Stepping back in time to 2017, before the world of work was transformed by the pandemic, offers us a unique lens to view the evolution of remote work. In this re-released podcast, we revisit an insightful conversation with Dom Price, Work Futurist at Atlassian, recorded long before the sweeping changes brought about by Return-To-Office (RTO) mandates. Reflecting on this interview not only helps us appreciate the strides made in remote working but also prepares us for an upcoming interview with Dom to explore what has changed and what remains constant in the realm of collaborative, distributed work. Join us on this journey back in time as we rediscover Atlassian’s approach to remote teamwork in 2017 and lay the groundwork for understanding the future of work post-pandemic.
Dom’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-price-0892243/
2017 Insights from Atlassian’s Work Futurist, Dom Price
1. Embracing Change and Innovation
- Dominic, a work futurist at Atlassian, emphasizes the importance of adapting to rapid changes in the work environment, such as the increasing need to hire talent globally.
- He advises against sticking to the status quo and encourages learning from past experiences to improve future work practices.
2. The Human Aspect of Teamwork
- The focus is on human collaboration and teamwork rather than competition or fear of automation.
- Emphasis on the importance of cognitive diversity in leadership for ethical decision-making.
3. Global and Distributed Teams
- Atlassian’s strategy of making its products self-service allowed it to be a globally distributed company without a traditional sales team.
- Dominic discusses remote teams’ challenges, including communication and maintaining a single source of truth for all team members.
4. Team Rituals for Equality
- Atlassian utilizes storytelling through internal blogs to share experiences and learnings, creating a ‘pull’ communication system.
- In meetings, they adopt the practice of “if one person’s remote, everyone’s remote” to ensure equality.
- Adjusting team rituals to accommodate remote members, like altering meeting times and using technology to include everyone.
5. Remote Work as an Advantage: Dominic highlights how remote work can make individuals more effective, bringing their best selves to the job without the constraint of physical presence.
6. Methods for Maintaining Team Health
- The Team Health Monitor at Atlassian allows teams to self-assess on key attributes and work on areas needing improvement.
- They encourage storytelling to share successes and learn from each other.
7. Dealing with Time Zones and Work-Life Balance
- Atlassian maximizes overlap hours for global teams and encourages disciplined detachment from work to prevent burnout.
- Dominic shares the importance of aligning personal discipline with work demands for better productivity and well-being.
8. Embracing Conflict and Diversity of Opinions
- Atlassian uses a conflict model that allows for respectful dissent and diverse opinions within teams.
- They emphasize the importance of understanding different perspectives to reach better solutions.
9. Alignment and Autonomy in Teams
- Dominic discusses the importance of alignment in remote teams, focusing on understanding problems and impacts rather than just solutions.
- He mentions using tools like the Project Poster to ensure everyone works towards the same goals.
10. Open Sourcing Knowledge: Atlassian’s decision to open source their team playbook is a testament to their belief in the ubiquity of knowledge and the importance of its application.
