Knowing how to manage a remote team can seem impossible if you’ve never had one before. When you can’t look someone in the eye or hear them talk, it’s easy to think they aren’t working as hard as they could be. If you want to increase your employees’ productivity, be sure to utilize these 10 reliable ways to manage a remote team.
1) Hire the right people
Being a remote worker can be difficult at times. Communication is key, and trust is hard to establish when you’re not in person. Be sure to hire people with strong communication skills instant messaging services like Troop Messenger are great for that and who can get along well with other remote workers in your office chat app.
2) Define your rules
If your team works remotely, you’ll need to establish some rules and policies about how communication will take place. Before launching a remote team, define all of your communication rules and regulations be it office chat apps like Troop Messenger or internal instant messaging systems, and share them with your entire team.
3) Offer incentives
Depending on what your employees do, offering incentives (i.e., money or gifts) for performing well and reaching specific goals might be in order. Whether they’re used as an encouragement tactic or a means of gaining new members, offer these bonuses during business meetings and super apps.
4) Keep communication channels open
Every successful remote company that we’ve talked to says a similar thing: Good communication is key. While video conferencing tools like Skype, Troop Messenger, and WebEx are vital, they’re not all you need. To go above and beyond in managing your team across time zones, try using super apps, Apps that let you do multiple things at once, from keeping everyone in touch with group text messaging apps to sharing files through Dropbox.
5) Involve team members in decision making
Remote teams need to have a team of like-minded professionals so that every voice is heard and considered. Whether it’s over video chat or instant messenger, create opportunities for people to share their feedback. Even when you make final decisions about tasks and projects, your team members should feel confident that they had a real say in making those choices.
6) Show appreciation
The most successful remote teams have one thing in common: respect. When it comes down to it, a little appreciation can go a long way towards improving your team’s morale. Think about it: if you haven’t gone out of your way to thank a teammate for something they did recently, do it now! It will boost your productivity and show that you care about their work as much as your own.
7) Provide regular feedback, coaching, and mentoring
Communication isn’t just one way. Managers who provide regular feedback however it’s communicated (online chat, email, etc.) make their employees more productive and encourage them to take on additional responsibilities. This increased productivity boosts morale and helps managers identify opportunities for team growth.
8) Review and update the process periodically
There’s always room for improvement. If you have remote employees, you must keep in regular contact with them. Remember to review your process once or twice a year to make sure it still meets your needs and has worked effectively for your team.
9) Celebrate success
Building a remote team is all about trust, so make sure you’re celebrating your team’s successes along with their failures. Showcasing your team for their achievements will keep them motivated and working towards bigger goals.
10) Assign individual responsibility
A key part of being a manager is assigning tasks and duties to your team members. When you’re working remotely, it can be difficult to tell who’s doing what, so make sure you regularly assign tasks based on skill set, rather than proximity. If one member of your team has stronger communication skills than another, for example, he or she should take lead on internal communication this gives that individual more responsibility and keeps them engaged.
Final Thought
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