Are you managing a remote team? This is a new situation which many managers find themselves in 2020 and can be a huge challenge for many, especially those that have not had remote workers before. Remote working can bring many advantages to both the business and employees. Hence, it is easy to see it continue even once the pandemic has ended. Still, to enjoy these perks, people need to know how to manage remote teams effectively as there are a few unique challenges to overcome. So, if you are looking for some advice for managing a remote team then read on for a few tips.
Invest in The Best Tools
First, you need to make sure that everyone has the right tools at their disposal so that they can carry out their role effectively each day from home. Video call software, screen share software, communication apps, cloud computing and remote project management software are just a few of the tools that will come in handy for remote teams and make your work much easier.
Cloud Training
Cloud computing can make remote working much easier and more straightforward for all. Still, it is also an area that many businesses are struggling with as employees struggle to get their heads around it after working one way for so long. Cloud training for business can help to get your employees up to speed and allow them to carry out their role confidently each day using cloud computing which will enable them to easily work together and stay on the same page no matter where they are working from.
Get to Know People’s Preferences
Everyone has a different approach when it comes to remote work, and you should try to avoid a blanket approach to get the most out of your team and keep them happy. You might have some employees that like to stay in touch throughout the day and will prefer phone calls and video calls while some staff will prefer to be left to it and checked in on sporadically via email.
Avoid Micromanaging
Following this point, one area where many managers make a mistake is not trusting their team to work effectively from home, which sees them constantly checking in and micromanaging. This is why you need to have trust in your team and simply to give them autonomy and let them get on with their job and to provide them with positive feedback regularly.
Find Ways to Bring People Together
There are many perks to remote work, but it can also be isolating, especially during the pandemic when people will not be able to socialize as much as they’d like outside of work. This is why you need to support your remote teams and bring people together, such as video calls for “after-work drinks” and increasing the number of collaborative projects.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to manage your remote team effectively and allow both the business and employees to enjoy the many perks that this way of working can bring.
