How to manage remote teams with success

Remote and hybrid working can improve work-life balance, but it also comes with managerial challenges. Read our quick checklist of actions to help you lead with success in this new world.

Managing remote teams

• The introduction of remote and hybrid working has also introduced new challenges for managers, especially around balancing productivity and wellbeing. 
• A simple checklist can be a great place to start building a new approach and forming new managerial habits. The list of actions as suggested focuses on technology, communication, goal-setting, feedback, inclusivity, autonomy and role-modelling.

Read on for fuller detail on each action, with tips and tricks on getting the best from your remote teams.

Many candidates now expect hybrid working patterns as industry standard. If you are looking to recruit, or would like advice on managing candidate expectations, contact your local consultant for help with hybrid recruitment.

Remote leadership: Background

The rapid introduction of remote and hybrid working has introduced a host of unique challenges for managers. The priority, of course, is to ensure the health and wellbeing of our people, but there is also a need to maintain productivity. How can managers and leaders ensure our remote staff are engaged and happy? The key is to establish remote management norms and habits. Though remote working has been in place for a few years now, it is still new for many people. Right now, your people are likely still looking for consistency and support from you.

Below, you can read a simple and thorough checklist of actions. Taken together, these will ensure your newly remote teams are as happy, engaged and productive as they ever were in the office. 

Steps a manager can take to support a remote team

Get the technology right

• Ensure each staff member has access to the technology they need to do their jobs effectively.
• Provide training and support to help them make good use of these tools.
• Set rules around which technology you use as a team, and for what purposes.
• Be patient and understanding if people experience Wi-Fi or other technical issues, provide support where possible.

Be purpose-driven in your actions

• Work with the senior leadership team to redefine the purpose of your organisation, and live it. Authenticity like this will help the people within your business find meaning in their work.
• Set out your team’s overarching strategic objectives, which should focus on helping your organisation to deliver on its wider purpose. Weave this into the start of every remote meeting.
• Give virtual shout-outs to members of your team who exhibit the purpose and values of your organisation.

Set relevant and realistic goals

• Set weekly or daily priorities. It’s a good idea to provide your team with the autonomy to set their own goals, which you can tweak if needed.
• Be clear about expectations, including who is responsible for certain tasks or projects, and when you expect work to be delivered.
• Share daily progress on key projects to maintain motivation and focus.
• Ask team members to block out time in their calendars to focus on specific tasks, and then share those calendars with the wider team.

Maintain feedback schedule

• Hold a virtual team huddle at the beginning of the week to reflect on learns from the week just passed.
• Follow up team briefings with regular (at least monthly) 1-2-1s either over video or in person with individual team members or sub-teams.
• Send ad-hoc and friendly instant messages to individuals when they have completed a significant piece of work. This shows recognition.
• End of week wrap-ups to give your team feedback on how the week has gone.

Communicate, communicate, communicate

• Double down on the time you would ordinarily spend communicating with your team. As well as regular team meetings, make sure you’re conducting frequent one-to-ones. 
• Communicate with each member of the team in the way they prefer, whether that is via phone, video, instant messenger or email
• Ensure meetings are punctual and try to keep them under 45 minutes, before zoom-lag sets in. 
• Share the bigger picture – including company news and announcements – as transparently as possible
• Try not to cancel or reschedule team catch-ups that have already been set; consistency is key

Practise inclusivity

• Before all remote meetings, set an agenda and ensure everyone has a chance to voice their thoughts and opinions. Devote an equal amount of your time to each member of your team.
• Invite feedback and ideas on how remote working and projects are going, listening to your team members and taking their views on board.
• Be thoughtful about your communications and the language you use, and be mindful of time zone differences when scheduling remote meetings with international teams.

Encourage autonomy, regular upskilling and job-crafting

• Empower your team to think about their skills gaps. Support their efforts to proactively upskill in the areas where they may feel they are lacking
• Provide regular feedback to each team member on their performance.
• Encourage team members to use the time they have now for self-reflection to think about their longer-term career goals and priorities.
• Give autonomy to team members to encourage them to craft their roles, support other departments where possible and develop their skill sets where relevant.

Role-model a strong work-life balance

• Vocalise the importance of wellbeing, including the need to take regular breaks, avoid taking lunch at their desks and get outside for a short break during the day. 
• Tell your team when you are taking lunch or a break. Showcasing your own flexible and open approach will help your people feel they can do the same.
• Remember, just because you can’t physically see your team members, that doesn’t mean they’re not working, so resist the urge to micro-manage and trust your staff.

Focus on maintaining your team culture remotely

• Create virtual ‘water cooler’ moments, using collaboration platforms like Skype or Slack to initiate casual discussion and inject moments of normal fun during the day.
• Set up a WhatsApp group or separate chat for non-work conversations. It is important to cultivate the same relationships that an office environment would create.

Meeting the challenge

Though the pandemic’s impact on the workplace is no longer a crisis, the principles of good management will be increasingly crucial in the new hybrid world. By establishing new management habits and norms now, you’ll also be investing in your own skills and the business. The lessons learned will make you a better, more flexible manager, and ensure that you can accommodate a new generation of workers, who take hybrid and remote opportunities as the norm.