Remote team management: effective tools and practices

Building distributed teams is a common practice today as it allows for the recruitment of outstanding employees from all over Poland and even from abroad. Distributed teams can be just as effective as those working on-site. However, it’s undeniable that a dispersed group requires a skilled leader. Managing remote employees can be quite challenging. Today’s article is a nutshell guide to remote team management. We will present effective practices and useful tools that will undoubtedly make your work easier.

Challenges in managing a remote team

Managing a distributed team poses a number of challenges for leaders. One of the biggest is the difficulty of communication and the need to build relationships remotely. The lack of face-to-face contact can significantly deteriorate the quality of communication and make it difficult to build trust. The need to conduct conversations through dedicated communicators limits the ability to interpret non-verbal signals and decreases the clarity of communication, which can lead to less effective team management. Misunderstandings, which can lead to conflicts that hinder efficient work, are easy to arise in remote work.

A huge challenge in leading a team working remotely is motivating employees to take action. The lack of direct supervision over the group’s work can make it difficult to achieve business goals, which, in turn, can lead to worse outcomes and weaker development of the entire company. The task of a leader of a distributed team is to find effective ways to motivate employees, continually assign tasks that stimulate their creativity and encourage them to take initiatives.

How to be a good leader of a distributed team?

Effective remote team management is primarily the art of planning. It is crucial to meticulously define the goals and rules of work. Clear task delegation translates into higher employee productivity. Avoid ambiguities, articulate your thoughts clearly, set realistic yet ambitious performance standards, and establish specific deadlines for individual tasks or projects.

A good solution is to prepare a set of regulations defining the procedures and policies related to remote work. Clear guidelines on working hours, communication mode, ways of reporting activities, and the system for evaluating employee efficiency will help avoid any misunderstandings and ambiguities that are the source of conflicts and make team management difficult. It is important to ensure that the rules are understandable and fair to all employees.

The task of a leader of a remote team is to support employee development by organizing training that hones skills useful in daily work or providing educational materials. Investing in employee development brings long-term benefits, including increased job satisfaction and activity efficiency. A satisfied, motivated team is easier to manage.

Key in directing a remote team is the systematic verification of work, analysis of results, and skillful adaptation of strategies to the situation. It’s valuable to include employees’ opinions in the strategy.

Choosing the right tools is fundamental

Remember that in managing a remote team, the tools used for communication play a significant role. An interesting solution is platforms for comprehensive work management equipped with features for project management, discussions, or exchanging documents between employees.

Some of the most popular tools that facilitate remote work include:

• Slack – a widely used internet communicator for business communication,
• Wrike – a versatile, easy-to-use platform that gives control over team work,
• Nozbe – a project management application available on any operating system,
• PM Compass – a functional program for team management, project management, and documentation.

What else can you do?

In communication with a remote team, respect local customs and cultural differences. This will earn you the sympathy and respect of your colleagues. Be available and open to employees’ suggestions. Take possible delays into account when setting deadlines for various projects. Care for good relationships with the team. Try to maintain personal contacts with employees, organize integration meetings (even online, in the form of video conferences).

Continuously improve your qualifications

You can hone your managerial skills through dedicated training – either in-person or online. Workshops provide a compendium of expert knowledge on building well-functioning distributed teams and conducting effective communication with a remote team. During the training, you’ll learn how to harness the potential of a distributed team, maintain employee engagement, and leverage new technologies in working with a remote team. The knowledge gained will significantly facilitate your management tasks.

Being a good leader – especially of a team working remotely – requires considerable commitment. But it is undoubtedly worth it. Effective remote team management translates into satisfying results – easy achievement of business goals, financial benefits, and a highly enjoyable work environment!