Managing remote teams is the new norm. With technology making it easier than ever to connect with employees scattered all over the globe, more and more businesses are taking advantage of the benefits that come with a remote workforce. But managing a remote team can be tricky – if you’re not prepared, you can quickly find yourself in over your head. In this blog post, we will discuss tips for creating and managing a successful remote team.
8 Tips for Managing Remote Workers
1. Set Ground Rules for Working from Home
Working from home can be a great perk for employees, but it can also lead to distractions if you’re not careful. Make sure to set ground rules, such as how many hours per day employees should work and what tasks they should be completing. Agree on the hours everyone should be available for group calls and whether your employees should notify the team when they are away. If you have team members in different time zones, be sure to take the time difference into account when scheduling meetings. You don’t want people working around the clock just to attend a meeting. This will help keep everyone on track and productive.
2. Arrange Remote Collaboration
Collaboration is key to managing a team successfully. When your employees are spread out all over the globe, it’s important to have a way to connect with them and collaborate on projects. There are many tools that can help you do this, such as video conferencing software, chat apps, and project management tools. It’s important to find the right tools for your business and make sure everyone is familiar with using them.
3. Create a Common File Space
One of the most important things to do when managing a remote team is to have a shared cloud storage solution. This can be as simple as creating a shared Google Drive folder or Dropbox account, where employees can upload documents and access them from anywhere in the world. This will help keep everyone on the same page and make it easy for employees to collaborate on projects. If you’re using Google Drive, be sure to check out the add-ons available that can help you with everything from file sharing to communication.
4. Create a Knowledge Base
A knowledge base is a great way to keep your remote team organized and in the know. A knowledge base can include everything from company policies and procedures to contact information for everyone on the team. Another important aspect of a thought-through knowledge base is having video instructions for all the tools your team uses. You can record manuals with tools like Movavi Screen Recorder and OBS Studio and upload them to your favorite cloud storage. This will help ensure that everyone has access to the same information, no matter where they are located.
5. Set Communication Rules
Make sure to arrange regular video conferences or team meetings so that everyone can stay connected and on track. This will also help build camaraderie among your employees and create a sense of teamwork. However, without clear communication guidelines, things can quickly fall apart. Make sure everyone knows what is expected of them when communicating with co-workers. For example, decide whether employees should respond to emails within a specific timeframe or whether they should always be online in a corporate messenger. As for the tools, decide which apps you will use as a default way of communication – it can be Zoom for video conferencing and Slack for instant messaging and informal discussions.
6. Track Progress Regularly
Another way managers use technology nowadays is for tracking employee performance through various time tracking software, which allows you to set goals for each worker and then monitor their output over time. This way, if someone is slacking off or not producing enough work, it’ll be visible immediately.
Not only does software like Trello and Asana help monitor project progress, but it also gives employers insight into how many hours employees work per week. This way, managers can make sure everyone has an appropriate amount based on what’s required from them. The last thing any business owner wants is an overworked staff because then productivity drops dramatically with less quality produced overall, and there will likely be more sick days taken due to burnout.
7. Find Ways to Keep Employees Motivated
One of the biggest challenges of managing a remote team is keeping employees engaged and motivated. When employees can’t see their co-workers face-to-face, it’s easy for them to feel isolated and unimportant. To combat this, encourage employee collaboration by setting up team-building activities, such as remote work parties or virtual happy hours.
8. Devote Time to Each Team Member
Check in with your employees regularly to see how they’re doing and what progress has been made on projects. This will help you stay up-to-date on what everyone is working on, as well as give them a chance to voice any concerns or questions about their work. Besides regular team calls, you should have weekly one-on-one meetings with each employee to check in on their progress and address any issues that may have come up during the week.
9. Learn to Let Go
Trust your employees to do their jobs well without constantly hovering over them. Try not to micromanage too much and learn to be patient with your team. This will only lead to frustration on your part and demotivation among employees. Of course, it’s important to be aware of what is going on in the company, but don’t feel like you have to be involved in every little detail.
Final Thoughts
As technology advances, so does the way we manage our businesses. With more and more employees working remotely, it has become increasingly important for managers to learn how to effectively oversee a remote team.
It can be challenging, especially if you’ve never done it before. But with the right tools and strategies in place, managing employees from afar is not impossible. By following the tips above, you’ll be on your way to successfully managing a remote team in no time.