How do you manage a high-performing remote team? That the question every manager of a virtual team asks themselves. Remote work isn’t new and managers have gained a wealth of experience during the pandemic. Nonetheless, they still haven’t figured out how to effectively run such a team. Luckily to them, pros are willing to share their wisdom in managing a remote team. Take a look at their key tactics.
Create a System
For their proper functioning, businesses rely on systems. If your team was working together in an office, your business could get away without having a centralized system. That is because employees can leave their desk anytime they want, walk over to their coworkers and ask them for help. Since they are now working remotely, every member is left to fend for themself. To make their job easier, each one of them has its system and processes. For a productive remote team, you should create one complex system for everyone to follow. As you and your employees use the system, you will be able to refine it to suit your business model better.
Fall into a Meeting Rhythm
To stay in contact with employees, you should fall into a certain meeting rhythm. This means you should organize daily check-ins with teams and all-hands meetings on an organizational level. The frequency of these meetings depends on the industry, company, and the job itself. However, experts have certain recommendations regarding business meetings.
For example, check-ins should take place every day and last no longer than 15 minutes. During that time, you should make sure everyone is on board with projects and nothing stands in the way of reaching corporate goals. Additionally, you should take at least half an hour weekly to have a one-on-one with team members to discuss their plans for career growth. Once a week, you should also meet with all employees for about 10 minutes to make them feel a part of an organization.
Communicate Frequently
As a manager of a remote team, you are bound to face a major challenge. That challenge is communication. Remote employees have trouble interacting because they have fewer opportunities. This is a big problem because communication is crucial for business growth. To overcome such a difficulty, you can take advantage of digital communication channels, such as the intranet. Employees are already using tools and platforms in both their private and professional life, so they know how helpful they are. The only thing you should do is encourage them to use the selected channel as frequently as possible. This way they will be able to share knowledge and information necessary to do their job right despite different time zones and locations.
Maintain Virtual Friendships
Your employees may work from different locations, but in the end, they are all a part of the same team. That is why they should build and strengthen their team spirit. This is important especially for those companies where human contact is limited such as software development. For this reason, you should make sure they nurture and maintain virtual friendships. One of the ways to connect team members is through team building activities outside work. For example, you can organize virtual dinners or happy hours, game nights, or quizzes for everyone to participate and relax after a long day at work. As a result, employees will grow fonder of each other and communicate better.
Encourage Employees to Set Boundaries
Remote employees usually struggle to keep their private and professional lives separate. Teammates often work in different time zones. Chances are when they message or call each other, they will disrupt someone’s sleep or family time. For this reason, you should encourage employees to set boundaries. In particular, ask them about their work schedules and make sure at least some part of it overlaps with others’ schedules. This way coworkers can communicate and collaborate despite time differences. More importantly, you will show that the company respects their privacy and time. Lastly, it will bring employees closer and build a strong relationship with management.
Monitor Employees and Offer Help
Being out of sight, addressing employees’ needs is rather difficult during remote work. Mistakes, misunderstandings, and problems related to work assignments are an inevitable part of any business. However, you can make sure employees aren’t out of your mind. Keeping a close eye on them will help you notice subtle signs that a staff member is struggling or has a problem of some sort. This way, you can jump right in, help or support them. Employees will appreciate the help and attention and you will make sure nothing prevents them from doing their best in the workplace.
To conclude, managing a remote team remains a mystery for most managers. Still, with advice from real pros in this field, you can learn how to run a high-performing virtual team in no time.