More companies than ever are operating with remote teams because of the increasing popularity of working from home and having a distributed workforce. While allowing for more flexibility, managing teams that are not co-located in the same office presents some unique challenges. Clear communication, the right tools and strong processes are critical for success.
Foster an Engaged Culture
Just because team members are not physically together does not mean you cannot cultivate an engaged, collaborative, and tight-knit culture. Use video conferencing for daily team check-ins and friendly chat. Schedule virtual social hours and activities. Celebrate successes and milestones together. Maintaining that human connection is key when teammates are geographically spread out.
Prioritize Communication
With a remote setup, communication becomes even more vital since you lack those casual office interactions. Encourage an environment of over-communication using whatever channel teammates prefer. Provide multiple ways for anyone to easily get a quick response. For example, the people at Apello say that a live answering service ensures no messages go unanswered if people are away from their desks.
Establish Asynchronous Protocols
With team members in different time zones and on varying schedules, it’s important to have protocols for asynchronous communication and collaboration. Use tools for recording videos explaining tasks, ideas, or feedback that others can digest in their own time. Encourage documenting processes and decisions in team wikis. Use project management software to assign tasks with clear owners and deadlines. Establishing best practices for asynchronous workflows means you can minimize inefficient back-and-forths and ensure seamless handoffs.
Use Collaboration Tools
Use cloud-based collaboration and project management tools purposefully designed for remote teams. Apps like Asana, Trello, Basecamp and Teamwork provide centralized spaces for assigning tasks, sharing files, and tracking progress. Video conferencing via Zoom also enables screen sharing for real-time collaborating. The right tools will streamline teamwork.
Clarify Roles & Processes
With everyone working separately, it’s crucial that roles, responsibilities and processes are clearly defined. Who is accountable for what? What are the agreed-upon protocols, deadlines, and expected communication cadences? Having these guidelines established upfront eliminates confusion and keeps the team cohesively aligned.
Provide Training
Make sure teammates have all the training and resources needed to fulfill their roles successfully in a remote environment. Consider developing robust training documentation and video tutorials. Provide opportunities for cross-training on tools and processes. The investment in training pays dividends.
Leverage Specialists
Do not be afraid to enlist specialists for complex tasks that exceed your team’s expertise or bandwidth. For example, outsourcing IT setup and maintenance to managed service providers reduces headaches. Virtual assistants can manage routine administrative duties. Streamlining with external specialists optimizes your team’s focus.
Schedule Check-Ins
Set up consistent video check-ins, both one-on-one meetings between managers and individuals as well as group team meetings. These discussions build trust, ensure alignment on priorities and workloads, and provide a forum for giving/receiving feedback.
Build in Accountability
Since micromanaging remote teams is inefficient, build in processes for accountability. Define expectations around availability and responsiveness. Utilize time tracking tools and set clear deliverable deadlines. Conduct regular progress reviews. With accountability measures in place, teammates will stay engaged and motivated.
Encourage Work/Life Balance
Without clear boundaries, there is a risk remote workers can become burned out trying to cram too much into their days. Emphasize the importance of achieving a healthy work/life balance. Don’t send late night messages. Be understanding of breaks and personal obligations. Avoiding burnout keeps productivity levels up.
Conclusion
Managing a successful and cohesive fully remote team requires being intentional across all aspects, including culture, tools, processes, and leadership. Optimizing communication, collaboration and accountability while supporting wellbeing means you can position your remote teams for peak efficiency and results.
