COVID-19: A guide to implementing remote work setups quickly

Coronavirus is already and will continue to affect us all. We’re conscious that many founders are taking decisive action to protect their employees and wider community, while simultaneously preparing for the multiple turbulent scenarios that could play out and affect their businesses over the weeks and months ahead.

As we see more and more companies implement work from home (WFH) policies, we wanted to share several resources we’ve found helpful for those implementing a policy. As a fund focused on the future of work, we’ve spent considerable time tracking not only remote tools but also the tips and strategies to ensure your teams maintain high productivity. We recognize this is even more critical for early-stage startups that often rely on face-to-face interactions to build culture and troubleshoot quickly.

As teams take on a shift in working styles, it may be helpful to remember what one of our founders highlighted:

“Workplace issues exist whether remote or IRL. They’re just easier to mask when co-located, and most are solved through explicit communication” Dan Pupius CEO Range

As such, it’s likely that much of these WFH practices, if followed correctly, will be helpful whether inside or outside of the office. This is intended to be a living document of resources, so please share your tools, tips and strategies for working remotely and/or comment directly or suggest changes here. As huge numbers of people work remotely, we can help accelerate a fundamental change in how we work, one that we hope, helps protect us all.

Find a space (or several) where you can regularly work comfortably without distractions

This might seem obvious but often people critically undervalue finding the right space to work at home (and underestimate how impressive the setups are for the best remote companies):

• Set aside a clear space for work
• Benedikt Lehnert has been running a remote team at Microsoft for five years and says “I move between my actual home office, the big farm table in our dining room and the comfy leather chair in the living room. These places serve different purposes depending on the type of work I’m doing”
• Let people in your house know that you’re going to work from home, communicate your schedule and availability so that expectations are clearly set

Establish norms and best practices for communications across all mediums (Video, Slack, Email, Phone)

Effective and open communication is absolutely crucial in a remote team. Without it, everything falls apart:

• Be explicit about what channels you use for communication & when you’ll be available (slack, email, phone)
• Default to overcommunication & don’t be afraid to reach out and annoy people on teams/slack
• Job van der Voort Co-founder and CEO @remote shares his tips on How to have better video calls when working from home
• Rob Dubbin Co-founder and CEO Scripto suggests “If you happen to have a DSLR with video functionality, consider rigging it up to use as your video conferencing camera” Depth-of-field and a real lens go a long way to improving video quality
• Experiment with “bursty” communication, switching between solo work & periods where everyone is exchanging info together at the same time (email is bad at this)
• Try an analytics tool to see if you are treating people differently in your digital communications, like Cultivate

Be extra intentional about culture

Culture is about how a team works together as a cohesive unit. Undoubtedly, working at a distance means this can be even more difficult. A few tools to help:

• Icebreaker, Donut, Dialup, to bond
• Get creative: try something like a WFH happy hour or virtual watercooler
• GIFs are (always) a great way to communicate online
• Set boundaries on when you start and end work, and stick to them
• Always have your video on for calls
• Say “Good Morning” to workers over slack
• Post pictures of your WFH set up and share with coworkers

Implement strategies that help you focus

Distractions are abundant when working from home, ensuring you have clear goals and check-ins can help with accountability:

• Daily check-ins & goal setting (using tools such as Range / Huddl)
• Have a clear meeting agenda & moderator

Practice self-care and mindfulness for mental health

Human beings are fundamentally social creatures and working from home can feel isolating. Take a few minutes to:

• Get fresh air
• Take regular breaks or even a quick walk
• Set up a virtual coaching session (Find one with Sounding Board)

Quick Links:

• Andreas Klinger, Head of Remote Angellist & Founder Remote First Capital on Managing Remote Teams
• Benedikt Lehnet, Director of Product Design for Microsoft on Working Remotely
• Aniya Williams, Founder of Black & Brown Founders and Tinsel on Communication

And finally, as we all continue to learn about COVID-19, here’s a curated list of people to follow for regular updates and information.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out: lisa@bloombergbeta.com or @lisawehden