Ask HN: Hybrid/Remote software team rituals

#1

Post by codemac » Thu, Apr 07, 2022, 4:55 AM UTC

Hi HN!

I'm curious what unexpected team rituals have been helpful for your software development teams as you've been working remotely.

Rituals that are expected:

- everyone on the team writing up weekly summaries.

- record every video conference

- have lots of 1:1 meetings to maintain relationships

Rituals that have been unexpected:

- Posting once a week about what I did for fun over the weekend, usually with photos.

- Setting up longer phone call 1:1s where both attendees are walking.

I think the future of our working relationships will be increasingly remote, but I'm struggling to see interesting creativity for tightly integrated dev teams.

If new ways of working aren't established, I struggle to see how remote teams will compete with teams that meet in person on a weekly/daily basis.

Re: Ask HN: Hybrid/Remote software team rituals

#2

Post by atirip » Fri, Apr 08, 2022, 7:16 AM UTC

Most my coworkes are introverts. We do not do anything above. Unexpected enough? And we are lean and mean highly functional team. The most helpful for my team is let people be themselves and not force rituals.

Re: Ask HN: Hybrid/Remote software team rituals

#3

Post by lini » Fri, Apr 08, 2022, 7:20 AM UTC

Cameras are optional for meetings except once a week when the whole team gathers and syncs up. The day is known in advance so even people who don't like cameras have time to "tidy up". Once every two weeks we discuss team/process related issues. If the agenda is empty we still have the meeting but instead talk about community, volunteering, or just do games/current events.

Re: Ask HN: Hybrid/Remote software team rituals

#4

Post by mulander » Fri, Apr 08, 2022, 7:35 AM UTC

- Meetings are remote first. If at least one person is remote then the whole team video calls in. There is nothing worse than being a person on the virtual end trying to understand a mic grabbing voice from a room full of people.

- Schedule peer programming sessions, especially with less senior staff. Without the office environment they have less opportunities to grow.

- All meetings should have a note listing all decisions made.

- Promote async communication. Have people describe a problem instead of saying hi and waiting for a reply.

Re: Ask HN: Hybrid/Remote software team rituals

#5

Post by BrightOne » Fri, Apr 08, 2022, 7:40 AM UTC

Optional weekly gaming nights in Mario Kart.

Re: Ask HN: Hybrid/Remote software team rituals

#6

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Apr 08, 2022, 7:43 AM UTC

mulander wrote: post #4

- Meetings are remote first. If at least one person is remote then the whole team video calls in. There is nothing worse than being a person on the virtual end trying to understand a mic grabbing voice from a room full of people. - Schedule peer programming sessions, especially with less senior staff. Without the office environment they have less opportunities to grow. - All meetings should have a note listing all de…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Hybrid/Remote software team rituals

#7

Post by Traubenfuchs » Fri, Apr 08, 2022, 7:54 AM UTC

> everyone on the team writing up weekly summaries

Borderline micromanagement and something to be padded and gamed.

Re: Ask HN: Hybrid/Remote software team rituals

#8

Post by petargyurov » Fri, Apr 08, 2022, 7:54 AM UTC

These probably aren't that unexpected or unusual but here:

* We have a monthly book club

* Every Friday afternoon we have an optional wrap-up call to just casually chat before signing off for the weekend

Re: Ask HN: Hybrid/Remote software team rituals

#9

Post by dimitrisnl » Fri, Apr 08, 2022, 7:55 AM UTC

> Posting once a week about what I did for fun over the weekend, usually with photos.

> Setting up longer phone call 1:1s where both attendees are walking.

Please god no.

Re: Ask HN: Hybrid/Remote software team rituals

#10

Post by maxehmookau » Fri, Apr 08, 2022, 8:03 AM UTC

> Posting once a week about what I did for fun over the weekend, usually with photos.

I absolutely love this ritual on my team. I work with humans, not robots and knowing what they spend their non-work time doing (if they want to share, there's no pressure) helps build relationships which ultimately makes us a more effective team.