How to menage your remote team

Set clear expectations.
Trust and transparency are the basis for successful remote collaboration. You and your employer should discuss each other’s expectations for working time, communication and performance in detail when starting remote work. When and how often will you prove yourself? What schedule flexibility is acceptable – for example, will it be an early morning start to accommodate an afternoon break to pick up your child from school? What are the responsibilities and how will any new information be communicated to the team? Defining these issues early on gives employees and management clear what the responsibilities of each party are and how the results will be measured.

Communicate using as many senses as possible.
Managing remote employees is also communication. For a team member who works entirely outside the office, consider a micro- and macro approach. For example, you may have a single system for daily sharing of up-to-date information on task progress and immediate business activities, and a longer scheduled meeting, perhaps weekly, to address a wider spectrum of problems. Communication using as many senses as possible is the optimal solution. We definitely overestimate your ability to express emotions through written text – if it is possible to use videoconferencing, use it. This will also allow for non-verbal contact, the more so as intonation can easily change the nature of the utterance.

One set of tools.
Managing remote employees requires the use of more technology than in the case of stationary work. Technology has enabled the development of remote work. But technology can be capricious. To seamlessly manage your remote workers, select the toolkit for your team that you’ll be using, then make sure everyone has the support they need to use them consistently. Nobody wants to waste time troubleshooting after the meeting has started, so make sure you have remote connection contingency plans that will run smoothly in the event of a system failure. In small group meetings, where everyone is expected to cooperate, the ability to hear and see each other is essential.

Think ahead.
A conscientious remote worker tries to understand and adapt to the needs and culture of the organization. To show that commitment comes from both sides, try to understand what the organization looks like from the point of view of the remote worker. If possible, visit a remote office – but only when necessary, may be considered to be crossing the boundaries of the employer-employee relationship. Think about the relationships between team members, both in the central office and in remote locations. When all team members are in remote locations, there is a shared commitment to providing virtual and equal access to information and organizational culture. When only one or a few people are away from the central location, remote workers can easily feel distanced from the crew.

Be up to date all the time.
Remote employees value flexibility more than the benefits of working in the office, but it is important to guarantee equal rules for all corporate employees. Organize quarterly or semi-annual trips for team members to spend time together face to face. At the start of each videoconference on your team, spend a few minutes talking about your weekends, your kids – things that make colleagues feel like colleagues, not just colleagues. If your team receives company-funded gadgets, don’t forget to send gifts to remote employees as well.

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