---
name: remote-team-handbook
description: "Writes handbooks for remote teams covering tools, communication norms, time zones, async practices, and collaboration guidelines. Use when building or scaling a distributed team."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Remote Team Handbook

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Create a remote work handbook for a fully distributed team
- Document communication norms and async-first practices
- Onboard new remote employees with clear expectations
- Transition a team from in-person to remote or hybrid

**DO NOT** use this skill for office policies, in-person team building, or IT security documentation. This is for remote work culture and operations guides.

---

## Core Principle

REMOTE WORK FAILS WHEN NORMS ARE ASSUMED INSTEAD OF DOCUMENTED — WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING A NEW HIRE NEEDS TO KNOW TO WORK EFFECTIVELY FROM DAY ONE.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Team size** | "How many remote team members?" | 5-20 |
| **Time zones** | "How many time zones does your team span?" | 1-3 (US-based) |
| **Tools** | "What tools does your team use? (Slack, Zoom, Notion, etc.)" | Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace |
| **Work model** | "Fully remote, hybrid, or remote-first?" | Fully remote |
| **Core hours** | "Do you have overlapping hours when everyone must be available?" | No core hours — fully async |
| **Existing pain points** | "What's not working about remote collaboration right now?" | General misalignment and unclear norms |

**GATE: Confirm brief before proceeding.**

---

## Phase 2: Outline

### Standard Handbook Sections

1. **Remote work philosophy** — why remote, what it means here
2. **Communication norms** — when to use which channel, response time expectations
3. **Meeting guidelines** — types, frequency, camera policy, async alternatives
4. **Tools and setup** — required tools, recommended hardware, stipend info
5. **Time zone etiquette** — scheduling rules, overlap hours, no-meeting windows
6. **Async-first practices** — documentation habits, decision-making in writing
7. **Availability and boundaries** — working hours, do-not-disturb signals, time off
8. **Onboarding for remote hires** — first week checklist, buddy system
9. **Social connection** — informal channels, virtual events, watercooler rituals

**GATE: Present outline and confirm which sections are relevant.**

---

## Phase 3: Write

### Writing Rules

- Use specific, prescriptive language — "Reply to Slack messages within 4 business hours" not "Try to respond promptly"
- Include decision trees: "If urgent, call. If same-day, Slack DM. If can wait, post in channel."
- Provide templates for recurring situations (status updates, async standup format, meeting notes)
- Keep sections short — each section should be readable in 2-3 minutes

### Communication Matrix Template

| Situation | Channel | Response Time | Example |
|-----------|---------|---------------|---------|
| Urgent/blocking | Phone call or Slack DM | 30 minutes | Production is down |
| Same-day needed | Slack DM | 4 hours | Need approval to send proposal |
| General team update | Slack channel | 24 hours | Sharing weekly metrics |
| Deep discussion | Document + comment | 48 hours | Proposing new process |
| FYI / no response needed | Email or Slack channel | None | Industry article share |

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### Final Deliverables

1. **Complete handbook** — all sections formatted for easy navigation
2. **Quick-reference card** — one-page cheat sheet of key norms (tools, response times, meeting days)
3. **New hire welcome message template** — first-day message with links to handbook and setup guide
4. **Quarterly review checklist** — 5 questions to assess if handbook norms are actually being followed

---

## Example 1: Small Remote Team (8 people, US time zones)

Key norms: Slack for daily communication, Zoom for weekly team sync, async standups via Slack bot Monday-Friday, no meetings on Wednesdays, 2-hour overlap window 12-2pm ET.

## Example 2: Distributed Global Team (20 people, 6 time zones)

Key norms: Async-first everything, meetings recorded by default, decisions documented in Notion within 24 hours, no DMs for work decisions (keep it in channels), rotating meeting times for fairness.

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Surveillance culture** — tracking mouse movements and screenshots destroys trust. Measure output, not activity.
- **Meeting-heavy schedules** — if remote workers spend 5+ hours in Zoom daily, they have an office with worse chairs. Protect deep work time.
- **Assuming everyone has the same setup** — provide equipment stipends and do not assume stable internet or quiet workspaces.
- **Slack-as-synchronous** — treating Slack like instant messaging creates always-on anxiety. Set explicit response time expectations.
- **No social time** — all-work-no-play remote teams lose cohesion. Build in optional social connection points.

---

## Recovery

- **Team resists documented norms:** Start with 3 non-negotiable norms and expand gradually. Too many rules at once feels bureaucratic.
- **Time zone gaps too large:** Designate async handoff hours and use Loom-style video messages for context-heavy communication.
- **Hybrid team tension:** Address the proximity bias directly — ensure remote workers have equal access to information and decisions.
- **Handbook ignored after launch:** Reference it in onboarding, link to it in Slack channels, and review it quarterly as a team.
