How to manage a remote team.. Key points for success

Key points for successfully managing a remote team

Existing communication tools make it possible to create new organizations with collaborators who do not necessarily work in the same location, or even at home, but you must know how to deal with the two teams after, and the following are the basic points for managing a remote team:

• Follow-up

It is important to understand that the farther away your team is, the more you need to build a strong bond. Team management requires a significant investment in communication, monitoring and even presence.

Of course, we must not turn this follow-up into a lack of trust, because trust is a preponderant component of this type of relationship, and your employees must be able to count on you, just as you must be able to count on them. This is a prerequisite before any such organization is put in place. .

• Teamwork

The group must be able to work together to achieve a result that is consistent with the collective goals. That is why the manager has many tools at his disposal, among which are:

Conference call : for instant verbal exchanges. 

 Internal social networks : for internal, daily and natural communication and interactions, in fact opening a permanent communication space dedicated to exchanges within the team is a real factor of progress.

• Team spirit development

Collective goals are the pillars to train his whole little world in the same direction, it is important to be very attentive to their selection and to befriend each collaborator, with distance these common goals become more important to turn the group of individuals away from each other into a real team, away from individual management The challenge is to recreate Creating conditions similar to those experienced by a team working on the same site, and here the company's social network is an excellent tool for strengthening team spirit. It is still advisable to organize regular physical meetings, because nothing replaces  human  warmth.

Remote team management tips

• Use the tools to improve communication

Relying on remote work tools to manage your remote team can enhance communication between you and your employees for the better.

• Stimulating daily conversations

It's important to check in with your remote team, and managing a remote team requires a constructive relationship with the people you work with.

 Ensure that your employees feel comfortable talking to you about any issues that may arise and that their concerns are eased after the talk.

• Manage expectations on both sides

Putting yourself in the shoes of your employees is a useful way to manage your expectations. Get a realistic idea of ​​what you can expect from your remote team and when you can expect it.

Hold yourself accountable too, your employees have their own expectations of how you should manage a remote team and they will want to meet those expectations.

• Create a culture of results and accountability

After building expectations, manage them by setting standards for your team. Set up a system where participants will always be held accountable for those standards. 

Examples of relevant criteria are the sound, which is the results you want from the project, and the scope of the project, which relates to setting goals.

• Set clear, direct goals

Goal setting is key to success in the workplace, and a 2015 study showed that those who wrote down their goals were 33% more successful than those who didn't.

Strong and intended goals have a huge impact on a growing business.

• Enhance social interactions

Developing a rapport with those you work with is a worthwhile endeavor. Part of developing a rapport is connecting with co-workers and other employees on a social level as well as the workplace context.

You can arrange quiet gatherings and activities for team building purposes such as group games online. Being truly cooperative in this way enhances engagement between you and the employees.

• Offer your teams ways to avoid distraction

Managing remote teams also makes you the task manager. Offer advice to your remote team to help them work faster and with fewer distractions. Taking breaks is one thing, but there is a limit.

Remote team management challenges

Although most people prefer to work from home, managing remote teams still faces some challenges, such as:

• Telecommunications

How often do people in the same room struggle to understand each other? Now imagine that you need to communicate with someone hundreds of miles away, communication is arguably the biggest issue when it comes to managing a remote team. 

Even with technology that allows us to communicate instantly, the lack of face-to-face interactions can take a toll on a team. Misunderstandings often show up in online communication, not in casual dialogue.

Teamwork relies heavily on collaboration, which means that constant communication is the foundation of a successful project.

• Employee training

Hiring new developers to work on your project can be a long and difficult process, when you are managing a remote team it can be difficult for team members to learn new procedures because they are not able to see and learn important processes in person. 

Familiarizing yourself with company practices usually takes time and guidance. It can be frustrating to rely solely on emails or phone calls when you need to hire new employees. 

New employees often have a lot of questions that they will need to answer, and at the moment digital communication is not an ideal option for the onboarding process.

Consider creating detailed documentation and instructions for conveying as much information as possible to new employees. 

• Establishing company culture

Having a solid culture is an indisputable advantage in business when people believe in what they are doing and feel united around a common cause it leads to increased performance.

For companies with remote employees, creating and maintaining a company culture can get a little tricky. 

Without a physical presence, management may find it difficult to communicate company ideas to remote teams, as a result of which remote employees may experience a significant decrease in motivation and momentum.

Professionals who actively participate in the life of the company feel more valued and appreciated, their mindset shifts from “working for a company” to “being part of something greater.”

Make an effort to bring remote teams together through group activities and events.  

• Low supervision

Face-to-face interactions from managers to employees in an office space may include daily checks and constant exchange between each other.

If you want to manage a remote team, you must ensure that you give them the space they need to do their work effectively. By doing this you must trust that your employees are working just as hard rather than observing directly.

Those who manage remote teams note these concerns often. In fact, evidence shows that remote workers can be more productive than their counterparts.

• More alienation

When there is less contact there is more alienation, social isolation unheard of in the far world.

Many people use work as their primary initiative to interact and socialize with others. This does not mean that people are unable to make friends outside of work, but that work is a big part of daily life. Managing remote teams should not be limited to executive performance. There is a responsibility to help out. Building social relationships.

• More distractions

Because the workspace is largely at home, many remote workers struggle to divide their home lives from their work lives. Parents with young children in particular may use telecommuting as an opportunity to take care of their children at home.

Those seeking to manage remote teams should warn their employees that having proper child care as well as an ideal workspace is beneficial to their productivity.

In other scenarios, remote employees are feeling bored, without social interaction. They may look for other distractions to quell the boredom. This can include scrolling through social media or watching TV outside of breaks.