When it comes to construction companies, most team members are required to work on-site. But for the finance, administration, marketing, and communication employees, many companies have moved to a remote or hybrid work environment.
Managing a remote team can be a challenge, especially if you are contending with multiple time zones. Below are five steps to help effectively manage a remote team and ensure productivity.
Step 1: Establish an on-boarding process for your remote team. Building rapport when establishing a virtual team can be challenging. When employees are in the same physical workspace, it is convenient to introduce new team members to their colleagues with a group activity. The on-boarding process for remote teams should include a similar means of introduction. This can be accomplished by setting up 15–30-minute video conferences between the new team member and their colleagues.
Step 2: Establish clear expectations. As with any team, your employees will thrive when they have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Be sure that you set clear expectations for response times to emails and phone calls, submission of reports or other data. Include how, when, and through what medium they should communicate with managers, colleagues, and clients.
Step 3: Encourage communication throughout the day. Lack of communication can leave remote workers feeling isolated. This can cause team members to feel unmotivated, which can lead to decreased productivity and morale. Online messaging apps can encourage your team to chat as they would if they bumped into each other in the office and can help foster a bond, and making the team stronger.
Step 4: Establish goals to promote productivity. Not being able to physically see if someone is actually working can be a challenge for leaders. Even if you have complete confidence and trust in your team, it is not always easy to have an inside view of their productivity. Setting 30-, 60-, and 90-day goals with specific tasks can help you and your team members stay on task. Weekly meetings – both as a group and individually – can indicate when someone may need help with a project or address productivity issues before they get out of hand.
Step 5: Be available and approachable. To reduce burnout, many managers of virtual teams tend to have a workflow that is comprised of sprints throughout the day with several breaks in-between. When your team is not able to physically see if your door is open, they may be less inclined to regularly check-in with you. Encourage your remote team to come to you with questions and issues. Give them a defined timeline as to when you will get back to them if you are not available.
Leading virtual teams can be extremely effective if you preserve your energy by creating a workflow that works with your team’s global dynamic. Following these steps will help keep you and your team happy, connected and productive.
