A remote team brings a lot of benefits to that table. But if you plan to have a team of your own, you should be onboard on the challenges that come with the team too. If you don’t manage the issues properly, things will go out of your hand before you know it. So, here I will discuss 4 effective ways with help from Digiworks to manage a remote team.
Let your team know about the expectations
The whole point of a remote team was to get a job done with flexibility. However, when stepping up to manage the team, you should clearly let your team know about the job itself. Discuss all the details your team is taking up, the rules they will play by, and discuss the strategy.
This way, your remote team will know what you expect from them and have a goal set in front of them. Your tea may have a question, and its duty as the manager to provide the necessary information bout the priorities and performance goals.
Prioritize proper communication
When managing a remote team, you have a professional relationship with your teammates. In any relationship, proper communication is the key to functioning properly and deciding what both parties are looking for. So, as the manager, you need to ensure every member of your remote team has access to you whenever they want.
Let your team know you are always available for any help and communication, and you are one of them. Whether about personal or professional matters, communicating with your team members can take a long way to build trust and get the best output from your remote team.
Allow flexibility and empathy
Flexibility is a term deeply connected to a remote team. So, if you are not flexible towards your remote team, chances are your team will fail to deliver. Of course, not all the team members might not have the same working condition or tools to do the job. But as you have hired him for his skill, you must be flexible and show him empathy.
This way, not only will they feel valued, and it’ll encourage them to give the best for you and the team. Acknowledge any physical or mental issues, and your team will be confident that their manager has their back.
Adapt your team to different cultures and viewpoint
It’s safe to assume that there are members who uphold different views and cultural values in a remote team. Especially if it’s an international team, that difference can be massive. As a manager, if you don’t step in to help your team embrace these differences, your team can fall out in no time.
Instead of letting this multicultural view create a difference of opinion, you should try to use it to get a broader perspective on a problem. Make sure every member of your team, no matter is views or culture, is respected and valued equally. This way, you can also get to know your members more closely and assign tasks accordingly.