Tips for managing remote teams
Introduction
If you're managing a remote team, it's essential to create a culture of communication and cooperation. This can be hard to do when everyone is so far away from each other, but if you keep these tips in mind, it will make life much easier:
Think about the benefits of remote work.
Flexibility: You can work from anywhere, so you don't have to spend time commuting. In addition, if you live close enough to the office where your team is located, then it's possible for everyone in your team to meet together regularly for lunch or happy hour.
Reduced commuting time: If you're working remotely and commuting in between two different locations every day, this can add up quickly! On average it takes about 50 minutes each way by car; if one person has two jobs then they need at least an hour each way on top of that. By being able to work from home however - or even just having access via VPN - these days are significantly shortened due to technology advances like video conferencing software which allows instant collaboration between teams regardless where they physically reside geographically speaking.
Get buy-in from your team.
The first step to managing a remote team is to get buy-in from your team. It's important that everyone understands the benefits of working remotely and what it will mean for them, but even more important is making sure everyone is on board with the idea itself.
Make sure that everyone understands their role in the company, where they fit in its hierarchy and how their work affects others in different departments. If someone who has been working at company headquarters isn't clear about what he or she needs to do now that he or she has moved out of state (or even country), then his or her performance could suffer because he or she does not feel comfortable enough with his or her new situation.
Have conversations with each person on your team about how remote work will affect him/her personally as well as professionally and see if there are any concerns before moving forward!
Set clear performance goals.
It can be easy to fall into the trap of setting goals that are too high or too low. In order to avoid this, you need to make sure that your goals are clear and achievable.
Make sure everyone knows what's expected of them in terms of results and how they will be measured.
Make sure everyone understands how their work fits into the bigger picture, especially if there are multiple teams working on different aspects of a project.
Remain flexible.
Flexibility is key to managing remote teams. Your team will be more productive when they can work from home and you can maintain a balance between work and life. Flexibility allows for greater productivity and creativity, which are both important for any manager.
To be flexible in your approach, consider the following:
Set up teleconference calls with your team members regularly so that everyone feels included in the conversation - even if it's just once a day or week! This helps build trust among co-workers who may feel disconnected from each other due to time zone differences or geographic location (or both).
Use video conferencing software like Google Hangouts or Zoom for meetings when necessary; it's much easier than making phone calls across oceans!
Create a communication and collaboration culture.
The first step to managing a remote team is to ensure that everyone is on the same page, with clear expectations and goals.
Use tools like Slack or Zoom to share information throughout your organization.
Establish trust among team members by making sure they know what's going on within their department or division (and how it relates back to the larger organization).
Conclusion
If you're a manager of a remote team, you face some unique challenges. You have to manage people who are geographically dispersed and have different levels of experience. But there are also plenty of benefits to working from home or on-site as well! In this post we'll look at ways to make sure your remote team thrives and why it's so important for managers to lead by example:
Introduction
If you're managing a remote team, it's essential to create a culture of communication and cooperation. This can be hard to do when everyone is so far away from each other, but if you keep these tips in mind, it will make life much easier:
Think about the benefits of remote work.
Flexibility: You can work from anywhere, so you don't have to spend time commuting. In addition, if you live close enough to the office where your team is located, then it's possible for everyone in your team to meet together regularly for lunch or happy hour.
Reduced commuting time: If you're working remotely and commuting in between two different locations every day, this can add up quickly! On average it takes about 50 minutes each way by car; if one person has two jobs then they need at least an hour each way on top of that. By being able to work from home however - or even just having access via VPN - these days are significantly shortened due to technology advances like video conferencing software which allows instant collaboration between teams regardless where they physically reside geographically speaking.
Get buy-in from your team.
The first step to managing a remote team is to get buy-in from your team. It's important that everyone understands the benefits of working remotely and what it will mean for them, but even more important is making sure everyone is on board with the idea itself.
Make sure that everyone understands their role in the company, where they fit in its hierarchy and how their work affects others in different departments. If someone who has been working at company headquarters isn't clear about what he or she needs to do now that he or she has moved out of state (or even country), then his or her performance could suffer because he or she does not feel comfortable enough with his or her new situation.
Have conversations with each person on your team about how remote work will affect him/her personally as well as professionally and see if there are any concerns before moving forward!
Set clear performance goals.
It can be easy to fall into the trap of setting goals that are too high or too low. In order to avoid this, you need to make sure that your goals are clear and achievable.
Make sure everyone knows what's expected of them in terms of results and how they will be measured.
Make sure everyone understands how their work fits into the bigger picture, especially if there are multiple teams working on different aspects of a project.
Remain flexible.
Flexibility is key to managing remote teams. Your team will be more productive when they can work from home and you can maintain a balance between work and life. Flexibility allows for greater productivity and creativity, which are both important for any manager.
To be flexible in your approach, consider the following:
Set up teleconference calls with your team members regularly so that everyone feels included in the conversation - even if it's just once a day or week! This helps build trust among co-workers who may feel disconnected from each other due to time zone differences or geographic location (or both).
Use video conferencing software like Google Hangouts or Zoom for meetings when necessary; it's much easier than making phone calls across oceans!
Create a communication and collaboration culture.
The first step to managing a remote team is to ensure that everyone is on the same page, with clear expectations and goals.
Use tools like Slack or Zoom to share information throughout your organization.
Establish trust among team members by making sure they know what's going on within their department or division (and how it relates back to the larger organization).
Conclusion
If you're a manager of a remote team, you face some unique challenges. You have to manage people who are geographically dispersed and have different levels of experience. But there are also plenty of benefits to working from home or on-site as well! In this post we'll look at ways to make sure your remote team thrives and why it's so important for managers to lead by example:
