Leading from Home: Pro Tips for Managing a Remote Team
As a leader, you set the tone for the rest of the team. Here are a few ways to effectively manage your team - despite not being physically together.
When the novel Coronavirus broke out, and the CDC urged people to practice social distancing, companies were quick to shift to remote work to keep their business afloat. For many, this was uncharted territory and utterly foreign experience, but it was better than suspending work altogether.
Remote work appeared to be a Godsend in these troubling times but came with its own set of challenges. Managers struggled to motivate employees, and productivity suffered. Currently, most business professionals are still working from home as per government-mandated instructions. To help managers lead from home, we’ve put together practical pieces of advice that can be beneficial while supervising a remote workforce.
Make Time for Small Talk
Sustaining a positive and supportive work culture while working remotely isn’t as hard as it seems. Team leaders shouldn’t hold back from communication at this time. While it’s easy to discuss just the work and end the call, there should be room for small talk as a way to build rapport with the team.
Of course, this is easier when you aren’t on a tight schedule and have an important project to complete. But when there’s time to spare, you can have a zoom meeting to catch-up with everyone and find out how they’re coping during this time.
As everyone is restricted to their homes and practicing social distancing, it can feel incredibly lonely and depressing. By making time to speak with your team members, you can keep them motivated and engaged while also learn about them as a person.
Use Video as Much as You Can
One major component of remote team management is collaboration. Without effective collaboration, managers can’t expect timely results or productivity in any manner. Thereby, using video-conferencing platforms can induce the feeling of being back in the office, which creates a level of seriousness when working.
Since no one is going to the office, you can’t get an idea of a person’s mood or emotions that particular day. But, when speaking on video, it’s much easier to gauge the team’s reaction and behaviour to any operational updates, bad/good news, milestone achievement, etc. Therefore, incorporating video chat into your remote team management strategy can provide infinite benefits for your team, such as:
Screen sharing options to explain work.
Better socialization and trust-building opportunities.
Reduces the chances of any employees feeling left out or isolated.
Creates an open communication channel for personal and professional life discussions.
There are multiple video-conferencing solutions available online such as Google Hangouts, Skype, and the insanely popular Zoom, which have made remote work much more manageable and efficient.
Have Longer One on Ones
With work becoming remote, it’s become a struggle to keep track of what each employee is doing. However, your work as a leader doesn’t end with just assigning tasks and ensuring all deadlines are met. You need to have frequent one-on-one sessions with your staff to assess their individual performance and discuss any of their concerns or difficulties.
Scheduling such check-ins with your employees helps make sure that everyone is on the same page and clearly understands their role in the project. This machine can only run smoothly when its well looked after; therefore, it’s the responsibility of the manager to be empathetic and understanding even from afar. When your workforce feels that they can trust you, it will automatically establish a clear communication channel and elevate productivity.
Never Cancel a One-on-One
Prioritizing one on one conversations doesn’t just apply to our current work environment, but even in normal circumstances. Many companies allow remote work for employees who find it difficult to commute to work.
In those cases, business managers and team leads should make sure remote staff doesn’t feel left out or alienated from the on-goings in the office. Hence, if you’ve scheduled a one-on-one session, show up! Don’t make a habit of rescheduling or postponing check-ins with your staff as it makes them feel less involved and irrelevant compared to their peers.
Build A Culture of Adding People on Calls
Make a habit of including remote staff in meetings to inform them of any changes or to get their opinion on something. When managers and team leaders set the example of keeping remote team members in the loop during every important discussion, the other workers will follow. This helps to maintain a smooth flow of communication, and leaders can address important matters in one go.
Use Animated Gifs and Emoticons to Convey Emotion
Technology today has made communicating emotions and feelings much easier and enjoyable. While managers are required to maintain a level of professionalism when communicating with subordinates, that doesn’t mean they can’t use other creative ways to express feelings.
Gifs and emojis have become a key part of our day-to-day conversations, and they’re one of the easiest ways to convey a message non-verbally. Congratulating the team on a job well done? Send them a ‘thumbs up’ gif from giphy.com or find any other on their site that expresses your appreciation. They’re a great way to add a personal touch to an email message and bring a smile to your staff’s face.
Balance Schedule Inconvenience
When working with remote employees, time difference takes a lot of patience to navigate through. Your workday would be starting, and it could be midnight for them, which makes it challenging to schedule calls. IT companies often face this issue. A spokesperson for a reputed software development company located in the USA told us that they have people working remotely from all over the world, which means they plan and schedule extensively for work calls.
To make it convenient for both in-house and out-house teams, managers can organize meetings at a time which is suitable for both parties. Being considerate and cooperative with your remote team can go a long way in terms of building understanding, so make sure you empathize with those physically distant from the office.
Remember Their Career Paths, Too
Managers should keep in mind that their employees have aspirations and career goals as well. While they’re working hard to deliver results and achieve business objectives, their tasks must be providing the growth and experience they seek from their roles. Making time to analyse and discuss their individual career development is critical for remote employees as it builds job satisfaction and helps them feel essential to the company.
It All Comes Down to Trust and Open Communication
Managing virtual teams comes with its unique set of challenges, but showing solidarity and facing them as a united front will be beneficial in the long run. Empathize with your employees and understand their situation, so they’re able to come to you with any concerns or issues. When you put in the effort to sustain a motivational work culture, your employees will feel elevated and motivated.
Arslan Hassan is an electrical engineer with a passion for writing, designing, and anything tech-related. His educational background in the technical field has given him the edge to write on many topics. He occasionally writes blog articles for Dynamologic Solutions.