Even wolves hunt in packs by necessity
For the self-professed lone wolves roaming in the wilderness of the software development world out there, I’d like to share a few insights on working with a distributed team while working from home, so that ‘working remotely’ does not turn into ‘remotely working’.
Are you sort of stuck between the lone wolf’s realm and the need to be and feel part of something larger than yourself? Don’t be afraid to say ‘yes’, be assured that many of us have felt this way at least once during the last couple of years. So how can you become a building block of a collective effort without feeling as if you were losing what makes you, you? Answering this riddle is still a work in progress for many, but it can be done.
Firstly, start think more about what it means to be part of a team, and how you could contribute to building one or making your current one, absolutely rock solid. And if you are lucky enough to be part of a company that fosters team building initiatives, in order for team building to truly and homogeneously be effective, there should be a combination of amplified awareness in the minds of the participants as well as the deep desire to get to the bottom of what’s really going on. Each individual may need a bit more than a boost of cheerfulness.
When people behave the “wrong” way, whatever that means, we can’t just tell them to stop. We can’t just teach “good” demeanor. When people misbehave or get off the tracks, it’s important to first find out why. This will guide us to get past the symptoms so that real, enduring, all-inclusive answers can be found. This may sound simple, but in practice, it’s not easy. It takes everybody to commit to honestly look at the issues that come up. It requires us to get to the core problem.
During this process, it is critical to stay on issues. It’s not productive to put people on the spotlight. We need to keep a positive tone throughout it all. Then we will be able to start working on a real solution. One that entices even the lone wolf to rejoin their pack.