Team Remote Working Charter

Building a solid remote work culture is vital and increasingly necessary for any modern, connected business. Remote employees often find themselves in various physical locations, with diverse work schedules (that accommodate their personal lives) and unique needs. Although not many companies function entirely remotely, a robust remote work culture can enhance and improve in-person interactions. It's obvious that this workshop can be carried out remotely, using platforms like Miro or Mural. Begin by having team members contemplate their remote work experiences. Allocate 5-10 minutes for them to reminisce about their remote work journey. Consider the following questions: - What factors have contributed to successful remote work? - What obstacles have hindered effectiveness? Encourage participants to take notes. Once finished, have them briefly discuss their thoughts in pairs.

Reflect on past experiences and have members create their own key principles for remote collaboration. Each person should write 5-10 concise principles, using up to 5 words per principle. Once completed, display them in a visible area for all to see.

Next, use the heat map technique to determine which principles to include. Follow these simple steps: 1. Provide everyone with a set of dots (digital or physical). 2. Instruct participants to place one dot on their favorite principles, with a maximum limit (e.g., 5 dots per person). 3. Once all dots are placed, observe the "heat" to identify popular principles. 4. Discuss the heat map results as a group. 5. If needed, appoint a Decider who will place 5-10 large dots on principles, considering the group's input and heat map. The Decider's choices are final. 6. Use the selected principles to create your charter.

Collaborate on creating the charter more efficiently by assigning a volunteer to draft it. Have them use a shared document (e.g., Google Doc) for the team to comment and edit. Set a firm deadline for completing the charter, and then begin implementing it as a team. Allow the charter to evolve over time by testing it for a specific period. Quick tip: Dedicate 5 minutes at the end of virtual meetings to discuss how well the team followed the principles. After the trial period, gather the team for a deeper reflection and make updates based on their feedback.