7 best practices for remote agile teams

Agile methodologies work best when everyone on the team is together in one location. When teams share a workspace, it’s easy for teammates to ask questions, pair on programming tasks, and solve problems without scheduling meetings. Using technologies like web conferencing, group chats, and email just isn’t as effective as direct, person-to-person interactions.

That said, organizations can make agile methodologies excel with remote and distributed teams, but it takes some work and experimentation. Team members must find the optimal use of technologies and adjust to communication styles to ensure team productivity, collaboration, and quality.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, many agile teams must shift from working in offices to working remotely. This will be a new experience for many people who have not worked at home for a significant part of their careers, and for teams accustomed to in-person interactions. Furthermore, some team members may fall ill or face other hardships due to the growing pandemic, so agile teams must adjust to a new way of working.

This article is a simple guide aimed at helping team members, teams, and organizations transition from primarily in-person agile teams to highly distributed ones.