3 Essential Tips For Managing a Remote Team

It is no surprise that the world of work and the styles of working have dramatically changed in the last 18 months alone. 

Although the pandemic can COVID-19 has been a catalyst for many employees to be able to work remotely, it seems that many companies have made the decision to make this a permanent option. 

Flitting between hybrid working and being permanently remote, if employees don’t need to be in the office day to day there is an expectation that they won’t be. As a leader, the methods of managing and training a remote team will also be changing and technology has made it more accessible than ever to be able to do that. 

With the many perks that working from home has to offer, it is no surprise that, as a business, this will be one of the priorities to adapt to when it comes to employee benefits.

(Image Source: Statista) 

Setting Clear Expectations

When managing a remote team, it is important that you establish a clear line of ensuring you have outlined what is expected of the team and not micromanaging every little thing that they do. 

By investing in systems to streamline a task list and ensure that your team can see it and is able to with it, will ensure that everyone understands what they need to do and by when. Dashboard layout software such as Trello or Monday.com will allow you, as a leader, to outline clear expectations and assign tasks. 

Although outlining your expectations of the team provides a solid foundation of what is expected of your team, ensuring that you are available and have also established an open line of communication is important too.

Focusing on the tasks that your team gets done rather than monitoring their activity is imperative to reduce working from home anxiety. By focusing on the outcomes for your team you will be setting and upholding clear expectations. Not only does this empower your employees, but can help you as a leader achieve the desired results that you want from your team. 

Providing the thought process of why an outcome is important will provide further clarity to your team and maybe even provide encouragement to them to complete something before the deadline.  In a remote environment, by outlining your goals, you will naturally steer away from micromanaging, but encourage people to ask you for help if they need to.

Communication is King

You have to establish an accessible and open line of communication to ensure that your team feels they are supported and can still come to you as a manager.

Implementing video calls and virtual facetime will mean that your employees won't miss out on traditional communication methods that they may have once been reliant on in an office environment.

Using video conferencing tools such as Zoom or Skype will mean that team calls and 1 to 1 sessions can be scheduled in and planned. 

When it comes to video calls, planning them ahead of time is important to ensure that your team and employees can structure their day and ensure they do not schedule any other meetings for that time and will also ensure that they can be prepared for any video calls or communications. 

When working remotely, having a messaging service, such as Slack or Microsoft teams will ensure that if anyone needs to make that it can be and is easy for people to use. This is an excellent way to check in on your staff or for your staff to be able to ask you questions. 

Provide Resources and Equipment 

When it comes to working from home, ensuring that your team is working to their full potential is key to making working from home successful. 

Providing resources and equipment to your team is essential. Not only to ensure that the work is done and systems are accessed, but to make sure that your team’s working from home situation is comfortable. If a team member asks you for a new chair or find that they would work better with a standing desk, you should ensure that you can provide that to them if your office has now switched to a completely remote style of working. 

Other resources could include mental health support and extra training to allow your team to upskill. Helping your team develop outside of work and work on their soft skills should not suffer because they are working remotely. 

Soft skills can include communication sessions, time management workshops and team-building experiences. All of these types of resources are available virtually and may even be an opportunity for your team to meet in real life. 

Offering opportunities to your team will not only provide an incentive for your team to stay with the company and not get stagnated, but will ensure that your team is the best it can be.