Managing Teams Remotely

Sharing from our actual delivery experience

As part of our Public Schedule portfolio, STL offers our Managing Teams Remotely Course to a wide range of organisations, from IT and Banking to Sporting Facilities and TV Stations.

In the modern workplace more and more teams operate remotely. This may be because of the nature of their particular role, e.g. a Field Sales Team, or just aligned to flexible work practices where employees work away from the traditional office environment, e.g. Home workers.

Although many of the fundamentals of management remain the same, there are areas that require particular attention when managing employees who work remotely.

Their HR/Learning and Development departments select this particular course because they want to make sure those tasked with managing remote teams have the knowledge, skills and behaviours in place to do this effectively.

At the end of this one day workshop, delegates will have gained the skills necessary to confidently manage remote teams and ensure they remain engaged, productive and contributing to organisational success.

Benefits

• Organisations select this course for their remote managers because they want them to be able to:
• Receive expert advice on how best to manage teams remotely.
• Understand how to overcome the distance barriers to effective communication.
• Show an insight into how to build a high performing team using ‘remoteness’ as an opportunity rather than a barrier.

 Learning Deliverables for Managers

The Managing Teams Remotely course blends theory and practice to great effect, so the learning is embedded. People learn in different ways, so once a topic has been introduced there will be time for group discussion, where ideas, experiences and real-life situations can be shared. Following this, there is always a practical exercise when delegates get to work together and apply the skills, techniques and top tips provided in a safe environment.

One of the biggest benefits of the course is that we have a number of delegates from a wide range of different industries all openly sharing their hopes, experiences and challenges around the world of performance management. It’s very reassuring to know that other people, no matter where they work, face the same sort of issues that you do in this area. So, let’s share our ideas and experiences for everyone’s benefit.

The areas of the course which frequently provide the most ‘light bulb’ moments are:

• The realisation that remote teams bring real positives to any organisation in terms of; flexibility, diversity of thought and lower costs.
• Management is management and people are people. These principles apply just as much when managing teams remotely as they do when your team are all together in one office.
• Effective communication is critical. Out of sight, out of mind is a risk to be managed. One of the common mistakes a remote manager makes is not communicating with the employee who does their job well, doesn’t cause a fuss and seemingly just ‘gets on with things’. These remote employees are fantastic but ignore them at your peril as eventually, even the best of them, will take become disengaged by the silence.
• How to use technology to break down the geographical barriers.
• That there will always be a place for ‘face to face’ so sometimes prioritising a cup of coffee with the team, or one of its members, is the right thing to do.

As a trainer, facilitating a Managing Teams Remotely course is always an enjoyable experience. You get to help delegates see how those challenges can become opportunities and to learn how organisations are embracing modern ways of working. This might not be the forum to say it, but I often learn just as much as my delegates!

Feedback

“Practical solutions to remote working, use of applications more - i.e. Teams, Skype, using the technology to support working - if we could fully use the technology it would support delivery - so anything to improve more unusual aspects of Windows 10 applications/Office 365 would be beneficial”

“Great Course”

Finally…

I have been lucky enough to facilitate training on how to manage teams remotely for many years. In a previous working life, I’ve also managed teams remotely myself and been managed remotely by others.

So, what have I learned?

Of course there are challenges when managing teams remotely. Communication is more difficult when you don’t get to see your team face to face. Some people struggle with feelings of isolation when they work remotely, which can bring about disengagement and a lack of productivity.

What I’ve come to realise though is that there are many more advantages than disadvantages. As a manager you need to make every moment with your team, face to face or otherwise, count and it focuses the mind to do just that. Because your team can’t rely on you for every second of the day, they have to take responsibility. This empowerment helps build the kind of skills, experience and behaviours that turn employees and teams into high performing, value adding, profit making, elements of any organisation.

As a Trainer, the best part of facilitating this course is the change of mindset that happens. Most delegates attend wanting help with the challenges managing remote teams provides, all leave focusing on the opportunities it brings with, if I do say so myself, a spring in their step.