Remote Work: The Complete Guide - Chapter IV-1

Article Series

• Introduction: roadmap for the series.
• Chapter I: You were already doing remote work before.
• Chapter II: After the diagnosis comes change. Which communication channel fits which need?
• Chapter III: Hours, routine, discipline.
• Chapter IV-1: Team organization (you are here).
• Bonus: The Coffee Machine.
• Chapter IV-2: Team organization - Communication.
• More chapters depending on your reactions.

Last time I left you with plenty of individual tips-routine, separation between work and home, cutting notifications to stay focused. I hammered on honesty, discipline, respect. Now let's see how to put it all into practice as a team.

Yes, as a human being you are already an impressive team. Let me explain.

You are a bundle of organs. Each has its own mission. The whole thing has a manager: your brain-also an organ. They communicate, coordinate, and pursue goals bigger than any one part: binge a Netflix series, master a new recipe, save lives if you work in healthcare.

According to Larousse, a team is:

A group of people working toward the same task.

If there's no coordination or communication, if no one takes responsibility, if one member fakes it, everything collapses. When that happens in your body, you feel it immediately.

When everything clicks, the team achieves extraordinary feats beyond any individual's abilities. Do you think your stomach could have opened this article alone? Neither could your eyes, hands, or brain individually. Only the team managed it.

Beyond Individual Skills

Introspection

Exercise: pause for five minutes and reflect on this sentence-"a team accomplishes extraordinary things far beyond the skills of each member." Compare it to your current team.

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Done?

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I don't know what team you're on, but I'd bet its achievements aren't that extraordinary compared to a human body. That's not an insult; building a great team is hard. Even experts struggle.

Still, one person captured team dynamics brilliantly: Patrick M. Lencioni in his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Required reading if you want a remote team to work.

He explains that a team is like an onion with five layers. Each inner layer relies on the outer one. We'll focus on the first three-already plenty for remote work.

Layer 1: Trust

Without trust, there is no team. Building it takes time and effort.

Start with shared experiences. That includes goofing off-exactly what the upcoming coffee-break article is for.

Then, talk about mistakes and weaknesses. Not a blame game-just the truth. "I botched the client handoff," "My stress is through the roof and I can't focus." When everyone participates, the team grows.

Use video calls for these discussions so you can read body language. And remember: trust is impossible without honesty.

Once trust is established, maintain it with honesty. "Clarence, remember when I opposed your idea in that meeting? It wasn't personal; I want the best for the team. Please do the same with me." That simple. But you have to pick up the phone and say it.

Conversely, if you delivered a terrible report because you lacked motivation, don't hide it or shift blame-you'll destroy trust. Admit it: "I'm sorry; I had zero drive for this report. This is the best I could do." Your teammates will likely help you understand why-you should too. That's a team evolving in the right direction.

Exercise: recall the last time you delivered mediocre work due to low motivation. Why? Probably because you disagreed with the task. Was your opinion heard? Did you share it? If not, was it fear of conflict? Lack of trust?

Remember: this only works if the whole team buys in. Share this article, read Lencioni's book together, discuss it on a call-it's barely over 100 pages.

Layer 2: Healthy Conflict

You already know how to manage conflict-there's plenty of literature if not.

Remote conflict management is identical. Use video or phone calls, not email, to hash it out. Written messages strip away tone. Conference calls often work best; audio quality is higher, and frozen video feeds mid-argument kill credibility.

Notice how people interrupt less on calls? The tech flattens the sound, so you can't talk over each other. Use that to your advantage. Tap into honesty to manage speaking time.

Layer 3: Commitment

Handle conflicts properly and commitment follows. When people feel heard, they rally behind decisions-even those they initially opposed.

Communication

You probably spotted the common thread: communication. It's how your team tackles trust and conflict-especially remotely, where you lose body language.

You must communicate emotions and intent more than usual.

Remote work requires more communication.

That's next: how to communicate with teammates at a distance. You'll see why we needed this deep dive into team mechanics first.

But before that, we've earned a break. Keep taking them, even from home! Next article: the virtual coffee machine.

See you soon. :)