I’ve worked in a lot of different environments over the years. Working with a distributed team is one of my favorite ways to get things done, but it comes with its own sets of challenges that aren’t obvious at first blush. Here are 13 things I wish I’d known when I started working with colleagues who are geographically dispersed:

1. Overcommunicate: Communication happens pretty naturally when you’re sitting next to someone, but when you’re remote, it takes more of an effort. Make that effort! Respond quickly to email and Slack, even if it’s just to say “Got it!” or “Working on it; I’ll have it done Tuesday!” When you get a request from a remote teammate, you need to explicitly tell them that you are working on it and when you expect it to be done. They have no other way of knowing.
2. Give your Team the Benefit of the Doubt: We all make mistakes sometimes! Don’t take it personally if team members forget to include you once in a while. Do, however, graciously let them know how you feel and certainly when it impacts your ability to work effectively. It’s easier to tackle issues earlier when they’re small.
3. Presentation: Think about what creates a professional impression, and make it happen, both with teammates and with customers. At a minimum, this will include having a good quality microphone/headphones and webcam for video conferences, using a solid high-speed internet connection, and looking as professional as you would in the office. (These are in addition to practices that are universal, regardless of whether you’re in the office or not: turn up to meetings on time, speak and listen carefully, etc.) You might also think about what’s behind you on your video calls, having good lighting so that folks can see your face well, having a low-noise environment so that others can hear you well, etc. Use video as much as possible; being able to see others’ faces gives us lots of insight into their thoughts and feelings that are otherwise easily missed.
4. Arrange Pairing Sessions: It’s especially important when working remote to deliberately keep relationships vital with coworkers, which is helpful for building trust and working smoothly together. One effective way to do this is by working together on a task for a period of time. “Hey, I’ve got this design due Thursday and I’d love to have another set of eyes on it. Could we work together on it for an hour or two Monday?” This also helps spread knowledge about projects around your team and company.
5. Initiate Social Time: Getting face-to-face time with your colleagues is important, and is tougher to do at a distance. Join others for a weekly Zoom happy hour, a lunchtime Jackbox game, or just a check-in. Start one of these if they don’t already exist.
6. Use High-Bandwidth Communications, But Record Decisions: Reaching consensus can be hard, and the delays that email introduces make it even tougher. Whenever possible, have conversations with video in real-time. When you’ve reached consensus, then write a quick summary of that chat and share it in Slack or other appropriate channels. This ensures that you and the other people in the conversation have a common understanding of the conclusion you reached and that others are aware of, understand, and get the benefit of your discussion.
7. Let Your Team Know Your Status: Whenever you sign on or off, even if it’s just to go run an errand, let your team know and when you’ll be back. This helps others plan their time around your availability.
8. Focus Time: One of the benefits of setting up your own work environment is that you can limit distractions. If you need to go head-down on something for a few hours, do it! Let your team know that you’re going to be concentrating for a period of time and set Slack to Do Not Disturb. (Assure the team that they’re welcome to break in if there’s an emergency.)
9. Set Aside Physical Work Space: Having dedicated space for work not only makes it easier to create a good environment but also helps get into the work mindset. Important things to pay attention to when you’re setting up your space: safety, comfort, necessary tools, and a minimum of distractions.
10. Keep it Classy: Humans are not perfect communicators. Text-based communication misses 80% of face to face communication that is non-verbal. Thus, we need to be especially careful to communicate in a way that’s respectful and kind when we’re remote. Verify your assumptions and sense-making. Saying “please” and “thank you” goes a long way.
11. Stick to a Schedule: Having a regular schedule not only helps your team, as they’ll know when you’ll be reachable, but also helps you. Regular hours tend to result in better sleep, more focused work, and the ability to feel good about putting work aside at the end of your scheduled time. (Though of course, when you need to make an exception to your regular schedule, don’t hesitate — just let your team know!)
12. Take Breaks: A team in an office takes breaks during the day; we need those breaks at home too. Have a walk, play with your dog, get a snack! (Just let your team know if you’ll be unavailable for more than 10-15 minutes.) Also, don’t mistake having your office at home for an expectation that you’ll be working all the time; take your weekends and evenings off.
13. Set Up Your Work Hours in Calendar: Most calendar systems have a handy feature that will let meeting organizers know when they’re trying to schedule a meeting outside your work hours. Set it up! This will let others know in a low-friction way when they can expect you to be available (and when they shouldn’t).