<\/p>\n

How It All Started: The Origins of the Remote Format<\/h2>\n

The company leadership has always held modern views: from the beginning, employees received laptops, allowing them to work from home. If they wanted, they could take one or two remote days per week\u2014this flexible format was encouraged even when it was still new to most. However, the small development team that all started with worked in one office.<\/p>\n

System architect Yakov Kozlov, who joined us more than ten years ago as an Erlang developer, was one of the first to transition to remote work.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

When I got the offer, one of the conditions was relocating closer to the office. During my probation period, I took a couple of remote days and commuted to the office for the rest of the time. After six months, I moved to the city where the office was, but it turned out to be inconvenient. Around that time, our second child was born, and living in a big city with small children is a challenge.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The team\u2019s working format was flexible: you could take a couple of remote days. Over time, Yakov\u2019s schedule increasingly diverged from the others’.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

Gradually, I almost stopped going to the office. One day I came in, and no one was there: everyone was working remotely. Then it was my turn to work from home, and we started missing each other. At best, we\u2019d cross paths once a week. Then I approached my manager and proposed switching to full remote work. He said, \u201cLet\u2019s try it.\u201d And since then, I\u2019ve been working remotely for more than eight years now.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The experiment was a success. Since then, the company has followed this principle: work wherever it\u2019s convenient, but the office always stays open.<\/p>\n

\n

Anton Omelyanenko, Director, Software Development:<\/em><\/p>\n

You can work remotely, but being in the office offers some advantages. Of course, there are downsides\u2014you have to get yourself ready and commute\u2014but there\u2019s food, and it\u2019s interesting.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Remote work isn\u2019t just about working wherever and however you want<\/em>. It\u2019s the art of setting up processes so that everyone moves in the same direction, even from different continents.<\/p>\n

How we achieve this is what I\u2019ll explain next.<\/p>\n

Distributed Teams: Why We Chose This Path<\/h2>\n

From a business perspective, the biggest advantage is being able to hire the best without being limited to a single location. The company doesn\u2019t care where an employee is physically located\u2014what matters is their skills and experience.<\/p>\n

\n

Richard Forss, CTO:<\/em><\/p>\n

A huge benefit of remote work is that you can hire people you otherwise wouldn\u2019t be able to attract. The ability to hire globally gives us access to the best talent. The entire world is our recruitment pool.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But it\u2019s not just about hiring\u2014distributed work is built into the company culture.<\/p>\n

\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n

Two factors are essential for me. First, it\u2019s the ease of balancing personal and work life. This significantly reduces stress. In our remote format with a flexible schedule\u2014without trackers or surveillance tools\u2014it\u2019s much easier to live: you can go to the doctor when needed, enrol your kids in activities, or work from a caf\u00e9.<\/em><\/p>\n

Second, independence. We often say we want responsible teams\u2014people who are driven and motivated. Proper remote work supports that. When no one\u2019s watching your every move, but you still get up in the morning, sit down at your computer, and start working. We subtly but consistently nurture <\/em>responsibility and internal motivation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Still, remote work isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all solution. Many colleagues consciously choose to work from offices, because it\u2019s easier and more comfortable for them.<\/p>\n

\n

Anton Omelyanenko, Director, Software Development:<\/em><\/p>\n

There are several reasons I go to the office. Discipline is one of them. It\u2019s easier to focus and get into work mode at the office. And afterwards, it\u2019s easier to disconnect. When you\u2019re at home, that transition is more complex.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Richard Forss, CTO:<\/em><\/p>\n

I like being in the same room with people where you can feel the atmosphere. I can walk up, talk, see reactions, and experience live interaction. Although I officially work remotely, I frequently visit the company offices.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not saying working from home is ineffective, but for me, personal communication, eye contact, and body language offer a whole different level of interaction.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Having offices is an integral part of EXANTE\u2019s culture. However, the nature of distributed teams remains: we don\u2019t have teams where everyone is in the same city or even the same time zone.<\/p>\n

Over more than 10 years of working this way, we\u2019ve learned how to build processes for distributed teams. But can every employee work remotely? Of course not.<\/p>\n

Challenges and How We Solve Them<\/h2>\n

Every work format has its specifics. Distributed teams face their share of challenges in communication, management, and maintaining a cohesive rhythm. Here\u2019s what challenges we face\u2014and how we deal with them.<\/p>\n

Communication<\/h3>\n

A common problem in distributed teams is communication breakdowns.
When someone gets a task and works on it without a quick way to ask questions or clarify details, it\u2019s easy to get stuck. It\u2019s especially hard for people who haven\u2019t met their teammates in person\u2014remote work adds a layer of distance.<\/p>\n

How we solve it:<\/strong> The manager takes the initiative. We\u2019ve established the practice that if someone gets stuck, we solve the problem together on a call, no matter how long it takes.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

If I see in a daily stand-up that someone is stuck, I say: let\u2019s have a coffee call. We\u2019ll sit together for two or three hours, discussing, thinking it through, and solving the problem together.<\/em><\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t suit everyone, so we\u2019ve started paying more attention to people\u2019s temperament in interviews\u2014how well they can carry a conversation, how open they are.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Richard Forss, CTO:<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019d always prefer a developer to ask for help rather than stay silent and not complete the task. People are afraid to ask for help, thinking it\u2019s a sign of weakness. But it\u2019s not\u2014it\u2019s something managers must encourage.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In addition to online solutions, we regularly organise offline meetups where developers, QA, managers, and department heads come together in one location. Recently, the Platforms team met in Baku, the Web team in Belgrade, the Backend team went to Egypt, and the Post Processing team to Korea.<\/p>\n

\n
Backend team on the offline meeting in Egypt<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
The platform team at a meeting in Azerbaijan<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Each meetup lasts about a week, consisting of three days of work sessions and one day for team-building and socialising. We adjust release timelines to enable teams to focus on sharing experiences during these meetings.<\/p>\n

\n

Richard Forss, CTO:<\/em><\/p>\n

Teams work better when they\u2019re physically together. It\u2019s essential to bring colleagues from different locations together at least once a year. Nothing replaces live interaction.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

If an offline meeting isn\u2019t happening soon, we try to build personal rapport through short video calls.<\/p>\n

\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n

We recommend setting up a short video chat if you\u2019re working with someone new and haven\u2019t met on calls yet. In QA, for example, we have informal group calls once a month. In neighbouring teams, it\u2019s even more frequent, and we always invite new people.<\/em><\/p>\n

Face-to-face interaction and visual contact make future collaboration much easier.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Time Zones<\/h3>\n

When people work across time zones, new complications arise, and it becomes harder to coordinate.<\/p>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/em><\/p>\n

In one team, we had a 12-hour time difference between colleagues. Nick was in Indonesia, and Dima was in Canada. One was going to bed just as the other was waking up. We only crossed paths at daily stand-ups.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

How we solve it:<\/strong> We agree on \u201cgolden hours\u201d\u2014usually four hours a day in UTC when everyone is available. These hours are discussed even during the job offer stage.<\/p>\n

\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n

Fixed time slots help a lot. People can plan their lives around them: if you move to Bali, you shift your calls to the evening, move to Europe\u2014it\u2019s the morning. Yes, sometimes you have to compromise\u2014get up earlier or stay up later\u2014but that\u2019s the reality of work.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Yakov Kozlov, System Architect:<\/p>\n

Remote work teaches you that people won\u2019t always be available. You must be able to cover for each other while keeping your promises: if you agree to join a call, please show up. And use everyone\u2019s time efficiently.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Lena Sivova, Head of QA:<\/em><\/p>\n

The<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-464883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=464883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464883\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=464883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=464883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=464883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}