As ‘digital’ becomes the norm in almost every industry around the world, terms like ‘remote teams’, ‘telecommuting’, ‘work from home’ and ‘digital nomad’ are no longer indicative of a phenomenon in the future, but of a reality in the present. Thanks to technology, tools and even shifting mindsets, more and more work is now being done by groups of people in geographically-dispersed locations.

But the presence (or necessity) of remote teams raises some serious questions for management such as:

• How do we effectively manage such teams?
• How do we ensure that they understand their responsibilities, complete their work and meet their deadlines (or targets)?
• How do we maintain productivity and efficiency?
• How can we keep them motivated even without regular managerial intervention?
• How can we improve communication between the different members and between the members and managers?

If you’re managing a remote team – or plan to manage one sometime in future – here are some tips that will make your life easier.

Tip 1: Create a proper team structure

Remote teams can easily disintegrate into chaos in the absence of a formal structure, processes and documentation. If you want to avoid this situation and ensure that your team works smoothly – whether you’re in the same location to oversee them or not – you need to do at least some (and preferably all) of the below:

• Create procedures and methodologies
• Implement project management systems
• Identify and organise all important data and make sure it’s available to all team members as and when required
• Create relevant documentation about Standard Operating Processes (SOPs), roles and responsibilities, training manuals, etc
• Set appropriate rules and share them with everyone on the team

Also important – share the company’s vision and objectives with them, ask for their inputs and share relevant information. When you encourage transparency, and are honest yourself – accountability and performance will automatically improve.

Tip 2: Set deadlines and expectations

If people know what is expected of them, they will perform better – remotely and otherwise. Most people function pretty well if they know that their manager has a good handle on things and expects the same of them. This is especially true of middle and senior-level employees who need only a little guidance but not micro-management in order to do their work effectively. Make sure that everyone on the team is aware of your expectations. If you change them, let them know!

You might have to do some micro-management with junior employees, but even this might not be required after some time has passed.

Tip 3: Hold regular ‘virtual’ meetings

If your remote team consists of members in different time zones, finding a meeting slot that suits everyone can be a challenge. However, with some planning and forethought, it can be done.

There are many benefits to virtual meetings. You will:

• Understand your team members better
• Get a better handle on challenges and roadblocks
• Create a more open environment where issues can be discussed and viable solutions implemented
• Improve communications among members
• Build stronger connections that improve productivity and teamwork

Make the meetings regular, time-bound and mandatory. And always include an agenda!

Tip 4: Incorporate ‘remote’ into your company’s culture

Every company has a culture, whether it is acknowledged or not. Build a company culture that ‘normalises’ remote work and teams. Make sure this culture percolates to every level of the organisation, from top management to the junior-most employee.

How can you do this?

By encouraging team members – remote and otherwise – to get to know each other while also respecting and valuing each other’s time and talents. When everyone is working towards the same goals and aligned with respect to their mindsets, geography will not be a barrier to the organisation’s goals.

Tip 5: Use technology!

Remote teams can only function if they have the proper tools to manage projects, track time, improve performance, address challenges and ensure seamless, unambiguous communications.

Hundreds of such tools are available today; and many of them are free. Use them!

You can adopt some or all of the below software for your organisation:

• Timesheet/time-tracking
• Collaboration and communications
• Virtual training
• Remote support
• Project management
• Transaction management

Cynergi’s partner firm Prime Infotech offers a number of these solutions at great prices! To know more about licensing, volume discounts and FREE trials, contact us today!