Are You Experiencing These Three Remote Team Challenges?
As the consequences of COVID-19 continue to develop and change almost daily, one aspect that is taking the working world by storm is the development of more permanent remote teams.
Even before the coronavirus, companies were shifting to and learning the benefits of creating remote teams, but, unfortunately due to COVID-19 causing companies to fast track this new trend, many CEOs and team leaders are now wrestling with the challenges and obstacles of this remote team transition.
We have developed a list of the top three challenges that arise while working in a remote team setting. They are—in no particular order because they’re all crucial—lack of team communication, lack of visual collaboration, and tracking work/productivity.
Challenge 1: Lack of Team Communication
If you really think about it, the average office employee spends 30 to 40 hours a week with their co-workers (more than with their families), and in some instances, a person’s social life can be built around these workplace relationships. Team communication is key, and this not only strengthens the company projects, but the bond felt between team members. In a remote work survey published by FYI, the number one challenge felt by remote teams was communication.
“It’s easy to see how communication can positively or negatively impact your work product, but the effect this can have on remote team building is often taken for granted,” says Forbes writer and President of NisonCo PR and Marketing, Evan Nison
Face-to-face interactions in-person are not available with a remote team, so it’s important to set up social, bi-weekly meetings with your remote team so each member can get a true sense of who they are working with.
Nison also recommends regular icebreakers or video chat games. “[They’re] are not only great for team building, they often reveal hidden talents and interests of employees. One of the benefits of remote work is actually removing the pressure of standard office environments and fully involving all staff,” he says.
To start, allow time for each team member to chat a little bit about themselves and what brought them to the company. One favorite question that many communications companies have used for employees is “What five Songs and Books would you bring with you if you were trapped on a desert island, and why?”
Virtual meetings can accommodate large groups, and getting a few creative answers from employees helps a team determine who they are rather than just a name on a screen. It is recommended that you turn on your camera while in a meeting so you can put a name to a face. While this may sound counterintuitive to other productivity advice, attending meetings with a camera on is the easiest way to virtually meet your colleagues and develop an understanding of what everyone’s job is and where they fit in the organization. That way you can see who will be editing your work and who you will be collaborating with.
Ethan Parker of Treble PR says to “dedicate specific 30-minute meeting slots to brainstorming.” Optimally, teams can then gravitate toward a more collaborative and result-oriented culture focused on executing on ideas, he says. In the era of remote work, his words have never been more true. It is imperative to maintain creative synergies that previously were in-person at the office.
Challenge 2: Lack of Visual Collaboration
Currently, many companies have hundreds upon hundreds of documents with working projects in them that employees have limited access to. Working in virtual documents can feel impersonal, and quite often, edits are made with no real explanation or reasoning. This can create a conflicting work environment that causes employees working remotely to essentially “phone-in” their work, without really engaging or investing in it.
The ability to visually collaborate virtually has become essential for teams that are finding themselves working remotely for the long-term.
“The software a company uses is imperative to the success of a remote workforce,” Nison says. “Finding fewer, better-fitting online tools to help aid in project management and remote workflows is essential.”
Teams need a visual collaboration tool (like Stormboard!) that fits into their business processes and aids in the sharing of ideas, visuals, drawings, and more to ensure that work gets done as efficiently and effectively as possible without losing the creative edge.
Challenge 3: Tracking Work and Productivity
It’s important that an employee not only feels valued but also effective when working in a remote team setting, and it is imperative to track the progress of projects — especially when your team is distributed.
“Take the time for strategy development, ideation, and discussions as a team. Connect in a different manner, though keep successful processes intact for a strong outcome. Looking back on past work is paramount,” says Carl Fremont, a huge player in the brand development software world.
Managers and team leaders don’t have time to individually tell their team members how progress on a specific project went, or is going, so working in a virtual collaboration tool (like Stormboard) allows everyone to work in an “infinite perpetual workspace,” promoting an easy way for new and old employees to look at the project and company’s evolution.
And when an issue comes up, it’s easier to find a solution if you have everything stored in a virtual workspace — sometimes, the solution is something you already did as a team a few months prior.
One final tip
Christine Wetzler, president of Pietryla PR, says it is also important to simulate an open door policy when working as a remote team to increase productivity.
“Create a culture where it's OK to use text, video chat, etc. regularly. We do this by setting boundaries in advance for issues like ‘do not disturb’ times and general etiquette. This means we are able to ‘pop in’ on each other as we would in an office.”
In conclusion, remote jobs and teams are on the rise — there has been a 78% increase in the last two years — and while they come with their own trials and tribulations, these tips and a good collaboration software like Stormboard can make your life and your teams’ lives much easier.
A successful remote team comes down to learning and thriving together by cultivating a culture of strong communication, visual collaboration, and regular progress reports to increase productivity.
As your company adjusts to this new normal use the above tips as a guideline to take company policies from the cubicles and integrate them into the abodes of employees across the country, or maybe even around the world.
Don’t fear remote work. Embrace it, because it is here to stay.
Are you interested in trying a virtual collaboration tool with your team? Stormboard has a 30-day free trial — click here to learn more.
About the Author
Stephan Boissonneault is a freelance writer, editor, and photographer. His work has been seen in publications such as Avenue, Vue Weekly, Edmonton Journal, Disruption, Now Toronto, etc. He also plays music every now and then.
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