Since March 16, 2020, we implemented the #workfromhome policy for the safety of our team members and our clients due to the COVID-19 crisis.
In a blink of an eye, a company that we once thought needed to collaborate closely in a working environment, suddenly had all of our team members work remotely relatively smoothly.
Here are some of the things we did to keep things afloat:
Centralize Communications
Communications were centralized with the help of communication tools like Slack, and project management tools like Jira. It helped keep everyone necessary in the loop, keep communications organized, and keep ongoing tasks transparent to all team members in real-time.
Daily Update Meetings
Since most of our projects are using modified agile / scrum methodology, we were used to having daily standup meetings with three simple questions: “What did you do yesterday? What will you do today? Any obstacles that you could use some help with?”
These three simple questions worked like a charm to keep things moving forward.
Document Everything
When we meet with our colleagues everyday in the office, important information got transferred verbally naturally. But when everything is done remotely, some of them may get lost in the way.
So we documented everything using project collaboration tools like Confluence as the single source of truth for all team members to avoid the cost of communication.
Bring the Culture Home
In Antikode, the culture, the sense of togetherness, and the fun that came with it were integral parts of the team. And by being isolated, it felt as if those things were taken away from us and we were faced with one new challenge: boredom.
So we’re experimenting with activities such as virtual lunch, virtual game night, and more to come to help maintain the team spirit.
Although we felt that doing those helped us to keep things going, in this situation, new challenges arise everyday. There may be no silver bullets, but keeping ourselves open with new ideas and being creative with them might be the best shot we have to thrive in this crisis.
So to anyone who reads this. Stay safe, stay productive, and stay ahead of the game!