Business Tips
6 Tips On How To Effectively Manage A Remote Team
Technology is consistently improving, and it’s becoming much easier to find location-independent work. This influx in remote workers has created an entirely new sphere in the global market.
Offering location independence can be a major perk that will entice applicants to choose your company. But, managing a remote team comes with its own set of challenges.
1. Communication is Key
If you want to work with an offsite team, you can’t stress enough about the importance of clear communication.
Your staff members might be in different time zones, or working under vastly different conditions.
If someone is going to miss a deadline or be late to a video conference, it’s important to know as soon as possible. This gives you a chance to adjust to the situation accordingly.
When you don’t or aren’t able to communicate well with your remote staff, you can’t plan ahead or respond to issues promptly.
To prevent a communication-caused disaster, ensure that all employees have a reliable network connection and approved devices.
2. Emphasize Accountability
One of the best aspects of working remotely is freedom. But, with freedom comes responsibility.
Not working in the office means that you aren’t under the scrutiny of the boss’s eye. This can alleviate anxiety and tension in some employees. On the other hand, this can breed costly distractions.
To keep your staff members on task, make sure they understand what is expected of them when they are on company time.
There are a variety of ways to check in with off-site employees. Video conference calls, screen sharing, and regular status updates can help you to understand how diligently your employees are working.
Building an environment based on transparency and responsibility will help your team to exceed expectations, virtual or not.
3. Understand the Importance of Balance
When it comes to employee monitoring, it can be easy to go overboard. After all, it seems like there’s no way for you to know how much your remote employees are actually working.
Using certain tools to monitor employee behaviors can help you to appropriately distribute projects and solve problems. But, it can also be a bit invasive and disruptive to even a remote digital work atmosphere if not communicated appropriately and setting clear expectations.
Set clear guidelines and challenging expectations, but don’t overwhelm your employees with threats and repercussions.
Your staff will appreciate how much their time is valued without feeling micromanaged or overly directed.
4. Don’t Promote Laziness
It can be easy to become too strict when managing a remote team, but it can also become easier to loosen up too much.
Most remote workers are exposed to more distractions than they’d experience at a traditional office.
To ensure that work is getting done on time, use timelines or benchmarks to measure task progress.
5. Be Flexible
If you want to rule your staff with a tidy, iron fist, then targeting remote workers might not be for you.
Telecommuting is a dynamic and variable work structure. It’s important to stick to deadlines and other rigid expectations, but you have to keep some wiggle room.
Remote workers are more vulnerable to experiencing technological issues or other roadblocks that might slow their production speed.
Understand that working remotely is much less predictable than working from a cubicle, and be prepared to respond to issues a bit differently.
6. Focus on Trust
More than anything, you’ll need to have faith that your remote workforce will deliver.
Trust is crucial in remote work relationships, and it’s what will help your company to thrive.
Not being able to trust, or be trusted by, your employees will ruin your corporate dynamic. You’ll have a hard time delegating tasks, and worker morale will plummet.
Establishing an atmosphere that fosters trust and cooperation will be your business’s key to success.
Working remotely is convenient, cost-effective, and simple for employees and employers alike. Running a team virtually comes with its hurdles, but it can be a great way to streamline and improve your business.
Ryan Bradman
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