Insight: Tips for managing remote teams

Times are turbulent. With teams working from home, team leaders have had to deal with the sudden and unforeseen need to manage through this crisis. They must deal not only with business as usual—which can be unpredictable anyway—but with the added layers of remote work, waning morale as worry and anxiety about the future creeps in, and drop-off in engagement as people become isolated in work-from-home silos.

As a manager, it’s your job to keep the engine running, and your change management skills are going to be tested as you keep your team on task, feeling valued and communicating effectively. Here are some tips on how to make sure engagement remains high during this time:

When working with a remote team, you need an agreed-upon and understood set of tools (such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, Google Hangouts or other instant message and video platforms) to replicate easy in-office communication. As the leader, you also to set the culture of how and when to use those tools. Lead by example:

Be aware you might also have to deal with management across generations: some members of your team may be comfortable already with instant messaging and video calling tools while others may be hesitant: ensure that those people have access to IT support or training as needed.

Finally, make sure you encourage casual communication, whether it be checking in daily via instant message or holding a ‘coffee break’ via video conference. In-office communication isn’t all about work, and according to Gallup, having friends in the office is correlated with effort, productivity and engagement. Your people will appreciate the effort to check in on their well-being, as it fosters a sense of solidarity

While some managers may fear that productivity decreases for at-home work, studies show that the opposite is true, and people often work longer hours when working from home. However, longer hours can in turn contribute to a drop in morale, efficiency and focus. To counteract these effects, leaders should:

• Demonstrate good work-life balance by ensuring all but the most urgent communication happens during standard office hours (avoid assuming that people have more time for work because they’re not commuting)
• Make things as easy as possible, tech-wise, whether that’s getting the right equipment, getting IT support or making training available
• Invest in some remote team-building activities like games, quizzes and fitness challenges to boost people’s positivity and connection.
• Try to accommodate flexible work if members of your team have caring responsibilities, particularly as child and elder care may be more tricky at the moment.

Remember that you’re representing your whole organisation, so being as responsive and understanding to your team’s needs right now will make them feel valued by their workplace.

Motivation

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