Remote Decision Making Processes

In 2019, I led the closure of 7 US offices. What began as a necessity Revealed itself as the future of work. The truth about going remote: It's not a quick fix for your P&L. It's a strategic decision that redefines how you build trust, deliver value, and scale your business. Here's the framework we used to make it work: 1/ Evaluate Your Team Dynamics ↳ Map who can thrive async vs who needs structured support ↳ Create mentorship systems that work remotely ↳ Design virtual training programs for junior talent 2/ Assess Customer Impact ↳ Analyze which touchpoints need reimagining ↳ Map timezone coverage requirements ↳ Create clear escalation paths when remote isn't optimal 3/ Assess Financial Implications ↳ Calculate true cost savings beyond just rent ↳ Budget for home office setups and remote tools ↳ Plan for new benefits that matter in remote work 4/ Review Contracts and Commitments ↳ Review state-by-state employment implications ↳ Update contracts for remote work expectations ↳ Create clear data security protocols 5/ Design the Transition ↳ Start with pilot teams who can test and refine ↳ Build playbooks based on what actually works ↳ Create clear role-based remote work criteria 6/ Master Communication ↳ Design both async and sync communication flows ↳ Create visibility into decisions and progress ↳ Build new rituals that keep everyone aligned Remember: Going remote isn't about working from home. It's about reimagining how work gets done. Which aspect concerns you most? ♻️ Share this if it resonates And follow Mariya Valeva for more

Nothing says ‘global team’ like waking up to decisions you weren’t part of. Surprise! A major decision was made while you were sleeping. No context. No input. Just a directive from HQ that ignores half the reality on the ground. Every global company I’ve worked for has had one main office where senior leadership sits. This is great for leadership; it makes communication easy for THEM. The issue is that every other office becomes “remote” by default, and they all end up playing catch-up with the decisions that were made in a single time zone. I can’t count the number of times I woke up to find that an inconvenient or downright impossible decision had been made in the “main office.” As the senior tech leader in my office, I would then spend my morning: → Tracking down the actual source of the decision. → Understanding what critical details they were missing. → Finding a way to clarify (or outright fix) the decision before it caused bigger issues. These decisions weren’t always bad, and they were almost never ill-intentioned. However, they were almost always made casually based off of bad or incomplete information. In a few cases, people used this dynamic to their advantage, knowing they could push decisions through without all stakeholders present. If you’re in a remote office and wake up to a surprise decision, here’s how to advocate for your team: 1) Don’t react immediately. Acknowledge the decision, but don’t start executing until you understand all the details. 2) Identify the real decision-maker. In large organizations, this can be harder than it should be. 3) Gather the missing facts. What key context do they not have? What data changes the equation? 4) Push for clarity. Engage directly with the decision-maker to ensure the decision is fully informed before it moves forward. If you’re the one making decisions across time zones, don’t be THAT leader. No one likes a leader who leaves entire regions out of critical decisions. Instead: a) Include global teams in the process. This is necessary for having a complete picture. b) Document your decisions properly. Why was it made? What data was used? Who owns it? c) Respect different time zones. If a decision impacts people across the world, don’t finalize it without their input. Has this ever happened to you? How did you handle it? For a live discussion on this topic and others relating to large-scale tech, join Ethan Evans and me on February 15 & 16: https://lnkd.in/eFqK4iWw

How are remote-first teams reshaping software development? Here’s what happens in a typical in-person team: → PM taps the developer on the shoulder. “Hey, this form should do this instead” → The dev nods and makes the change But here’s the problem: nothing gets documented. There’s no record of the conversation, no history of the decision-making process. Fast forward a few months, and no one remembers why the feature works the way it does, or how the decision was made. Remote-first teams don’t have that problem. They can’t afford to. When you’re working remotely, every decision, change, and idea has to be mapped out in a digital environment. You’re forced to write things down, share updates, and make everything transparent. Everyone can see what was decided, why, and by whom. This isn’t just about staying organized – it’s a data goldmine. ▶ Documentation gets baked into the process ▶ Cross-team collaboration becomes seamless ▶ Future iterations are easier because the context is always there It’s also why remote-first teams are better positioned to take advantage of AI. AI thrives on data, and remote teams naturally create structured, detailed records that AI can learn from. In-person teams, with their verbal, undocumented exchanges, leave gaps that AI can’t fill. And the bigger your team or company, the worse those gaps become. Those quick, undocumented conversations might feel efficient in the moment, but they’re a nightmare at scale. Remote-first isn’t a compromise – it’s an edge.

😅 Ever feel like decision-making with your remote team is an uphill battle? We did too—until we found a game-changing solution. Communication barriers, cultural differences and time zones made the process incredibly difficult. But at Esevel, we discovered a breakthrough: the RAPID Framework. RAPID stands for: ✅ Recommend ✅ Agree ✅ Perform ✅ Input ✅ Decide Here's how it works. Every person who requires a decision to be made has to write a RAPID document: 1️⃣ Recommend: The recommender drafts a document outlining the issue, relevant facts, and a proposed solution, even if it's not perfect. 2️⃣ Agree, Perform, Input: The proposal is shared with relevant parties for agreement, performance, and input, with a 48-hour window for feedback. 3️⃣ Revise: The recommender revises the solution based on the feedback and resubmits it. 4️⃣ Decide: If there are no further comments, the decision-maker finalizes the decision. This structured approach has drastically reduced frustration and improved our efficiency. Even when calls are needed, they’re much shorter and more focused. I highly recommend the RAPID planning document for any founders managing distributed teams. It’s been a true game-changer for us at Esevel. Question - how have you improved decision-making within your teams?