Remote teams and managers need to focus on several essential things in order to work together efficiently. They must maintain a healthy work-life balance, establish clear expectations and boundaries, and offer regular feedback.
1. Establish and enforce clear work expectations from the beginning.
When managing a remote team, it’s essential that everyone sets forth clear expectations from the start. Doing this helps everyone stay on the same page, keep communication efficient, and avoid misaligned goals or deadlines. It also fosters stronger connections within and between members of your team as well as management.
2. Document Your Communication.
A great way to guarantee that remote team members understand how they should be working is by creating clearly documented policies and procedures. This can cover everything from how a task should be completed to who does what when. Doing this saves time, avoids missing any important tasks, and creates transparency which is often lacking in the workplace environment.
3. Create a consistent schedule for communication and meetings.
When working remotely, it can be challenging to maintain an efficient schedule that works for all team members. To make communication easier, set up frequent check-ins with remote employees who are in different time zones; use chats, emails, or video calls as needed to stay connected.
4. Provide timely feedback and recognize milestones.
Managing remote workers can be challenging, but it also rewarding. Employees who feel connected to their manager and receive regular feedback are more likely to be engaged in their work and arrive ready to tackle obstacles.
5. Provide training and support for all levels of the organization.
Whether you are a new manager or an experienced pro, it is essential that you invest time in training your team members on new processes and procedures. Doing this will enable them to perform their roles at their best capacity and boost productivity overall.
6. Plan team activities to strengthen bonds between team members.
Remote teams can be highly dynamic, making it easy for people to feel disconnected from one another. Therefore, remote team leaders must plan and promote activities that bring everyone together – such as virtual water coolers or coffee breaks, group meetings, and ERGs (External Relations Groups).
7. Be mindful of your team’s needs and feelings.
Remote employees face unique emotional difficulties that require extra support from their managers. To effectively address these feelings, it’s essential that managers recognize them early on and address them before they escalate into serious mental health problems that could negatively impact productivity and performance.
There are numerous solutions to choose from and you’re sure to find the one that works best for your company. A virtual leadership development program can teach you how to effectively manage remote employees and guarantee they receive adequate support.
