Five Mistakes To Avoid When Managing Remote Teams
Thanks to advancements in technology, the demand for remote workers continues to grow. Some simply need to telecommute part of the week in order to better manage life and work needs. Others work from anywhere in the world, offering unique skill sets that companies can leverage. Firms who need specific programming languages or graphic design skills, for instance, can hire someone, regardless of region, making it easier to get top-tier talent.
But managing fully remote teams requires a slightly different skill set. You can’t wander by a desk to touch base and get a feel for how your employees are doing, nor can you always expect them to keep work hours that match yours. Communication between team leads and staff is crucial to avoid wasting time and creating frustrations.
Mistakes that managers make when trying to oversee virtual work and distance projects can be summarised into five key points rooted in one major mistake. These key categories can be corrected with concerted and consistent effort from management leaders.
1. Help remote workers establish frameworks for routines
Too many entrepreneurs expect remote workers to be great self-managers. But, in reality, most of them need help in establishing the right framework for their work routine. This is why you need to set up the workflow and clearly define goals and ways to track these goals. The lack of frequent communication usually amplifies the absence of that framework and causes frustration on both sides.
2. Never checking in
Out of sight, out of mind can unfortunately be all too true in a remote work environment. Without passing by each other’s desks or running into co-workers in the break room, it can sometimes be easy to forget to check in.
Having very independent workers is great, but they still need to hear from their manager, even if it’s a simple “hello.” Be sure to check in at least weekly to see how things are going. This can be a more formal meeting with a set date and time, or it can be a casual instant message or email.
3.Relying on email too much
Words on a screen can get old after awhile. If you never find yourself hearing your employees’ voices or seeing their faces, consider changing up your strategy. Using voice or video chats for meetings can help remind you that your employees are real people. Emotion, tone, and expression come out in voice and video—email and instant message can’t always compare.
4. Not soliciting feedback
Remote employees are still employees. You still need to know what they think about the job they are doing, and they want to be heard and understood. They have unique ideas that may improve the way the entire team works, so building rapport is one of the main factors that promotes progress.
Try not to keep the communication limited to work, though. You still need to maintain the sense of community, so try to engage them in conversations they would usually have in the office.
5. Poor project plan
It is difficult to believe but it’s true that many project managers think that they can work without a proper plan. In fact, this is the worst mistake a manager can make. You can expect your project to be successful without a proper roadmap. However, an insufficient plan can also create havoc for your business. Thus, it is important to build a plan which includes project scope, objective, schedule, individual tasks, alternate measures etc.
