Top Tips For Leading Remote Teams

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted businesses and industries worldwide, causing economic turmoil and forcing companies to adapt quickly. This has made it essential for companies to review and adjust workplace policies to ensure business continuity, but it is equally important to approach these changes with a strategic plan in mind rather than acting impulsively. From keeping team members engaged and motivated to ensuring clear communication and productivity, managing remote teams requires a unique approach.

This article presents strategies for efficiently managing remote teams, from establishing a sense of community to implementing dependable communication systems, and the role of strong leadership in remote teams. It will also address the significance of trust, guidance, and adaptability in leading remote teams. With the proper techniques and tools, remote teams can perform exceptionally and work together smoothly regardless of their location.

Create a sense of community

Many remote workers have reported feelings of isolation and loneliness, as they do not have the same level of face-to-face interaction with their colleagues as they would in an office environment.

According to Buffer’s State of Remote 2021 Report, 27% of people who work remotely admitted that they struggle with being unable to unplug, and 16% said that remote work makes them feel lonely.

Having a sense of community and support is crucial for remote employees to thrive, therefore, employers need to find ways to foster a sense of togetherness among remote team members to improve their well-being.

Therefore, regular communication is essential for building a sense of community among remote teams. This can be achieved through regular virtual meetings, check-ins, and video conferencing which can help remote team members stay connected and engaged. Additionally, fostering a culture of trust among remote teams is crucial for building a sense of community. Encouraging team members to share their ideas, thoughts, and concerns can help to build trust and create a sense of community.

Another key strategy for building a sense of community among remote teams is creating opportunities for social interaction. Organizing virtual team-building activities, such as online games, trivia nights, or virtual happy hours, can help to build camaraderie and encourage team members to interact with one another in a more relaxed setting.

Share Frequent and Consistent Information

Imagine when your remote team is working on a critical project for a client. The team is spread out across different locations and time zones, making it difficult for them to stay on the same page. The lack of communication is causing mishaps.  Therefore the solution here is to conduct regular virtual meetings. This includes sharing updates on team projects, company news, and any other relevant information that team members need to know. By keeping team members informed and up-to-date, they will feel more connected and engaged with the team and the company.

Additionally, it’s important to use consistent communication channels and platforms for sharing information, when leading virtual teams, this helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and can access the information they need quickly and easily.

Regular team meetings and check-ins are also great ways to share information and keep team members informed. These meetings can also be used to discuss any issues or concerns that team members may have, which can help foster a sense of community and teamwork.

In addition to sharing information, it’s also important to create an open and transparent communication culture, where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions, this will build trust and a sense of belonging.

Have virtual team-building exercises

Employers leading remote teams must look for new ways to engage and connect remote employees and keep the employees stay productive and efficient. This helps in creating and maintaining strong relationships within the team, no matter where they are. One effective strategy for achieving this is through the implementation of virtual team-building exercises. These activities, such as virtual happy hours, game nights, and group challenges, provide remote team members with an opportunity to connect and engage with one another in a fun and informal setting.

These activities can help to promote collaboration, communication, and trust among team members and foster a sense of belonging within the team. By creating an atmosphere of positivity, trust, and communication, remote teams can become more productive, motivated, and effective in achieving the company’s goals.

However, managers need to tailor the virtual team-building exercises to the team’s specific needs and preferences, and also to make sure that these activities are inclusive and accessible for all team members. As remote work becomes the norm, companies that prioritize building a sense of community among their remote teams will have a competitive edge in retaining top talent and achieving success.

Use technology to your advantage

With reliable technology infrastructure, such as fast internet, updated hardware, and robust security protocols, you can ensure that your team is equipped with everything they need to succeed. It enables employees to eliminate the time-consuming commutes and work in a way that suits them best. Employers can enhance this benefit by providing more flexibility in terms of working hours. Technology allows remote employees to work during their peak productivity hours.

Utilize video conferencing tools for regular team meetings, check-ins, and virtual team-building activities. These tools enable remote team members to interact with each other face-to-face, fostering a sense of community and connection.

Maximizing technology can be done by utilizing project management tools that allow remote teams to collaborate and exchange information without any difficulties. These tools can assist in organizing remote teams, managing virtual teams efficiently, and making sure that everyone has a clear understanding of the team’s progress.

Software that facilitates real-time collaboration, information sharing, and communication among remote teams can foster a sense of unity and inclusiveness among team members.

Offer flexible scheduling options

Having an option of flexibility is always beneficial for the existing employees. It helps single parents, employees with sick children or elders, disabilities, etc to balance their life and work. An option for scheduling flexibility must be there at the workplace to help employees in these situations. With the ongoing COVID-19 situation, employees are looking for more flexibility in their work schedules. By offering flexible scheduling options, companies can enable team members to achieve a harmonious balance between their work and personal lives, leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction, and employee retention.

Offer flexible scheduling options by allowing remote teams to have flexible start and end times, WFH, and hybrid work schedules. Employers must keep an open door for conversations like these. Allow employees to work shorter hours or take time off during the summer months. Providing compressed work weeks where employees can work longer hours over fewer days, such as four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days. Offering paid time-offs.

By offering a combination of these options, an employer can provide employees with a range of flexible scheduling choices, helping them to balance their work and personal responsibilities more effectively.

Establish clear expectations

Handling remote teams demands a distinct strategy compared to managing teams that are managed on-site.  By establishing specific guidelines and expectations for communication and engagement, remote teams can be just as successful as teams in the same physical location. By setting clear expectations for communication, productivity, and performance, remote teams can work more efficiently and effectively.

One way to establish clear expectations is by setting regular communication protocols and schedules. For example, regular team meetings, check-ins, and video conferencing can help remote team members stay connected and engaged. Additionally, having clear guidelines for email and messaging communication can help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that important information is not lost in the shuffle.

Another way to bring clarity is by setting clear productivity and performance targets. This can be achieved by establishing clear, quantifiable, and attainable objectives for the group. By providing remote teams with clear performance targets, they will have a better understanding of what is expected of them, and they will be more motivated to achieve those goals.

Additionally, managers should also establish clear expectations for work hours and availability, this can help to ensure that team members understand when they are expected to be available and when they can take time off.

Use tools to increase productivity

Ever experienced delays on a project because a laptop malfunctioned with all the crucial files saved on it? Had a team member who struggled to send important assets because they were working offline? Employers and employees can now access it in various ways and with the help of new tools that are now available. These tools consist of software, AI, and plug-ins that can assist in meeting the productivity needs of businesses globally. These not only increase productivity but also help in driving innovation.

Communication tools: Platforms such as Zoom, Slack, and Microsoft Teams allow remote teams to stay connected and communicate effectively in real time, regardless of their location.

Project management tools: Tools such as Asana, Trello, and etc can help remote teams to track their assigned tasks, organize projects, and deadlines. This helps ensure that everyone is aware and nothing is overlooked.

Time tracking tools: Tools such as Toggl, RescueTime, and Harvest can help remote teams to track their time, monitor their productivity, and identify areas where they can improve their efficiency.

File-sharing tools: Platforms such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive allow remote teams to share and access files and documents from anywhere, at any time.

Productivity apps: Apps such as Evernote, Focus@Will, and Forest, help individuals to focus and increase productivity.

With technological advancement, tools are evolving and new tools are coming up every day. Understand gaps such as inefficient operations or manual tasks, lack of communication and collaboration, difficulty in tracking progress and meeting deadlines, difficulty in making data-driven decisions, etc– in your current work scenario that may be hindering the company’s performance. Further, identify and invest in tools that can help bridge these gaps and increase efficiency.

Define roles and responsibilities

Employees face situations when the roles and responsibilities are not clearly explained. Either they lack an understanding of the task or they face challenges because they are not well-equipped for the task provided to them. Therefore, by clearly outlining the roles and responsibilities of each team member, remote teams can work more efficiently and effectively, and avoid confusion and misunderstandings.

Creating detailed job descriptions for each team member is a great way to define roles and responsibilities in a team. This can help ensure that everyone is aware of their specific responsibilities and how they fit into the team’s overall objectives.

Additionally, managers should also ensure that there is clear communication on how roles and responsibilities will be managed and how communication will happen, this can help to avoid confusion and misunderstandings.

Set clear goals for your team and individuals

Setting clear goals for your team and individuals is like putting a compass for success. It provides direction and focus, enabling your employees to understand their roles and what is expected of them but that’s just scratching the surface – proper goal-setting can achieve much more. By involving your employees in the process and making sure the goals are crisp, you can encourage accountability, motivation, and drive that can lead to improved performance and success. And also, you will set a good example of leadership in remote teams.

Having well-defined objectives not only inspires motivation and a sense of achievement as workers observe their progress and involvement in the team’s overall triumph, but it’s crucial to engage employees in the goal-establishing procedure to guarantee they have a sense of possession and dedication.

Goals should be precise, measurable, achievable, pertinent, and time-bound, and should be reviewed and adjusted regularly to ensure they are still relevant and aligned with the company’s overall strategy. By setting clear goals for the team and individual employees, an employer can create a more engaged and motivated workforce, leading to improved performance and success.

Clear and effective communication

Challenges like communication difficulties, procrastination, and work-life balance can easily arise when there is no effective communication. To effectively navigate these obstacles and ensure the success of remote teams, it is important to develop solutions.

One effective method for doing this is by creating a mind map, which visually organizes and outlines the challenges and potential solutions. By taking the time to document and understand these challenges, organizations can implement strategies to overcome them and ensure productivity, and improve team efficiency and engagement of the remote teams.

Employers can use communication channels like email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and project management tools. By using a variety of communication channels, remote teams can ensure that they can stay connected and communicate effectively, regardless of their location.

Another way to achieve clear and effective communication is by establishing clear protocols and guidelines for communication. This can include regular team meetings, check-ins, and video conferencing. By having regular communication and following guidelines, remote teams can ensure that everyone is on the same page and that important information is not lost in the shuffle.

Additionally, managers should also ensure that there is clear and timely feedback, this can help to ensure that team members are aware of their progress and what they need to improve.

Adopt reliable communication systems

With technological advancement reliable, remote teams can stay connected, collaborate effectively, and achieve their goals. Through the help of reliable communication systems, employers can easily check up on employees, ensure the deadlines are met, track everyone’s progress, and overall use the tools to manage remote teams.

One way to adopt reliable communication systems is by using cloud-based communication platforms. These platforms, such as Zoom, Slack, and Teams, allow remote teams to communicate and collaborate in real-time, regardless of their location. They offer an array of features, including video conferencing and instant messaging, and file sharing, which can help to increase productivity and communication.

Another way to adopt reliable communication systems is by ensuring that all team members have access to the necessary tools and equipment to communicate effectively. This can include high-speed internet, webcams, and headsets. By providing team members with the necessary tools, remote teams can ensure that they can communicate and collaborate effectively, regardless of their location.

Additionally, managers should also ensure that there are clear protocols and guidelines for communication, this can help to ensure that all team members are aware of how to communicate effectively and that important information is not lost in the shuffle.

Offer mentorship support

As the trend of remote work continues to grow, organizations are faced with the challenge of how to support the professional development of their employees in a virtual environment. Remote mentoring programs have emerged as a solution to this problem, offering a way to keep teams connected and promote growth while working remotely. 

Pairing team members with experienced mentors who can provide guidance and advice. This can be done through one-on-one mentoring or mentoring groups. This can help to ensure that team members have access to the knowledge and expertise needed to succeed in their roles.

Offer mentorship support by providing training and development opportunities. This can include online courses, webinars, and workshops, which can help team members to develop new skills and stay up-to-date with industry trends.

Additionally, managers should also encourage team members to seek out and take advantage of mentorship opportunities, this can help to ensure that team members are actively seeking out the knowledge and expertise they need to succeed in their roles.

Build an environment of trust

Being a leader is similar to being a director of a play; it involves directing, monitoring, and adapting to changing circumstances. This means creating teams and departments that are well-versed in their responsibilities and able to respond effectively to changes. To be successful, directors must establish a culture of trust among their teams.  Similarly, strong leadership in managing remote teams is needed. Employers need to build trust with remote teams, so they can work in unison–more efficiently, collaborate more effectively, and achieve their goals.

Building trust within a team requires intentional effort and a commitment to open and transparent communication. Encouraging team members to freely express their opinions, ideas, and concerns creates a culture of honesty and transparency, promoting mutual understanding and respect. 

Providing clear and timely feedback is also a crucial component in building trust. By giving team members insights into their strengths and weaknesses, and highlighting areas for improvement, they are given the opportunity to grow and develop. Furthermore, when leading remote teams, delivering feedback that recognizes and appreciates their contributions demonstrates to team members that their hard work and dedication are valued, further enhancing their trust in your leadership.

Additionally, managers should also lead by example by being trustworthy and reliable, this can help to create an environment of trust where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns.