Leading a remote team
Remote teams are more and more common right now in the international work scene, but it is still a relatively new model, so we are all in the process of learning how to make it work in the most efficient way.
Remote teams require specific needs to make everything work smoothly. It is important to set a solid communication system that works for everyone in the team, as well as a work flow that meets the needs for each project and also adapts to every team member particular schedule, as many remote team have member living in different parts of the world.
Other particular need of a great smooth team is the need to plan in advance. Every meeting has to be scheduled and prepared, so everyone can have all the information they need before it starts, since we can just share a document or an image across the table.
As the team works smoothly towards success, it is only normal that it eventually might grow and slowly start incorporating new members. As soon as this starts happening, the team leader will have to start adapting and creating a new dynamic that works and includes everyone.
A good idea once your remote team starts growing is to study the possibility of creating smaller teams within the team, that would be a little more independent taking care of some areas. This is important, because once more member start arriving we have to accept we can’t supervise everyone’s work as closely as we used to before.
If we said before that a solid communication system is needed for a successful remote team, it is even more important once the team grows. As a leader, you want to make sure everyone is aware of what is going on, every problem existing and who is doing what. But also, have it filtered, so your team is not overwhelmed by an unnecessary amount of information that might confuse them and slow the workflow.
A good way to guarantee a good and useful communication within your remote team is to actually know them. If you know who they are and how they work and react to different situations, you will easily identify when something is not working. It is crucial as well to encourage them to talk and specify the needs and problems they are facing to know what you can do as a leader.
We obviously can’t insist enough on how important is to provide your team with as many collaboration and messaging tools as possible.
Once the team is working smoothly, we must remember to set the team expectations, and of course revise them and adapt them as our team begins to grow. Whether if we set those expectations weekly, monthly or yearly, we must keep in mind our team potential and set them as adapted as possible to our team’s shape so everyone performs to the best of their abilities.
No team can be good if there is not a trust system amongst all the members and especially with the leader. As much as transmitting that trust might be a bit more difficult when we are managing a remote team, we must succeed to find the way to learn our team know that they can speak and when to do it to avoid a small inconvenient turning into major problems. Everyone must know that they will not be punished for a mistake as long as they raise their hand on time, and as a leader you should know that you could trust your team’s judgment when they come to you with an honest opinion.
Finally, like in any team, respect everyone’s schedules and be realistic when it comes to what you demand from your team. The worst thing you can do for your team’s productivity is to burn them out.
If your team is still small, make sure you are not putting way too much responsibility on each member and that the work load is manageable. Again communication plays a huge role in this area too. If you create a good team culture in which everyone feels allowed to speak, they will let you know if they are running out of energy before it actually has an impact on their performance.
Remember to respect people’s need to rest and disconnect, and don’t assume anything different that you would from a team that is working all from the same office. Your remote team can bring you to success, but great teams need great leaders.
