We live in an interconnected and fast-paced world that requires remote teams who work from different locations, linked only via technology.
Startups can benefit from this type of work in many ways. It is, however, necessary to put specific approaches and workflows in place to ensure a remote team is working in coordination and simultaneously.
In this guide, we will explore the challenges faced by managers of remote teams and provide practical strategies to help you lead your team to success.
In other words, if you are ready to become an effective remote team manager, read on and get ready to lead your team to success.
Understanding the Challenges of Remote Teams
You are a manager with many years of experience, or maybe a business owner whose employees are all over the world. So how do you collaborate and manage employees you don’t see?
You will say to yourself — there is technology for that.
But the truth is that employees who work from home face a series of problems that communication and project management software cannot solve and, unfortunately, can negatively affect their productivity and work.
Let’s put ourselves in their shoes and see how these problems can be solved.
Communication and engagement
Professional communication is different than communication in an informal setting. Many external factors influence the effectiveness of communication and it’s important to be recognized on time.
- Lack of trust is the first factor that needs to be considered in remote teams. People who have yet to see each other face to face might have difficulty establishing trust, which is crucial to teamwork and accomplishing the task.
- Need a place for informal communication. Chit-chat can be a good way to get to know somebody and establish the first crucial factor in healthy communication – trust. However, email, phone calls, or even conferencing apps such as Zoom and Slack may be unsuitable tools for having open conversations with colleagues.
- Lack of engagement. Engaged employees are happy; however, having a remote job may make employees feel isolated from multiple conversations and interactions. Lack of employee engagement can also lead to decreased productivity, which leads to low job performance.
- Cultural differences. The team’s diversity enhances the working environment, but differences in cultural backgrounds challenge remote teams. Cultural differences and language barriers can contribute to professional misunderstandings and conflict. Using technology as the only communication means in diverse groups increases the chances of misinterpreting the intentions of coworkers.
Managing workloads and productivity
A manager’s primary responsibility is to distribute the work properly so that each employee can focus on their particular task as much as possible.
New remote managers commonly overwork their employees and set tight deadlines, which can lead to burnout.
Work-Life Balance
This point builds on the previous one. A common problem among work-from-home teams is burnout, which can disrupt the work-life balance. As many employees recognize the importance of balancing their private and professional lives, work-life balance has become the norm. As a result, managers need to keep this challenge in mind not to overwork their employees and lead their teams effectively and efficiently.
Different Time Zones
Managers of remote teams spanning different time zones face challenges in coordinating and scheduling meetings, fostering cohesion, and communicating equally with all team members.
Best Practices for Managing Remote Teams
Use Communication and collaboration tools.
One of the essential tools for managing remote teams is communication and collaboration software. Luckily, collab software such as Slack, MS Teams, Discord, Zoom, and many more enables remote teams to communicate smoothly and without obstacles.
Here’s a quick overview of how we utilize Slack at Stavreska Recruiting to enhance communication and collaboration within our remote teams:
- We specify how and when team members should message each other. This way, we keep respectful and appropriate communication.
- We created separate channels for each team to keep conversations neat and organized. We also created an off-topic channel where employees can talk on different topics to keep them engaged and help them establish closer relationships.
- We use Slack Integrations to improve the workflow.
- We utilize Slack’s multiple options like reminders, pinned message options, and file-sharing options to ease the daily-working responsibilities and increase productivity.
Use Project management software.
Project management tools play a huge role in managing remote teams. They provide a clear overview of the entire work process, allowing team members to see the prioritized daily tasks and their deadlines and tо see the various stages they need to go through to finish the job.
Here is a small tip on how to optimally utilize these tools:
- To make the project more manageable, it is recommended to divide it into smaller tasks and establish deadlines for each one.
- Start using tools like Asana, Trello, or Jira to keep all project information and communication in one place. Also, ensure that each team member knows how to work with the software you’ve selected.
- Assign tasks to team members and prioritize them based on importance and deadline.
- Encourage team members to share their thoughts, ask questions, and provide updates regularly to keep everyone in the loop.
Integrate Time-tracking and productivity tools.
Time tracking and productivity tools may sound like micro-management tools; however, they can benefit the employer and the team members.
Time-tracking tools can help you estimate the time team members need to accomplish a task and give you insight into whether or not you should decrease the workload.
You can also introduce apps such as Pomodoro and encourage your remote team to take a break every 30 minutes to increase their focus and sharpen their concentration.
Allow Flexible work arrangements.
Flexible arrangements allow team members to work at the most convenient times, increasing efficiency and quality.
Additionally, flexible work environments and schedules can increase job satisfaction and reduce stress.
Flexible work arrangements are often highly valued by employees and can help improve retention rates by making the company a more attractive workplace.
Provide adequate support and resources.
Overall, having support from the manager and open and transparent communication is the backbone of every remote team.
When team members can openly ask questions, feel encouraged to ask for feedback, and feel comfortable expressing their concerns, it creates a positive and productive work environment where everyone can thrive.
To boost team motivation and achieve timely completion of projects, a manager can offer support and clear guidance and foster a startup culture of openness and transparency. By doing so, the manager can instill trust and strengthen relationships among team members, even in cases where their interactions are less frequent than in a traditional office setup.
In addition, make sure that you organize online meet-ups and weekly check-ups with each team member, so you can easily spot any concerns and resolve them promptly.
Implement Agile methodology and frameworks.
To promote collaboration, dedication, creativity, and positive outcomes, it is recommended to implement Agile methodologies and frameworks.
Agile project management prioritizes flexibility, customer satisfaction, and teamwork using collaborative and adaptable approaches.
Two commonly used Agile frameworks are Scrum and Scrumban, a hybrid of Scrum and Kanban.
Check-in meetings/ Management meetings
It’s a good idea to have regular team meetings with a manager once a week to help everyone feel like they belong.
These meetings can be modeled after Scrum, which involves daily sessions to promote collaboration and teamwork.
It’s essential to keep these meetings brief, lasting at most 15 minutes, so everyone can stay focused and get things done quickly.
Use a knowledge base software
Knowledge and information sharing is another important pillar of the functioning of any company. In an environment where employees are physically together, the exchange can flow more easily and quickly. Usually, employees ask each other for the information they need and can understand it more easily.
Under normal circumstances, employees also need different information that can come from different people. When working from home, this can be more difficult, even with the use of communication software. Therefore, software that serves as a knowledge base is a good solution to this problem.
All information related to the workplace can be stored here, as well as the company’s policies and procedures. This way, each employee will be able to inform themselves about everything that interests them quickly and easily.
Of course, you will also have to make sure all the data entered is fresh and updated so that there is no confusion.
In conclusion
Managing a team that is not physically in front of you is a challenging task, besides the sophisticated technology made to ease everyday functioning.
There are many issues remote managers need to be aware of to establish organized, well-coordinated, and happy teammates.
Stavreska Recruiting offers consulting services that can help you develop a strategy for remote team coordination.