10 Tips to Manage Remote Teams

These 10 tips to manage remote teams are for managers and small business owners whose team works partly or fully from home. Remote teams lose the quick hallway conversations that keep office teams aligned, so communication, goals and expectations have to be more deliberate. The tips below cover the channels, tools, rules and check-ins that make remote work run smoothly, and an example at the end shows one remote team's week.

• Smooth Communication

• Use Management Tools

• Define Goals

• Agree on Working Hours

• Make Rules

• Deliver Your Expectations

• Provide Work-related Equipment

• Clearly Describe Job Responsibilities

• Supportive Supervision

• Conduct 1:1 Meetings

• Example

• Key Takeaways

Smooth Communication

A team cannot survive without smooth communication. Team strategy can only work well with a regular flow of information. So it's not an option; it's mandatory.

Remote teams usually need more mutual interaction as compared to traditional teams. So, select the medium of communication by keeping in view the requirements of remote teams. Take your communication level to the point that it eliminates all the hurdles in the way of a remote team.

Use Management Tools

We can take some tools on board to manage things properly. This tip will work for both remote and traditional teams. However, project management tools make a huge difference for remote teams.

Management tools remove many of the hurdles remote teams face. Management tools will not only enhance productivity but also make things easier. Some major features of management tools are:

• Track team member's performance

• Assign tasks

• Auto-update task lists

• Seamless integration

Define Goals

A lot of a project's success depends on setting the right goals and communicating them well. It is significant to bring the entire team on the same page. We can do it through goal setting.

Well-defined goals will eliminate the chances of misinterpretation of information. So, make the goals and deliver them appropriately. Remember to divide your primary goal into smaller and achievable segments.

Agree on Working Hours

Agree on core hours when everyone is reachable, especially across time zones, and how breaks and availability are shown (for example, a status in your chat tool). Some teams also use time-tracking tools. If you do, tell employees exactly what is tracked and why, check local privacy rules, and focus on output rather than minutes on screen.

Make Rules

Make team rules by keeping in view the work requirements. Definite rules will help you to obtain the desired performance standards.

Appropriate rules and regulations help the team members to work accordingly. Hence, you can align your team's activities to achieve a common goal.

Deliver Your Expectations

Unlike traditional teams, a remote team member can't easily judge the manager's expectations. Therefore, it is crucial to deliver your expectations to your team members. So, define your expectations related to the following factors:

• Performance of team members

• Daily targets

• Ultimate deadlines

The well-defined expectations will help you to obtain desired results. It will also help employees understand exactly what you expect from them.

Provide Work-related Equipment

Every team has different work requirements. However, remote teams need the best working equipment for seamless integration and high performance.

So, provide work-related equipment to your employees according to your work requirements. Also, agree on a backup plan for outages, such as a phone hotspot or a nearby co-working space.

Clearly Describe Job Responsibilities

Make sure that each team member is getting enough instructions for work. Most managers make the mistake of just delivering the overall goals. They think each member will automatically recognize their role in achieving that goal.

In reality, when you define the responsibilities of each employee, you can hold them accountable for them. Hence, it increases the productivity of teams.

Supportive Supervision

Suppose you set appropriate goals, expectations, roles, and responsibilities. It's only worthwhile if you follow up. So, stay in touch with your team's work.

You can supervise your team through management tools, regular check-ins and calls, rather than surveillance. The supervision will allow you to stay close to your team. You can guide them and answer their queries immediately during supervision.

Conduct 1:1 Meetings

1:1 meetings are always effective. Remote teams need frequent one-on-one sessions. This way, you can stay close to every individual in your group. It will enhance the motivation of each team member, and you can mentor them by keeping their performance in view.

Example: A Remote Team's Week

A five-person remote marketing agency runs its week like this:

1. Monday: A 20-minute video stand-up sets the week's goals; each person's tasks and due dates are on the shared project board.
2. Core hours: Everyone is reachable from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the team's main time zone; outside that, people work when suits them.
3. Channels: Quick questions go in team chat, decisions are written in the project board, and email is for clients.
4. Midweek: Each person has a 30-minute 1:1 with the manager every other week.
5. Friday: A short written update from each person: what shipped, what's blocked, what's next.
6. Monthly: One optional virtual coffee chat, and an equipment check for anyone whose setup is slowing them down.

Key Takeaways

Remote teams need extra attention and guidance. That comes from effective communication, clear goals and expectations, and regular check-ins. Use the tips above to build those habits into your team's routine.

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