I started working remotely full-time in 2016, well before the pandemic-driven shift to remote work in 2020. Over the years, I’ve found that the freedom and focus it provides far outweigh the downsides of a long commute and the added expenses of gas, insurance, clothing, and food—not to mention the cost of losing valuable time with family. Yet, many business leaders and teams still struggle to understand how to effectively build and lead highly productive, cohesive remote teams. Let me share some key insights that may be able to help your remote teams become both more productive and happier.

Mind The Time Zones

One of the trickiest bits it seems is working across different time zones - especially for those new to remote work. Here's the thing, you need core working hours. It's that simple. I've managed Agile teams distributed across the world with team members in India, Beijing, Ireland, Paris, Armenia, Norway, Toronto, New York, Austin, Seattle, and more. Without core working hours there is simply no way for everyone to get on a call at the same time. And these face-to-face (video) calls are both important and necessary - especially in a remote setting.

Typically, core hours are based on where the company is headquartered. When I worked at Simple [A], for example, they were headquartered in Austin, Texas, so our core hours overlapped with Central Time. Living on the Pacific Coast, that meant I had to be up for a 7 a.m. meeting—but the upside was I finished work by 3 p.m.

Not all companies require a full eight-hour overlap, but some shared time (typically around four hours) is crucial for team cohesion. At First String Digital and Cruise, both headquartered in the Pacific Time Zone, we worked with teammates in New York and India. Our core hours were roughly 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT, allowing for video calls, real-time Slack chats, and synchronous collaboration. Some team members started earlier, others stayed later—but the key was that we always had a dedicated window where the entire team was available for quick discussions, meetings, and real-time problem-solving.

Document it!

Did your team just make a key decision at stand-up? Or during a retro? Was someone out? Doesn't even matter if they were or not, document it. Write it down and store it in a central, easily accessible location (Confluence or Google Docs are great options). Reference it often, pin the doc to Slack channels, and link it to Jira tickets as needed. The goal is to ensure everyone has clear and consistent access to decisions, team processes, and more.

Use comments in code reviews (and, by the way, make sure you’re actually doing code reviews). Document technical decisions in tech specs, README files, through automated test cases, and in code comments. Build documentation into your team culture—encourage it, normalize it, and make it a habit. When done right, documentation creates a seamless, asynchronous way to keep everyone in the loop without unnecessary meetings or miscommunication.

Clear Communication Channels

Communication, good communication, is paramount when working as a remote, fully-distributed team. People need both synchronous and asynchronous ways to collaborate. Fortunately, technology has made this easier than ever with tools like Slack, Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet. Make sure when you onboard new team members they know what tools to use, where to get them and how to use them. Establish best practices around communication and evangelize it during your team meetings, in one on one's and at team retrospectives.

For instance, team chat tools are great for quick messages, but they can become overwhelming when used for long discussions that require input from multiple people. There’s nothing worse than a Slack thread that drags on for miles, forcing people to scroll endlessly for context, misinterpret tone, and get caught up in unnecessary arguments. If a conversation is getting lengthy and complex, jump on a Zoom or Google Meet call instead—it’s faster, clearer, and far more effective.

Speaking of video calls. Turn on the camera. Maybe not every single time, but in a remote team, cameras should be on the vast majority of the time. Humans rely heavily on body language for communication, and since remote teams don’t share physical space, video calls are the only way to truly "see" each other.

Think about it: Susan's eye roll? Important context. John's smile and head nod? Also key cues. We don't want to miss these. Seeing each other’s reactions fosters stronger connections and better collaboration. Of course, if you're sick, eating, or having an off day, it’s fine to go off-camera occasionally—but in a healthy remote culture, camera-off should be the exception, not the norm.

Effective remote communication also means setting expectations for response times and availability. This ties into the core working hours we discussed earlier. If core hours are 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., you should reasonably expect Slack responses within that timeframe. Meetings should also follow a regular cadence and be scheduled when most (if not all) team members can reliably attend.

Additionally, if someone is going to be out of office—for vacation, illness, or any other reason—there should be a standard practice for communicating it. Use OOO notices in team chat tools and email, and whenever possible, give your team a heads-up during a stand-up or retrospective a few weeks in advance.

Great remote teams prioritize communication and understand that it's always better to over communicate than under communicate.

Feedback and Support

Along with strong communication, continuous feedback and support are essential for building a successful remote team. One of the best ways to ensure this happens is by establishing structured opportunities for feedback, like Scrum retrospectives. These kind of ceremonies give the team a space to discuss what’s working, what’s not, and where improvements can be made.

For example, does a communication pattern need adjusting? Are documentation practices effective, or could they be improved? What ever the challenge, retrospectives offer a great way for the team to come together and collaborate on solutions that enhance productivity and efficiency.

As a manager, ongoing one-on-ones with direct reports are another crucial way to offer support. Encourage your team members to share openly about what’s going well and what isn’t. Just as importantly, ask for feedback on your own leadership and support. Remote work thrives on strong leadership, but that means being open to input and adapting to better serve your team. The goal is to continuously refine processes that make your team happier, more engaged, and more successful.

Building Trust & Accountability

Successful remote teams thrive on a culture of trust and accountability. That starts with empowering team members to take ownership of their work. Teams should have clear goals that align with business objectives (KPIs & OKRs) and a strong understanding of the steps needed to achieve them. For managers and leaders, fostering a culture of transparency is key. Team members should feel comfortable sharing both challenges and achievements without fear. When people have safe spaces for feedback and open discussions, they develop a greater sense of ownership in building a strong, successful remote team environment.

Another essential ingredient for building trust? In-person events. Remote teams and remote-first companies can create incredible products and achieve amazing results, but at the end of the day, humans are social creatures. Face-to-face interactions help deepen relationships in ways virtual meetings simply can’t replicate.

Whenever possible, provide opportunities for team members to meet in person—whether that’s twice a year, once a quarter, or through a hybrid setup. These gatherings allow people to connect beyond the daily grind, building personal relationships that pay dividends in workplace collaboration long after the event has ended.

Thriving in a Remote Work World

Building and leading a successful remote team isn’t just about enabling people to work from anywhere—it’s about creating a culture of clarity, trust, and collaboration. When teams have clear communication channels, well-documented processes, structured feedback loops, and a shared sense of accountability, they don’t just function—they thrive.

Remote work isn’t a barrier to productivity or teamwork; it’s an opportunity to build more inclusive, flexible, and highly effective teams. The key is to be intentional about how you communicate, document decisions, set expectations, and foster connections. Remote teams that prioritize these elements will build stronger relationships, work more efficiently, and ultimately deliver better results.

The future of work is remote-friendly, and the best teams are the ones that embrace it with purpose. With the right strategies, your remote team can be just as connected, engaged, and productive as any co-located team—if not more.