Oct 14, 2024
Bryce Blackwell - Product Manager @ Salesforce
Creating a healthy, sustainable work environment while promoting productivity is a challenge that many managers face, especially in the remote work era. We had the opportunity to speak with Bryce Blackwell about how he fosters engagement and productivity within his remote team, ensuring that everyone remains motivated and connected.
What are the most common reasons employees on your team become disengaged, and how have you addressed those challenges?
Bryce: "Disengagement often stems from the lack of face-to-face interaction, especially in remote work settings. One of the first signs is when cameras start going off during meetings, and you’re left talking to a blank screen. To address this, we’ve implemented monthly social events, like playing Jackbox games or hosting virtual happy hours, where we don’t talk about work. These sessions provide a much-needed break and help build camaraderie. We also have a team agreement, which we review every two months, to remind us of our collective goals and promises to one another."
How do you balance productivity expectations with promoting a healthy, sustainable work environment?
Bryce: "We follow an agile process that breaks down our work into story points for each sprint. This gives us a solid metric to measure our team's velocity and understand what we can accomplish over time. However, we’ve had to be mindful of not reducing people to just numbers. While it’s important to track progress, I make it a point to connect those story points to the real-world impact our work has on customers. Sharing customer wins and celebrating our team’s contributions helps prevent burnout and keeps everyone motivated. Bryce’s dedication to fostering engagement and productivity in a remote setting highlights the importance of connection, adaptability, and thoughtful leadership. His approach ensures that every team member feels supported and valued, enabling them to contribute to Salesforce’s ongoing success as a company.
