Six Tips for Managing Remote Collaboration
Most people in a remote team can be very productive.
But there are some problems that you need to be aware of when managing remote teams. The most apparent one is the lack of accountability.
If a remote worker doesn’t have to be in the office, they might be more lax about getting their work done. And as a result, you’re left with some extra work for them to do.
The other problem with remote workers is that they might not have enough control over the decisions that affect their day-to-day life at work.
If they feel like they don’t have any say in their workplace, this can cause issues for your team overall.
And it can make it hard to give them direction and make sure they’re on track with your goals.
If this sounds like you, check out our tips on how to give remote workers more control over their work. We have 6 tips to help you keep your remote team on track.
1. Create a roadmap and vision for your team
As a team leader, you need to give your remote workers a roadmap and a vision for the company.
Otherwise, they won’t know where they’re headed. And this can cause frustration, especially if the people on your team don’t feel like they’re contributing enough.
Here’s how you can set this up:
Think about your overall goals for the year and how those goals will affect each of your employees.
Create a one-page roadmap for all of your employees to help them know what their next steps are in reaching these goals.
Use this document as a basis for communication, so that everyone on the team knows what needs to be done and when it needs to be done.
2. Build a trusted relationship with your remote workers
Many managers often overlook remote employees.
But they can make or break a team. And therefore, it’s so important to build a relationship with your remote workers.
This is especially important if you want them to be productive, and it will help them feel more comfortable working remotely.
If they feel like they’re not getting enough support from you, they might decide to leave your company.
The first step in building a relationship with your remote workers is getting to know them better.
Get to know their strengths and weaknesses, and get to know how much of a commitment they’re willing to give towards the company’s goals.
3. Be honest with your remote workers about what’s going on
Virtual meetings and teleconferences are convenient for remote workers. They’re a great way to work together with your team, even if you can’t be physically in the same room.
But this convenience can also cause problems. For example, people might not be on the same page with the details of what they’re working on.
This is especially true if they’re remote and you don’t have a physical location where they can come together and collaborate.
This is where being honest with your remote workers about what’s going on can help you get things done more efficiently.
If they know what they’re going to work on, why, and when, it makes it easier for them to focus their time on getting things done right.
4. Make your remote team feel like they’re a part of your team
Videoconferencing is great, but it’s not always the best solution.
For some remote workers, the first experience with a videoconference can be an intimidating one.
Even if you’re working in a comfortable office environment, many remote workers still feel like they’re in an unknown environment when using video conferencing.
And this can be hard for them to get used to.
But it’s important to make your remote team feel like they’re a part of your team and that they belong. This is especially true if you want them to be productive at work.
You need to show your remote workers that they’re not out of touch with the rest of your team and that you’re still communicating with them regularly.
And you should do this through both formal and informal communication methods.
5. Know what kind of feedback would be helpful for your remote workers
You should be able to give remote workers suggestions on how they can improve their work.
But it’s important to know what they would prefer to hear instead of what you think they should do.
For example, if your remote worker is not as productive as they could be, then they might appreciate it if you asked them what they could do differently.
But if you’re asking them to do more work than they can handle, this can make them feel overwhelmed and less motivated overall.
So it’s better to ask them what’s wrong instead of telling them what needs to change.
Communication tools like Slack and Skype are especially great for keeping your team in touch and giving them feedbacks regularly and in real-time.
6. Know when to give your remote team members more responsibility
The common goal of every leadership tactic is to help your remote team members feel empowered.
If you have many people working remotely, you need to know when it’s time to give them more responsibility and when it’s time to give them less. It helps in building employee engagement.
Sometimes this means giving them more authority on a project or giving them a bigger part in making important decisions.
And other times, it means taking over certain tasks and responsibilities for them.
You can’t just give anyone on your team more authority or ask them to do anything they’re not comfortable with.
You need to take some time to make sure they’re ready for these new roles and that they can do the job well.
This might mean taking the lead on their first project and seeing how they handle it before handing off more responsibilities.
Or it could mean having them fill in for you if you’re out of town for an extended period.
There are no hard-and-fast rules about how long you should wait before giving remote workers more responsibility.
However, I recommend trying things out gradually so that your team members are ready for the change.
Creating the Best Remote Environment for Your Team
Team collaboration and communication can be tough when you’re working remotely.
But it’s not impossible. And with the right leadership tactics, your remote team members will be more productive and happier overall.
Hopefully, these tips have given you some helpful ideas on how to build a productive remote team.
Don’t be afraid to try out new collaboration tools and tactics in managing your remote team!
About the Author
I hope that my post has helped you know more about Remote Collaboration. Feel free to leave a comment and tag me and I will answer them. Follow my profile to get the latest content I post to stay ahead of the curve.
I am the Founder of Cudy Technologies, a full-stack EdTech startup helping teachers and students learn better. I am also a mentor and angel investor in other Startups of my other interests (Proptech, Fintech, HRtech, Ride-hailing, C2C marketplaces, and SaaS). You can also find me on Cudy for early-stage Startup Founder mentorship and advice.
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