Remote Team Rituals That Inspire Innovation

Most offsites are a waste… Team bonding activities with no lasting impact. Here’s how I run in-person offsites for my fully remote team that go beyond bonding (to create breakthroughs, uncover bottlenecks, and move the company forward): ~~ I’ve found that the best offsites blend two things: 1. Vulnerability: Address personal patterns that hold people back. 2. Strategy: Align on the goals and priorities that matter most. We meet 3–4 times a year, and here’s how we structure them to get exponential value: == Morning: • Coffee + light breakfast. • Physical activity: Yoga or hiking to set the tone. • Mental clarity: 15-minute group meditation. • Icebreaker: Book discussion (e.g., The Obstacle is the Way). • Work focus: Full group session to plan the 1-year product roadmap. == Afternoon: • Lunch. • Execution: Breakout sessions or paired programming using tools like Notion and Asana. • Personal development: Review Enneagram results or discuss individual growth areas. == Evening: • Group dinner. • Unstructured time for drinks, conversation, and connection. This balance of work, reflection, and downtime creates space for breakthrough ideas and deeper relationships. == What makes it work? It’s personal and professional: Your team’s beliefs and habits affect their work. Address both. It uncovers bottlenecks: Personally and operationally, where are people or processes stuck? It creates trust: The right conversations can transform how people show up for each other. == If you want my full weeklong offsite playbook (including tools, activities, and templates), comment “OFFSITE”. Offsites aren’t just meetings in a new location. They’re a chance to create breakthroughs that drive real growth.

Managing remote UX teams at top tech companies like Dropbox and Google has given me unique insights. Here are some best practices to overcome common challenges. - Virtual Design Critiques: Host regular design critique sessions via video conferencing. These allow for real-time feedback and ensure all team members stay aligned and engaged. - Leverage Digital Whiteboarding: Utilize tools like Miro or Mural for collaborative brainstorming and sketching sessions. These digital whiteboards can simulate the in-person experience and foster creativity among remote team members. - Conduct Virtual Usability Testing: Schedule remote usability testing sessions with real users using platforms like UserTesting or Lookback. This allows your team to gather valuable feedback and iterate on designs without needing in-person interactions. - Implement Design Pairing: Pair designers to work together on tasks via screen sharing and collaborative tools. This practice, similar to pair programming in software development, enhances problem-solving and skill-sharing among team members. - Encourage Creative Breaks: Schedule regular creative breaks where team members can share inspiration, personal projects, or recent design trends. This keeps the team engaged and inspired, even when working remotely. What strategies have you found effective for managing remote UX teams?

How does "Spark Time" help reduce the "Coordination Tax"? Coordination Tax is a great term used by Brian Elliott to describe all of the time we spend on the job puzzling out who’s on Zoom, who’s coming from down the hall and who’s messaging from three time zones away. Providing place and time flexibility increases employee engagement, retention & attraction. And it also comes with more complexity, which requires intentional coordination. When I first went remote in 2010, as a business leader at The Clorox Company, I had to learn how to work 3,000 miles and 3 time zones away from the majority of my team and key stakeholders. My team had to shift how we operated. 🧨 The Spark Time Ritual for Planned Spontaneity Back in 2017, my cross-functional team created a new ritual called Spark Time - time that was blocked on all of our calendars so that we would be accessible to "spark new ideas" with each other for problem solving and brainstorming. Clorox had a highly synchronous culture and unless we held time aside for "planned spontaneity" it was really difficult to coordinate informal gathering - especially when we were working across time zones and different locations. Spark Time is just one of many rituals, norms, and tools I've developed and taught others to help with coordinating within the complexity of working across distance. What is your favorite way to enable intentional coordination? #virtualleadership #hybridleadership