Uplevel brings innovation to remote team management
How we work and manage our teams has changed overnight.
While software engineering has always been a field primed for working remotely, the truth is, most companies still rely heavily on teams being in offices to promote effective collaboration.
As companies transitioned to fully remote teams earlier this year, engineering managers took on a staggering challenge to effectively lead their teams from afar — amplified by the stress of shelter-in-place orders and homeschooling our kids.
To support this new era, Uplevel is launching three new features, designed specifically to support teams in effectively leading remote teams with the power of data, coaching, and best practices.
- Always on
- Isolation
- Throughput
always on
Always on – using data to prevent burnout
Measured by out-of-hours Messaging, Jira, meetings, and PRs
Without a physical distance between work and home life, we’ve noticed that many find it hard to disconnect at the end of the workday. Over time, this blurred line can lead to longer hours and burnout.
This new feature identifies always-on behaviors on messaging apps like Slack/Teams, Jira, and calendars, helping teams support each other in reducing overtime and protecting critical work-life balance.
Isolation
Isolation – maintaining healthy team connection
Measured by attendance in work-related and social meetings
We’ve lost the ability to swing by someone’s desk or catch up while making coffee. This reduced interaction can negatively impact cross-team collaboration and work dependencies.
This feature helps teams avoid a drop in collaboration between co-workers, in both required and “just for fun” meetings.
Throughput
Throughput – getting work done
Measured by PRs and Jira activity
While working remotely, devs may experience new bottlenecks or find it takes longer to unblock issues—making some tasks take longer than they did in the office.
This feature shows signs of infrequent pull requests or reduced project throughput so teams can identify and address factors impacting effectiveness.
What engineers are saying
“The isolation charts are amazing.
I think this could help me identify who is engaging with the team and the code. It also gives me a picture of how people are evolving in my team. Knowing how people are connected is the key to success with our agile process.”
– Engineering manager
Uplevel user
Resources to support remote management
Corporate distancing: Managing a remote team
Managers now oversee entirely remote teams, but we weren’t given time or guidance on how to manage effectively from afar. Learn how to navigate this new team dynamic.
Zoom fatigue is real. Here’s how to prevent it
Now that our workday has traded cubicles and conference rooms for eight+ solo hours at a computer, we’re spending more time than ever on screens. Cue eye strain, sore decks, and extreme fatigue.
24/7 WFH: How to prevent out of hours communication
Now that our work lives are based at home, the concept of “office hours” is virtually non-existent. Many of us are opening our laptops from our bed when we wake up and answering Slack messages late until the night.