Why is it necessary to tidy up virtual workspaces?
Reading time: 5 min.
Modern work formats (both in the office and remotely) involve the use of several applications (messenger, task manager, CRM, cloud storage, etc.). They all make up a virtual workspace. Right now, billions of team interactions are taking place all over the world in virtual workspaces: messaging, meetings, working with tasks, files, accesses, etc. According to our methodology, a virtual work environment is a virtual workspace in which team interaction takes place.
We have been working for many years with teams (from 5-10 to 100-150 people) from different countries (startups/digital/IT), and have come to the conclusion that few teams can boast of the virtual work environment that, at least, does not cause daily suffering. Every small thing in daily routine, like a splinter, for a period of a month/half a year/year can lead to stress and demotivation, to colossal losses of working time, money and not getting the planned results.
Despite the awareness of this pain, teams do not have a clear understanding of who and how should eliminate it. In fact, everyone suffers, but there is no one to deal with the problem, everyone has their own tasks.
In this mini-article, we will try to figure out why this happens and what we can do with it.
We have been working for many years with teams (from 5-10 to 100-150 people) from different countries (startups/digital/IT), and have come to the conclusion that few teams can boast of the virtual work environment that, at least, does not cause daily suffering. Every small thing in daily routine, like a splinter, for a period of a month/half a year/year can lead to stress and demotivation, to colossal losses of working time, money and not getting the planned results.
Despite the awareness of this pain, teams do not have a clear understanding of who and how should eliminate it. In fact, everyone suffers, but there is no one to deal with the problem, everyone has their own tasks.
In this mini-article, we will try to figure out why this happens and what we can do with it.
Something that covers the entire system, but most often is not measured, not evaluated, not analyzed, not controlled.
Modern work formats (both in the office and remotely) involve the use of several applications (messenger, task manager, CRM, cloud storage, etc.). They all make up a virtual workspace.
Alex: "There are moments that annoy in the processes, and there are those that frankly infuriate"
Something that covers the entire system, but most often is not measured, not evaluated, not analyzed, not controlled.
To solve Alex's problem with meetings, we need to answer the pack of questions
After many interviews with remote teams, we came to a clear understanding that:
Why is this happening?
Alex, Middle Data Analyst of small remote international team (~ 50 people): "There are moments that annoy in the processes, and there are those that frankly infuriate. Old internal instructions are often irrelevant, and new ones are not created for the reason "there is no time". Despite the Agile, meetings are held often, spontaneously, irregularly. Messages come in a bunch of chats, channels, tasks. It is often impossible to even trace the entire chain of one discussion from the beginning to the end. It is not possible to properly immerse yourself in the tasks - you are just starting to work on the task, when you received several alerts in different chats. Sometimes in order to get acceccess to a file, you can wait all day, because the person who has these rights is in a different time zone."
- Any team, regardless of its size, has an important part of the system in the form of team interaction. It covers the whole system, but most often is not measured, not evaluated, not analyzed, not controlled.
- Team interaction have an impact on the effectiveness of the team. The presence of even a few small problems in different team interaction fields can lead to a decrease in efficiency, a measurable loss of working time and money.
- In most cases, team interaction is beyond the focus of attention of decision makers. Usually, the list of TOP-Popular-problems-to-solve does not include problems with team meetings, the literacy of setting tasks, the correctness of messaging, etc.
Why is this happening?
Alex, Middle Data Analyst of small remote international team (~ 50 people): "There are moments that annoy in the processes, and there are those that frankly infuriate. Old internal instructions are often irrelevant, and new ones are not created for the reason "there is no time". Despite the Agile, meetings are held often, spontaneously, irregularly. Messages come in a bunch of chats, channels, tasks. It is often impossible to even trace the entire chain of one discussion from the beginning to the end. It is not possible to properly immerse yourself in the tasks - you are just starting to work on the task, when you received several alerts in different chats. Sometimes in order to get acceccess to a file, you can wait all day, because the person who has these rights is in a different time zone."
Alex helps us answer the first "why is this happening" - there is no time to deal with up-to-date instructions. And here, by the word instruction, he means both managerial and technical instructions. Managers solve their tasks (manage, calculate the economy, communicate with the client, etc.), technical specialists solve their tasks and respond to sudden requests. As you can see - really, not up to instructions.
Nevertheless, in our opinion the culture of knowledge transfer within the team through educational materials, instructions, Lessons Learned, etc. is one of the key factors for stable and sustainable growth, a reliable foundation for remote company.
Another reason is that team interaction is visually at the intersection of different spheres of influence: there is something in them from operational management, something from HR, BPD, etc. Analyzing the current state of the organization, it is not always immediately clear who exactly can become the owner of these processes.
The third reason - project/product managers often lack the authority to solve such problems throughout the system, top managers have the authority, but their focus is on solving issues of a different level.
What to do?
To solve Alex's problem with meetings (for convenience and further designation, lets call it M), we need to answer the following questions:
Nevertheless, in our opinion the culture of knowledge transfer within the team through educational materials, instructions, Lessons Learned, etc. is one of the key factors for stable and sustainable growth, a reliable foundation for remote company.
Another reason is that team interaction is visually at the intersection of different spheres of influence: there is something in them from operational management, something from HR, BPD, etc. Analyzing the current state of the organization, it is not always immediately clear who exactly can become the owner of these processes.
The third reason - project/product managers often lack the authority to solve such problems throughout the system, top managers have the authority, but their focus is on solving issues of a different level.
What to do?
To solve Alex's problem with meetings (for convenience and further designation, lets call it M), we need to answer the following questions:
- Who in the team has the right to appoint M and who is the owner of this process?
- Is it possible to make a regular M schedule?
- How often are spontaneous M's needed?
- What actions should the organizer perform during the appointment of spontaneous M / what is the process of setting up M? How do we know if a team member can come to the M at the appointed time?
- What should be the optimal duration of M?
- In which application (for example, Zoom, Skype, Google meet, etc.) we can make M?
- What is the format of the M (video call or voice call)?
- Are meeting notes used?
- Who is responsible for protocol maintaining?
- Is there a recording of the call of each M?
- Where are the M records stored?
Some of these basic questions can be decomposed into additional ones. However, even without additional splitting, it is clear that if we answer the basic questions and take the necessary actions based on the answers, the problem with meetings will be eliminated by 99%.
In a separate mini-article we will share our insights and recommendations for setting up Occam's razor meetings, and consider the process, tools and templates.
Who should give the answers to these questions?
Depending on the size and stage of the life cycle of a particular company, issues related to team interaction can be resolved by:
We have got a case where solving problems in one department of the company with the presentation of the results (In the 2nd month - up to 18% of the department's working time was released, which was immediately redirected from useless timekillers to internal tasks and education) became a trigger for the heads of other departments.
How to start?
In a separate mini-article we will share our insights and recommendations for setting up Occam's razor meetings, and consider the process, tools and templates.
Who should give the answers to these questions?
Depending on the size and stage of the life cycle of a particular company, issues related to team interaction can be resolved by:
- Founder
- CEO
- Executive Director
- HRBP
- BPD
- The head of the division/department/project/product, etc.
We have got a case where solving problems in one department of the company with the presentation of the results (In the 2nd month - up to 18% of the department's working time was released, which was immediately redirected from useless timekillers to internal tasks and education) became a trigger for the heads of other departments.
How to start?
- Analyze whether there are the same problems in your team that Alex is talking about.
- Prepare a list of questions that will help you solve these problems.
- Identify the owner of the process of implementing these changes.
- Start testing and implementing changes in the specific area of team interaction (for example, meetings). After receiving the results in the first field, add changes in the next field, etc.
- Try to measure the effectiveness of each individual change in each area.
Please remember: processes and guides should not be created for the sake of creating processes and guides.
We wish you success in the first steps towards the formation and development of your virtual dream work environment!
We wish you success in the first steps towards the formation and development of your virtual dream work environment!
