In this episode, Ben Johnson of Merrill Corporation talks about evolving into remote work, why working in an office is bad for focus and productivity, and why putting your face out on the Internet is a good thing.
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Show Notes:
Twitter: @deafgreatdane
Merrill Corporation
Merrill DataSite
Pragmatic Geek
01:10 – Ben’s introductory and background
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Software architect who leads teams in software development efforts in Minnesota
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Internal style development
01:37 – Merrill Corporation
- Printing company that has evolved into a communications service company
- Focused on legal services and financial world (printing and distributing documents)
02:20 – Evolving into remote work
- Company wanted to have Ben work remotely rather than not at all
03:12 – Tools
- Instant messaging
- Conference calling
- Wikis & Issue trackers
05:19 – Day to day operation
- Formal SCRUM to 15-20 minute daily standups
- Reach out to others as needed
07:11 – Advantages of working remotely
- Ability to focus
- A lot of other venues for knowledge sharing rather than interoffice face to face communication
- Introverts vs extroverts
10:41 – Remaining in touch with your team
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Trust
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Frequent check-ins
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Team leads
12:45 – Helpful management techniques
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Code reviews
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XP techniques
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Continual communication
13:53 – Standardized tools are important
16:45 – Advice for others working remotely
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More use of real faces on avatars
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Starting off with face to face meetings is important
About the Author: Avdi Grimm
Husband, father, software cultivator, and amateur community builder, Avdi has been leading and participating in dispersed software development teams since 2007. He works from home in Southern Pennsylvania, and loves the fact that working remotely enables him to spend more time with his wife and four children. Related Posts
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