How To Effectively Manage Your Remote Teams
The lockdowns showed that, for many of us, that hybrid or remote working has a number of significant advantages. As a result, these days a number of companies have opted to allow their employees to continue to work from home, either full-time or for a few days a week.
If you have become the manager of a remote team, you’re probably keen to embrace the benefits of the role, but you will also find yourself facing a few unique challenges.
To make your task easier, here are some top tips on how to effectively – and fairly – manage your remote workforce.
Make Your Expectations Clear
Because of the unorthodox nature of remote working, it’s important to set clear expectations from the very beginning. After all, while certain rules are intuitive when working together in a physical setting, it’s very different when everyone is working from their own homes, and your employees may need some clarity on what will be expected.
For example, will you be offering flexible hours, or does everyone have to ‘clock in’ using an online communication tool at the same time each day? What are the rules on personal phone usage during working hours? What are your guidelines for video conferencing etiquette; for example, when it comes to personal attire and use of professional language?
Setting crystal-clear guidelines from the get-go will help make sure that everyone is on the same page and there is no confusion or discord.
Set Up Convenient Communication Channels
When you and your team members are working remotely, it’s more important than ever to ensure effective and convenient communication.
Fortunately, this is easily done, thanks to the various innovative internal communication tools available these days, which range from Zoom and Microsoft Teams to Slack, Asana, and even WhatsApp.
Boost Engagement With The Help Of Online Polling
One of the downsides of remote working is that it can be easy for your staff to lose focus or motivation sometimes, particularly if they have to cope with distractions at home.
To help keep your employees engaged, you may want to consider using the Vevox app to conduct online polls and Q&A sessions. This will enable you to gain valuable insight into how your remote team is faring and what they feel about how their workday is organised. It will also show your workforce that you care about their opinions – which, in turn, will help them to become more engaged and productive.
Hold Regular Check-In Sessions
As well as taking virtual polls, it’s also a good idea to host regular check-in sessions with your team, both collectively and on an individual basis. If your employees know that you have a virtual ‘open door’ whenever they need some support or advice, then they’re more likely to thrive in their remote roles.
Cultivate A Flexible And Trusting Approach
Working remotely, and managing a team that you never actually see face-to-face, undeniably has its challenges. However, with the right attitude, you can make things work and create a positive and productive working life for your staff.
In this case, flexibility and trust are two primary qualities to focus on in particular, as without these traits, you will be more likely to generate discord and dissatisfaction among your remote staff. No one likes a micromanager, after all, so do your best to give your staff their metaphorical space in which to manage their own remote workloads, and you may be pleasantly surprised by the results.
