Thanks to changing corporate policies and new technology, remote work is becoming far more common than ever before. If you’re a business owner, there’s a good chance you will be tasked with managing and working with employees who are not based in the office.
While there are an array of benefits that remote work offers for both employees and employers, there are challenges you’ll face along the way. To overcome these obstacles and ensure everyone is working at their best, here are some useful tips on how to effectively work with remote teams from the team at Financial Tipsor.
1. Set Clear Expectations
When it comes to working with remote teams, it’s your responsibility to let employees know what you expect. For instance, if you’re running a project, you need to let remote employees know how regularly you want them to check in, and what duties they need to perform that day. While some leaders want daily updates, others are satisfied with weekly briefings. The choice is entirely up to you, but above anything else, ensuring you’re synchronized with your team is key.
2. Use Collaborative Tools
When bringing a remote team together, there are collaborative tools you can use that allow employees to have their input, such as a whiteboard online. This tool gives you the power to invite remote employees to your online board, where they can brainstorm ideas, take notes, or keep track of projects. You can also use screen sharing, video conferences, and presentations to keep remote teams engaged during meetings.
3. Establish A Communication Strategy
No matter what, you must keep communication lines open when working with remote teams. When handling a project, everyone needs to come together and share ideas and opinions to ensure everything runs on track. You need to document your communication process so remote workers know what is expected of them. During working hours, you may require a response from remote workers within a certain timeframe, so you must let them know in advance. Should communication break down, it can be difficult to navigate projects.
4. Engage Regularly
As the leader, it’s your duty to engage with remote teams regularly. Checking in on their progress and having discussions about the project will give you clarity and reassurance. Whether you do this via email, phone call, instant message, or video chat, engaging directly with remote workers at least once every day will keep communication lines open. If you fail to contact your team, they may not feel valued and appreciated. What’s more, productivity levels can drop which can result in poor performance and the risk of the project derailing. Therefore, having consistent interactions with each member of the team is essential.
5. Schedule Meetings
As well as checking in on your team, you must hold regular individual and group meetings. When working on projects, you must assemble every worker together. That way, you can outline your objectives and goals, the purpose of the meeting, and what duties and responsibilities each employee needs to take on. Regular meetings are a great opportunity to ask for feedback too. For your project to be a success, you need to listen to your remote team as they may have issues and problems that need addressing. Make sure you have an agenda for the meeting in advance so your team knows what to expect, and schedule regular breaks if proceedings will run over an hour. You need to keep employees engaged from the get-go, so defining the reason for the meeting is a must.
6. Get To Know Each Team Member
While it’s important to create healthy working relationships with remote teams, getting to know employees on a personal level can be a huge advantage too. Once you learn about their hobbies and interests outside of work, this can help to build a strong rapport, which is something you need when working on projects and tasks together. Showing an interest in their lives can only be a good thing, as it will indicate you have empathy and compassion for your team. For remote teams to work at their best and be productive, knowing they’re valued and respected by their boss means everything.
7. Never Exclude Remote Workers
When employees work together in an office setting, conversations happen organically. Unfortunately, one of the downsides to remote working is that crucial information can sometimes not be relayed properly. This means that when discussing any aspect of the project or business in general, it’s vital you never exclude remote employees, otherwise, they may begin to feel undervalued and alienated from what’s going on within the company.
8. Celebrate Success
Once you complete a project and everything has gone to plan, it’s important you celebrate the success of your remote team. After all, without their hard work and commitment, there wouldn’t be a project in the first place. You need to look at ways to celebrate the same milestones that you would celebrate in the office. Even sending out a thank-you email can do wonders for boosting employee morale.
9. Be Organized And Flexible
When working with remote teams, one way to keep everyone happy is by allowing flexible hours. This will maintain consistency and give your employees more freedom and power. Whether your team puts in their hours in the morning or at night, this should not matter as long as they carry out their duties correctly and to a high standard. If you have a more relaxed approach to how your team works, this can help them feel more productive and satisfied in their roles.
10. Have Some Fun
Whether you’re holding a group meeting or checking in on a remote employee, injecting some fun into the project is key for keeping everyone on board. Of course, you’ll have to be serious when needs be, but that’s not to say there can’t be some fun along the way. Whether you play a virtual game together or have some small talk, loosening the reins a little can do wonders for boosting productivity.
Remote Teamwork Makes The Company Dream Work
When working on projects and tasks, knowing how to manage and work with remote employees is important. From using the right hybrid working tools to holding regular meetings, there are lots of strategies you can implement in your operation, which will ensure projects run smoothly.
