New era of work has forced many companies to move their employees to remote work, and this shift has created some new challenges for managers. Remote workers may experience a lack of supervision, distractions at home, social isolation, and difficulty accessing information. Fortunately, there are several tips and strategies that managers can use to improve the engagement and productivity of remote workers. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best practices for managing remote teams.
The Challenges of Remote Work
Before we dive into the tips and strategies for managing remote teams, let’s take a closer look at the challenges of remote work.
Lack of Face-to-Face Supervision
One of the biggest challenges of remote work is the lack of face-to-face supervision. Managers may worry that remote workers won’t work as hard or as efficiently when they’re not in the office. However, research has shown that remote workers can be just as productive as office-based workers, if not more so.
Lack of Access to Information
Remote workers may also struggle with a lack of access to information. They may have difficulty locating information from coworkers or feel out of the loop on important decisions and updates.
Social Isolation
Remote workers may experience social isolation and loneliness, missing the informal social interaction of an office setting. They may feel disconnected from their colleagues and the company as a whole.
Distractions at Home
Working from home can be challenging because of the distractions that come with being in a non-work environment. Remote workers may find it difficult to focus on work because of family members, pets, household chores, or other distractions.
Tips for Managing Remote Teams
Now that we’ve looked at some of the challenges of remote work, let’s explore some tips and strategies for managing remote teams.
1. Establish Regular Check-Ins
One of the best ways to manage remote teams is to establish regular check-ins. This could take the form of daily or weekly calls with individual team members or team-wide video conferences. The important thing is to provide a forum for employees to ask questions, discuss concerns, and share updates.
2. Use Multiple Communication Channels
In addition to regular check-ins, it’s important to use multiple communication channels to stay in touch with remote workers. Email alone is insufficient. Remote workers benefit from having a “richer” technology, such as video conferencing or instant messaging, that gives participants many of the visual cues that they would have if they were face-to-face. By using multiple communication channels, managers can ensure that remote workers feel connected and informed.
3. Provide Opportunities for Social Interaction
Social interaction is essential for remote workers. Managers can provide opportunities for social interaction by scheduling virtual coffee breaks, happy hours, or other team-building activities. These events can be a great way to build camaraderie and foster a sense of belonging.
4. Encourage Collaboration
Collaboration is key to effective remote work. Managers can encourage collaboration by using project management tools such as Asana, Trello, or Basecamp. These tools make it easy for remote workers to collaborate on projects and keep track of progress.
5. Set Clear Expectations
It’s important to set clear expectations for remote workers. This includes expectations around communication, work hours, and deadlines. By setting clear expectations, managers can ensure that remote workers understand what’s expected of them and can work independently without needing constant supervision.
6. Provide the Right Tools
Remote workers need access to the right tools to do their jobs effectively. This includes tools for video conferencing, instant messaging, project management, and document sharing. Managers should ensure that remote workers have access to these tools and that they know how to use them.
7. Focus on Outcomes, Not Activities
When managing remote teams, it’s important to focus on outcomes, not activities. This means setting clear goals and objectives and giving remote workers the freedom to achieve them in their own way. By focusing on outcomes, managers can empower remote workers to be more creative and independent.
8. Foster a Positive Company Culture
Company culture is just as important for remote workers as it is for office-based workers. Managers can foster a positive company culture by communicating regularly, recognizing employee achievements, and promoting a sense of belonging and teamwork.
9. Offer Emotional Support
Remote workers may experience stress, anxiety, or loneliness. Managers can offer emotional support by checking in regularly, listening to concerns, and offering encouragement. By providing emotional support, managers can help remote workers feel more connected and engaged.
10. Be Flexible
Finally, it’s important to be flexible when managing remote teams. Every remote worker has a unique home environment, and managers need to be understanding of this. By being flexible with work hours, deadlines, and communication, managers can help remote workers be more productive and engaged.
Managing remote teams can be challenging, but with the right strategies and tools, it can also be rewarding. By establishing regular check-ins, using multiple communication channels, providing opportunities for social interaction, encouraging collaboration, setting clear expectations, providing the right tools, focusing on outcomes, fostering a positive company culture, offering emotional support, and being flexible, managers can help remote workers be more engaged and productive.