Working Remotely
The decision to create remote teams is easy, managing remote teams is hard.
Physically prepare for work makes you mentally prepared to work. Make your bed. Fix your hair. Get dressed like you would head outside. If possible, have a dedicated space in your home where you can work undisturbed.
Keep a schedule. Keeping a semi-strict schedule when to work is good so others know when they can contact you with instant messages.
Be as available as possible during the working hours. During working hours, you should answer in minutes, not hours. Your reputation of being available is an important thing.
Always use web came if possible. People need to see your face to connect with you. Have at least one weekly video meeting between your team.
Communicate clearly. Write full sentences in Slack and GitHub comments. Be very thorough in your communication.
Use a lot of emoticons in your messages. Plain text is cold, reflect your emotions through emoticons and GIFs.
Don't be the only remote worker. If you are still looking for a job, prioritize companies that already have established some remote work culture.
Go out of your way to be human. Spend time getting to know your coworkers. Ask your coworkers how they’re doing, weather, how is the mood at the office. Offer praise and positive sentiments early and often.
Travel to socialize, not to work. Connecting with your team is more important than work that you can do remotely. But don't overdo it by interrupting others' work non-stop.
Work on more than one project at a time. Always have something else you can work on while you’re waiting for a response from a teammate. It might even be a personal programming project or writing blog posts, but always be productive on work hours.