5 Keys to Success for Remote Managers

Five ways to help transition your team to successful remote work

As we move into a more service-oriented economy, many organizations are discovering the benefits of remote work for their company and their employees. The current COVID-19 pandemic is rushing many companies towards this inevitable future of work much more quickly than anticipated. There is an urgent need for managers to know how best to lead their teams in a virtual setting.

Thankfully, there are experienced coaches like me who help employers, employees, and entrepreneurs establish systems and structures for remote team success. In this article, I will share 5 keys for success for remote managers.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m passionate about helping organizations, employees, and entrepreneurs establish healthy, vibrant remote teams because of my extensive experience working remotely. I was a homeschooled kid, then graduated from a mostly-remote law school. And for the past 8 years I have worked on a remote team, helping other organizations build strong, effective teams. Here are 5 keys to success for remote managers leading a virtual team:

1.     Purchase the Right Virtual Team Tools

Managing remotely is far more complex than just sending a team member home with a laptop. It requires establishing consistent systems and structures for replicating the things that make in-person office work successful. Think about all the things you usually do in an office: meetings, hallway conversations, client meetings, etc. Now think about how to replicate that as much as possible in a virtual setting. Yes, the vibe is different in a virtual setting, but it is possible to recreate the communication necessary for your team to be successful.

In a future article I’ll cover specific tools that remote teams find useful. For now, think about IT needs for remote employees, communication tools for virtual conferences like Zoom, cell phone plans for calls, time tracking tools, and home office needs for each team member.

2.     Set Clear Employee Expectations

One of the fears that often prevents companies from moving to a distributed team is that employees will slack off or productivity will decline. This is an unfounded fear as research shows employees are actually more productive at home. In future articles I’ll discuss how to manage specific employee needs, as each employee is different and will need different kinds of support in a remote setting.

For now, focus on setting very clear objectives, expectations and deadlines for your team. Do you expect them to be “on call” during certain hours of the work day? Or does it matter what hours they work as long as they finish projects and meet goals? Commander’s Intent will be imperative in helping employees know when they are making progress towards your goals for them. How often will you check in with them on their priorities? Do they have definite roles, responsibilities and expectations (RREs) in writing? Some remote employees like to post their RREs and team objectives on the wall near their desk. It helps them prioritize and stay on task.

3.     Lead by Example

Some of the most successful remote managers are those who are vulnerable, share their struggles, and have a virtual “open door policy” with their team. Advances in technology continue to make remote work increasingly easy and feasible for more teams. But it’s still a relatively new form of work and management. So be honest with your team when you’re trying out tools or systems. Assume good intentions from your team. They want the virtual team to be successful because it benefits everyone. Your team will look to you for guidance in how to navigate working remotely. Invest in their professional development via webinars or conferences. Even if you don’t see them in person as often, you’re still their leader, investing in their growth as professionals.

4.     Prioritize Team Building and Mental Health

The dreaded term “team building” often cues eye-rolling for employees. They envision trust falls and office Olympics. But ultimately team building is meant to foster greater collaboration and trust. A team that knows each other, is committed to the same mission, and has built trust, can accomplish far more than individuals.

Team building in a virtual environment can take many forms. Some teams have budget for a few in-person meetings a year. If you can swing it, a few of these team meetings are helpful for connection. Otherwise, think about weekly virtual happy hours where everyone can log into Zoom, share their beverage of their choice, and either have open conversation or discuss a facilitated fun topic. 

A strong team also supports the mental health of its members. Sometimes working remotely can feel a bit lonely. Regular check-ins with your team and among team mates will help with supporting each other’s emotional state and head-off any potential health issues that could impact the team and its productivity. Consider at least a weekly video call with each team member so you can physically see them and talk about how things are going.  

5.     Create Team Reporting Systems

Depending on the kind of product or service your organization provides, you’ll have unique measures of success for necessary reporting. This reporting frequently occurs via meetings. So consider other ways to collect data and report on it. There are many tools available for teams to upload or track their information. Salesforce or similar platforms can become an important tool for tracking progress for a remote team. One distributed team I work sends in weekly reports on key project progress that is then compiled and distributed organization-wide via email. They also provide a daily check-in via Basecamp so everyone know each team member’s daily priorities. The objective here is to make sure each employee knows what will required of them so they can be collecting information and sharing it instead of finding out before reporting is due and scrambling to collect the required data.

As a manager transitioning your team to remote work, there will be many learning opportunities. The main thing to remember above all else is clear communication. As long as you’re in regular contact with your teams and replicating as much of the in-person interactions to which they’re accustomed, you’ll begin building a solid team that operates at peak performance in a virtual environment. 

I will soon be launching a training series for employers and employees to hone their remote work skills. Stay posted for these exciting and timely new courses! 

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www.MeredithTurney.com