Having team members working remotely requires different techniques to managing a localised team. These tips will help to ensure that you are providing your remote team members with the support they need to function as an effective member of your team.
Microsoft offers a host of software solutions that makes managing teams remotely easier. You can schedule regular conference calls amongst the team members using Office Outlook, for example. By interacting with each other regularly as a group, they can begin to develop more positive team relationships. Email communication is essential, so try to encourage other team members to do the same through Outlook. Although remote teams don't have the same amount of face-to-face time as more traditional teams, using technology such as videoconferencing, or instant messaging allows team members to become more familiar and comfortable with each other. Just to let you know, we regularly run
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Creating and sharing a plan for your team will help to prevent any misunderstandings which may arise across different sites. By having a plan which clearly sets out things like communication levels and responsibilities, you can prevent potential issues from arising later. Employees will be aware of when they will be in contact with each other and what each team member has responsibility for. This can help them plan effectively and can also be useful when reacting to developing situations. Use a planning tool such as Microsoft Project Professional 2010 to make this easier. Project Professional gives you a powerful, visually enhanced way to effectively manage a wide range of projects and programs. From meeting crucial deadlines, to selecting the right resources and empowering your teams.
When leading a remote team, you might have less regular face-to-face meetings with team members. This can sometimes create problems when trying to establish close working relationships, so it's important to plan regular meetings with all team members and spend as much time as possible in each location. Observing employees in their own working environment can also help you understand their skills, how they prefer to work and any development needs.
Some employees will need to be in contact with you more than others. However, it is important that all team members are aware of your presence within the organisation. You might find that you focus your attention on some team members, for example, an underperforming team member. However, this can cause other members of the team to feel undervalued or even neglected. Make sure that you always schedule regular time with team members and stay in constant contact with everyone. If you do have to switch resources to specific team members sometimes, don't keep this become a long-term arrangement at the expense of the other members.
It is important for a team' manager to believe that their employees are a team, rather than a group of individuals working on related issues at different locations. Encouraging your team members to get to know what their colleagues are doing and how it relates to them can help to create a greater sense of team spirit. You might also encourage employees to work with their colleagues in another locations at times, and this will help team members to think of themselves as part of a collective unit.
By scheduling regular team meetings or workshops together and linking them to a social event such as a group night out or social event, you can help team members gain a clearer understanding of the people they are working with. It also allows an opportunity to develop personal relationships face-to-face and share experiences and ideas in a more relaxed setting.
Staying in contact with individual team members is vital to help ensure that they feel part of the greater team. Planning updates at agreed times means that you can maintain a regular level of contact with your remote team. It is useful to use these updates as two-way conversations to avoid creating the impression that you are simply 'checking up' on the employee. Use these regular conversations to get progress reports, share feedback or important organisational news. Also make each employee aware that this is an opportunity for them to ask any questions or share concerns with you.
Make sure that your meeting time with team members is utilised fully. When meetings are taking place, have an agenda and ensure you have plenty of time to complete business. Be fully prepared and ask others to do the same. Stress to your employees that meetings are extremely valuable because of the limited time the team has together. This will ensure you get maximum results from each meeting you have together.
Conflicts might arise within teams from time to time. These can be difficult to resolve between remote employees as there is less opportunity to deal with issues face-to-face. By having a plan in place, employees know that they can follow certain steps to deal with any conflicts quickly and without the problem getting out of hand. This can reduce the risk of resentment growing between employees in different locations.
Along with geographical differences, you might have to address cultural differences. While this may be more obvious from country to country, it will also be true on a regional basis. For example, an employee who is based predominantly in a major city may have a different outlook to someone who is based in the provinces. So whenever you are dealing with employees, try to be aware of their individual backgrounds and how this may affect their approach to work.
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