How To Manage Your Team And Keep Connected While Working Remotely
With a lot businesses quickly having to shift to working from home, there are some managers out there that are struggling with how to lead their team. When we aren’t all in the same office, how do you keep productivity, communication and culture from breaking down? Here are some quick tips on managing staff remotely and keeping your team connected.
Ensure Staff Are Setup For Success
First and foremost, let your employees have the equipment they need to work from home, this may include adopting new technology to assist with projects and collaboration.Then ensure they have reliable, secure internet connection and access to all files and programs they would normally use at the office.
Start A Morning Video Conference Call
If you don’t usually have a team meeting, now is a great time to start. It’s hard for some employees to go from a structured office to working alone. A web conference on apps like Microsoft Teams allows your staff to not only see faces and feel more connected, but also allows you to set an agenda for the day and boost productivity right out of the gate.
Try To Schedule One On One Calls
Do your best to check in with each team member personally each day. Not having you around for a quick question can lead to unnecessary delays. Setting one on one time ensures anything they may need help with gets touched on daily to keep productivity going strong.
Set Clear Expectations and Timelines
Always be sure your reports are aware of your expectations for things like, work hours, replies to emails and deadlines. Have a clear goal or a set of responsibilities to be accomplished each week and map out any projects ahead of time.When staff are working independently, one person not meeting deadline can quickly put others behind as well.
Encourage Team Collaborations and Camaraderie
Humans are social creatures and not having those interactions daily can result in staff becoming apathetic or unproductive. Assign partnerships and teams to certain tasks, to promote camaraderie. Start a group chat and encourage “water cooler talk”. Short chats encourage the flow of information and keep a positive work culture.
Focus On Results
Finally, resist the urge to micromanage and focus on the end goals and productivity. Trust and enable your staff to take ownership and make their own decisions to move a project forward. Make your staff feel empowered and you’ll see them make your job easier.
