Three Tips on Leading a Remote Team

(Originally published on LinkedIn)

There are plenty of benefits associated with hiring remote talent, but leading a remote team can also come with its challenges! As a manager, it's important to learn how to leverage new tools and strategies in order to effectively lead a remote team and we've included just a few of them here:

1. COMMUNICATION

   Communication is key when managing a team that is not working in the same office together. You will not be able to nudge your employees to ask them a question or visibly see the collaboration that's happening amongst your team members. If you have a mixed onsite/remote staff, this can get even trickier! In order for your employees to maintain a strong culture and still feel like they're part of a united team, it's important to schedule consistent team meetings or "huddles" to ensure everyone is on-task and in sync. A great way to do this is by scheduling one or two video conference meetings per week to go over everyone's goals for the week, collaborate on challenges, etc. You can also touch on exciting personal updates such as birthdays, anniversaries and promotions during this meeting as well! In hosting consistent virtual "face-to-face" meetings, the team will feel connected to each other and to you as your manager. Lastly, it's important to schedule weekly one-on-one meetings with your employees to share updates with one another. This also provides a great coaching opportunity for you on a frequent basis!

2. TRUST

   If you're leading a team that is responsible for managing their own schedules, getting all of their work done on time and conducting themselves in a way that aligns with your culture when you're not with them, you have to TRUST THEM and they must TRUST YOU. While you cannot physically see what they're doing, the team will be less effective if they're expected to report to you after every task that's completed. Give them space to get their work done successfully and check in periodically to see how you can help them do so! You can develop the team's trust in you by responding quickly to problems, keeping promises, being readily available when needed and completing tasks on time. It's up to you to set the tone and and to empower your team to rise to the occasion!

3. STAY CONNECTED TO GOALS

   It's easy for your remote employees to feel disconnected from the team. A good way to avoid this is to constantly reinforce your teams' and organization's "WHY”. This includes your team goals, along with the organization's culture and mission! Create a culture of accountability and have an easy way to track the team's progress and share how their hard work is contributing to your organization's goals and the impact it has on others! This will give them a sense of motivation and pride in their work and will keep everyone feeling connected, regardless of where they’re working.