Remote Leadership - Opportunities & Challenges in scaling remote SaaS teams (feat: Valentina Thörner)

Polyglot Software Development

Valentina Thörner discusses the challenges and benefits of remote work in her book 'From a Distance: Strategies and Tools for Leading Remote Support Teams.' She emphasizes the importance of trust, communication, and clear expectations in remote work. Valentina also highlights the need for conscious conversations and checkpoints to ensure productivity and support for remote workers. She addresses the fear and insecurity of managers in remote work and suggests creating spaces for personal connections and sharing in remote teams. Valentina also discusses the impact of cultural differences on remote work and the need for understanding and adaptation. The conversation explores the importance of understanding cultural differences and creating awareness in remote work. It emphasizes the need to assume good intent and be aware of different frames of reference. The discussion also highlights the significance of building relationships and personal connections in remote teams. It concludes by discussing the future of work and the value of long-term relationships in a changing landscape.

Takeaways

• Trust, communication, and clear expectations are crucial in remote work.
• Conscious conversations and checkpoints help ensure productivity and support for remote workers.
• Creating spaces for personal connections and sharing can foster a sense of belonging in remote teams.
• Understanding and adapting to cultural differences is important in remote work.
• Understanding cultural differences is crucial in remote work to bridge communication gaps and foster collaboration.
• Creating awareness about different frames of reference helps reduce friction and assumptions in remote teams.
• Building personal connections and relationships in remote work is essential for effective communication and trust.
• Long-term relationships contribute to knowledge retention and enrich the work environment.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Book Discussion
01:17 Reasons Remote Work Won't Work for Your Company
02:33 Differences in Remote Work Before and After the Pandemic
04:19 Supporting Remote Workers Who Lack Skills
05:50 The Fear of Managers in Remote Work
06:15 The Devil's Advocate: Monitoring Remote Workers
08:11 The Insecurity of Managers in Remote Work
09:10 The Importance of Conscious Communication in Remote Work
10:18 Creating Checkpoints and Clear Expectations in Remote Work
11:21 Establishing Trust and Comfort in Remote Work
13:16 The Role of Trust, Communication, and Expectations in Remote Work
14:34 Establishing Personal Relationships in Remote Work
18:14 Cultural Differences in Remote Work
20:48 Challenges of Personal Relationships in Remote Work
25:19 The Limitations of Online Channels for Personal Relationships
28:00 Addressing Cultural Differences in Remote Work
29:36 The Complexity of Cultural Differences in Remote Work
32:13 Addressing Diversity and Cultural Differences in Remote Work
32:52 Understanding Cultural Differences
39:33 Creating Awareness and Assumptions
44:37 Building Relationships in Remote Work
50:26 The Importance of Long-Term Relationships
56:38 The Future of Work and Relationships

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