Dave "Dizzy" Smith, senior director of engineering at DigitalOcean, discusses the challenges of managing distributed teams and offers strategies for creating environments where people can do their best work. He emphasizes the importance of effective communication, which he breaks down into three dimensions: asynchronous (e.g., email), synchronous (e.g., video conferencing), and face-to-face. To counteract the forces that make it difficult for distributed teams to unite around a purpose, Smith suggests staying aligned by sharing a contextual view of the business world, staying in touch through regular check-ins and scheduling, and keeping an eye on the horizon by avoiding getting overwhelmed by details. By focusing on creative effective communication practices, managers can foster communication and create environments that support success.