Working from home has now surpassed the trend mark and has become the way of life due to present conditions. You may be one of the thousands of business owners or managers who find themselves managing a remote team.
These 5 tips will help you and your team continue to be productive and successful regardless of where they work.
Communicate
Communication is always key for any team to be successful. Working from home can pose a challenge; however, there are many ways you can stay connected to your team. With applications such as Zoom or Google Meet, planning daily or even weekly check-ins can help keep the communication strong. There are also other apps (like Slack) that can be used for messaging-related communication.
Regardless of what you choose to use, be sure the communication between your team stays ongoing.
Keep Expectations Realistic
Any expectations set for your team should be realistic. As you manage expectations, be sure to give clear cut tasks through actionable steps, and detailed information. Don’t hesitate to explain to your team the reasoning behind a set of tasks.
Managing expectations will also help you keep a handle on what everyone is doing and if things are being accomplished. The expectations should always relate to the vision and mission of the business.
Be Outcome Focused
Sure, it’s easy to focus on the day-to-day activities, but it is also important to keep the outcome in sight. When you have good communication with your team, coupled with realistic expectations, you will not need to micromanage your remote team. Instead, you can be more focused on the outcome of what they’re doing.
If something isn’t measuring up, you’ll then be able to see where an issue lies and deal with it accordingly.
Provide the Resources Needed
There may be times that extra resources are needed in order for things to run smoothly. If your team has not always worked remotely, don’t assume that they will have all the tools they need in their new work environment. Be ready to help them invest in high-speed internet, mobile devices, software, etc.
Be Flexible
This is probably one of the most important tips for managing a remote team. Not only does everyone have a lot going on, but there is most likely a huge learning curve taking place. In some cases, you may have to be flexible in terms of productivity and task delegation. Make adjustments to deadlines and give your team a bit more liberty with their work schedules.
In conclusion, having to manage a remote team can be a great learning experience for you and your team. This is a good time to establish clear remote-work policies and training. Use the tips mentioned above to keep your team on a path to productivity and success while maintaining a healthy level of managerial support
