How To Manage Teams Remotely In companies
Manage Teams Remotely in companies: Many companies had never even tried the home office and had to make this migration in a hurry. However, the biggest challenge of implementing a home office is managing and leading teams remotely.
After all, how do you manage remote teams well to keep engaged and with good performance? This is one of the questions for which there is no easy answer. However, a company can take small actions to do well in this task. Learn more about remote team management.
What Is Remote Team Management?
Remote team management is leading a team working remotely, i.e., away from the head office, to maintain unity and workforce engagement.
When this change in the work environment takes place, it is also necessary to make changes in the people management protocols to:
- create a new routine;
- maintain efficient communication;
- make aligned project management; and
- maintain information security.
Remote team management is the role of managers from each area of the company who follow the guidance of the People Management department, when it exists, or of the business owner himself.
A study published in the Harvard Business Review shows just how challenging remote work is. The main problem is the lack of trust in the managers.
According to the 215 managers interviewed for the study, 40% said they had little self-confidence in their ability to manage employees remotely.
Another interesting fact is that, for 38% of managers, the engagement of the remote team is worse in the home office, which directly affects performance at work compared to the version at the office.
The ability to master challenging situations puts both managers and staff on alert. Pay more attention to the work routine and commitment to try to adapt to this new reality.
What Are The Primary Skills Of Managers In Remote Work?
If managers’ self-confidence is not so solid in managing teams remotely, it is necessary to invest in strengthening leadership so that the company moves forward. We have gathered some skills that can help improve the performance of leaders in this context:
Good Communication Skills
Knowing how to communicate clearly and objectively is essential for a leader in front of a remote team. Good communication strengthens the members’ autonomy as the leaders do a good follow-up of the tasks, demonstrating the importance of all engagement with the work.
To achieve this goal, managers need to check in with the team instead of micromanaging employees and provide information, guidance, and support for the group to work autonomously.
Know How To Distribute Tasks
Following the reasoning of autonomy, another essential skill of a leader in remote team management is knowing how to distribute tasks. It is necessary to avoid micromanagement and, as a leader, not take everything for yourself.
Remote team engagement depends directly on the work and its evolution. So, keeping employees moving by delegating tasks and setting deadlines helps maintain employment and inspires team dedication.
Be Organized
The tools for remote team management that we have mentioned below will help create a system of organization that will work in practice, both personally and as a team.
That way, leaders and their teams can share tips and efficient ways to complete the day’s tasks, split time, and even deal with distractions. This exchange is essential to keep the company close, even when working from home. See below how it can lead, motivate and develop people working from home.
How To Manage A Team Remotely?
A home office implementation project in a company usually lasts about a year. Between tests, pilot projects, mistakes, and successes, a company walks towards being successful in remote work.
However, in the current scenario, this migration was gradually not possible. It was up to leaders and managers to find a management model that works for their teams and, thus, overcome the challenge of managing and leading a group at a distance.
But what is the way? The first thing we need to understand in managing remote teams is that there is no ready-made recipe for success with remote work.
However, minor adjustments during the routine and implementing some rules and processes already adopted by other companies can make yours do well in the same way.
To achieve this goal, remote team management work needs definitions such as:
- Have clear goals
- establish rules
- create routines
- Strengthen communication
- Bet on feedback
- Add new tools
Understand each task in detail.
Have Clear Goals
One of the first tips for good remote team management is to have a clear objective. By that, we mean what your company wants to achieve; what are the goals and objectives that must be met?
The clearer your company’s goal is, the easier it will be for employees to engage in achieving it, even when working from home.
Establish Rules
Creating a home office policy will act as a guideline for employees. Your company must work on a document of best practices for managing remote teams.
Remember that this process is still new for many, so no matter how much you think a particular rule is implied, it’s best to ensure everyone is aware of it. So, the rules regarding systems, schedules, meetings, and even company equipment will be handy during this period.
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