Remote work, which became a norm due to the global pandemic to fight the virus, is here to stay, at least for the next few years. Previously, remote work was not very common.
However, during the lockdown, employees from across the globe were forced to work remotely. Eventually, it was realised that it is possible to enjoy the same amount of productivity and output even in remote work.
Further, it was realised that remote work saved plenty of additional costs like the electricity cost, which is required to house a large number of employees. All these reasons contributed to giving rise to the hybrid work mode. However, managing remote teams is still a challenge. Here are six ways to seamlessly manage remote teams.
1. Give proper guidelines
During remote work, it is difficult to have face-to-face discussions. Therefore, it is important to provide the team with proper guidelines to ensure that the entire team can function correctly. If you are going to conduct an online meeting, ask the team to check their internet speed on Speed Test to ensure that the internet speed is sufficient enough for video conferencing. Similarly, you can ask them to double-check the internet speed on Google FIber when someone needs to upload a heavy document. Having the right internet speed is important while working remotely for obvious reasons.
Giving clear guidelines will help the team prepare themselves for all the critical tasks for the project. Further, keep the expectations clear from the team and convey the same beforehand to give enough time for preparation.
2. Use the right tool for collaboration
Working on any project requires good collaboration. However, a lack of appropriate tools can be a substantial obstacle in meeting the teams. Therefore, it is important to have the right collaboration tool to manage the team seamlessly.
Keep your team organised and maintain a clear flow of communication to ensure smooth collaboration. Not only do the right collaboration tools allow you to assign the responsibilities, but they also provide a platform for communication too.
3. Create transparency in the system
While working remotely, it is difficult to see who is doing what. The lack of visibility among team members can reduce the workers’ productivity. Therefore, creating a transparent system where the team can see each other’s work progress is crucial.
You can create a central dashboard where the responsibilities are divided and are visible to all. Having a transparent system will create accountability amongst the workers.
4. Go for shorter meetings
It is essential to avoid lengthy meetings. A lengthy meeting might work well in an office where everyone faces each other. However, the same is not true when it comes to online meetings.
It is essential to keep the duration of the meeting flexible. At the same time, ensuring that everyone participates in the online discussion is vital to avoid monotonous conversations. It will also keep everyone engaged too.
5. Keep one-to-one check-ins
It is important to keep a check on the employees at an individual level during remote work. The type of micromanagement possible in the offline mode of working is not possible in remote work. Therefore, resist the urge to micromanage. However, at the same time, it is essential to have regular interactions with the employees one-to-one to provide the necessary feedback.
6. Keep track of progress
Maintaining a work-life balance is hard while working remotely. It is not uncommon for people to be interrupted while working from home. In such a scenario, one can often lose track of the work. Therefore, having a clear trail of employees’ progress is essential.
To track the workers’ progress, divide the main goal into subgoals. Doing so will help you keep track of the work’s progress. If you see someone lagging behind the work, go for a one-to-one meeting and address the issues.
Most importantly, you must ensure clear communication amongst all the team members to ensure everyone is on the same page. Consider all the different modes of communication options available for the same. Cultivating speaking and listening habits is important to avoid misunderstandings while working remotely. Also, keep celebrating all the work milestones as you would have celebrated in an office. It will help to keep the spirits of everyone high. With proper management, achieving impressive results from remote work is possible.