Tips for Managing Remote or Distributed Teams

Even before current events resulted in stay-at-home rules forcing companies to shift employees from the office to the home office, remote work was growing in popularity. Many people were choosing a more flexible style of work instead of being in an office from 9-5 each day, and it seems that many companies are thinking that keeping all, or part, of their workforce remote, might be what is in their future.

While working virtually definitely comes with its challenges, it is an ideal form of work for people who need to be home with kids, who love to travel, who want flexibility in their hours, or who don’t work well in an office environment.

But for managers, it can be difficult to know how to properly oversee remote employees when they can’t be in the same room with them on a regular basis. Managers fear that out-of-sight means out-of-mind, or that remote employees won’t get their work done — though recent studies have shown that employees are even more engaged and productive when working from home then they are in an office.

The trend of recruiting remote talent and allowing employees to spend some (or all) of their work hours outside of the office isn’t going anywhere.

Here are six tips for managing remote teams 

1. Don’t treat remote employees differently than in-office employees

Remote employees might not be in the office, but they are still an employee just like any other. They need to be treated with the same respect, trust, and understanding.

Hold them to deadlines and include them in the same activities that in-office employees are participating in, such as meetings and office get-togethers.

If you are in a situation where your entire team is now working remotely, try and perform the same activities that you would normally. Do you have a Standup meeting every morning when you are in the office? Do that remotely. Do you check in with certain employees on certain days? Send them an email, arrange a video chat, or find another way to connect.

Keeping your schedule consistent, whether you are in the same building or not, will help the transition from in-office to remote run smoothly.

2. Utilize digital collaboration tools 

Since remote employees are working from various locations, they need a way to be able to meet and exchange ideas and content with managers and other team members from wherever they are, in real-time.

This can be done with digital collaboration tools. These tools can let you chat, edit documents, video conference, and more in real-time, so that remote team members don’t miss out on important information.

We suggest using a shared meeting space, like Stormboard, that allows you to use digital sticky notes to brainstorm and collaborate, and a chat/conference call platform like Microsoft Teams, where you can connect with calls or chat easily. (Bonus: Stormboard has an awesome integration with Teams, check it out here.)

Need a collaboration tool to use with your remote teams?
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3. Check-in with remote employees, but don’t micro-manage

When someone isn’t accessible in a workplace where you can actually see them, it can make you want to check-in on them constantly to make sure they are being productive and staying on schedule. But this type of micro-management can be a hindrance if you’re going to build trust.

Remote employees choose remote work (usually) for the flexibility, because they are actually more productive without the distractions of an office, and to be free of restraints that an office setting sometimes brings.

Checking in on remote team members is essential as a manager, however, check-in only when necessary or when you have set pre-determined check-in times. This might be once a day, or a few times a week, depending on their role and how much communication is required.

4. Have a solid communication plan

If you are managing someone who is working remotely, communication is essential.

Before they are even hired or are making the switch to remote work, a plan needs to be created to make sure all parties involved know when they can contact one another, how they can contact one another, and so on.

With no structure or plan in place, communication can become blurred, and not being able to reach a remote employee can be frustrating.

Assure all remote team members that you are there if they need anything, but also set boundaries so that contact isn’t happening at random or inappropriate times.

5. Hold remote employees accountable for their work 

Because your employee isn’t in the office, you can’t actually see if they are doing their work — how do you hold them accountable?

Just as you would with an in-office employee, set specific deadlines, communicate properly, and have clear outcomes and expectations for what they need to complete. Then, hold them to these deadlines.

6. Meet in-person, or face to face, when possible

There’s a chance you’ve met a remote employee when you interviewed and hired them, but some companies hire virtually, especially if the person resides in a different country, state, or province.

If they live locally or are able to visit the area, make sure to meet with remote team members when you can, once restrictions is your part of the world are lifted. This doesn’t mean you have to meet them for coffee every week — but try to touch base in-person at least a few times a year if possible. If not, a video call, where you can actually see each other, will suffice. This is important for maintaining a solid working relationship.

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