How to Manage a Remote Team (and the tools to help you do it)
Pandemic have changed the entire perspective of the working and business environment. It uses the
possible ways of achieving our targets beyond the borders and not just sitting under one roof and
managing everything up front.
Today we see a number of companies operating worldwide with zero set up and they quite
successfully established themselves without limiting themselves to a room or floor. This has
generated lots of opportunities and saved millions of people going unemployed. The term
FREELANCE has brought a whole new meaning in this sector overall and opened many opportunities
to achieve.
There is no certified and defined way of managing the Remote Team, it entirely depends upon how
the company or a specific business decides to achieve their goals ( Duration, Focus, Mission and
Vision).
Some considerable key points to keep in mind are
Set Expectations
In primary remote or hybrid team management expectations must be set. This leads the staff to stay
aware of the fact that they are accountable for the responsibility they are given and what is required
from the on Daily, weekly even on task based projects.
The responsibility entirely depends upon the manager to set realistic expectations for achievable
tasks with timelines, yet this is to be considered that flexibility should be in delivering the target,
especially when working beyond the borders to achieve tangible outcomes.
Very importantly all required members should be in communication with each other to avoid any
delays in work they should be in constant connections and within availability.
As a manager, regular check-in and meetings should be scheduled to keep everyone in the loop and
updated to avoid any obstacles and hurdles coming in achieving the outcome. Make sure to set
boundaries around the working horses so that people finish on time and not work extra.
Build a Culture of Trust
It can be difficult when you don’t see your staff every day as you’re not sure what they are doing or
when. But trust is crucial in this new work environment.
As a manager it is expected to stay updated upon the capabilities of the team so that the tasks and
targets can be assigned accordingly. Regularly talking to executives and HR more about your team to
know about the strength and weaknesses so that level of achievements can be set.
It is important to micro-manage and trust your staff.
Have Regular Check-Ins
Most important factor that keeps remote management successful is to keep regular check-ins and
frequent meetings. Sometimes the intensity of those meetings can increase depending upon the
workload such as implementing a new marketing strategy for launching a new product so to keep
things straight in line it is necessary to have frequent meetings.
We all understand that even under one roof all staff members have different levels of understanding
and being a manager it is important to understand the level in order to get the outcome.
Same is the case when managing the Remote Staff some may understand quickly and make sure rest
of the team members get it some may take a longer time in understanding the same task. Which is
normal for a manager to keep up with. This can give time to balance between the ZOOM Calls and
approvals via Email, because it ensures every staff member is on the same age as the manager and
Company.
Remember, you can always ask team members what they expect and want from you so you can meet
their needs. Feedback can be the best way to know what’s required.
Offer Encouragement and Emotional Support
This plays a very vital role in developing the trust between the Manager representative and the
Remote staff. Encouragement is always the key to building strong bond relationships at all levels, and
practising it on a regular basis can boost up productivity and also lets the staff stay motivated at all
times.
Everyday simple questions such as ‘ Do you need any help’ can go a long way in getting a productive
outcome. There’s a risk in a remote working scenario that people may feel isolated or stressed. Some
people work well alone and under their own steam, while others require more support.
Make sure to check-in with employees
Remote Working: The right tools for your workforce
The uptake of videoconferencing in recent years has shown how quickly people can adapt to a new
technology when required. There is now a raft of online tools out there to help make remote working
easier and more interactive.
However, it should be noted that many remote workers have raised concerns about being overpoliced
in terms of their time and expected to be available 24/7 – coined as time zone bias. This is particularly
true for those working in different timezones who operate on different hours e.g. the U.S and Europe.
So, it’s important to recognize time differences when it comes to remote workers, particularly those
working for global teams or corporations. Plus it’s also a factor for employees when they consider
their job or future with the business.
With that in mind, here are some examples of tools you can use for your team under different
categories depending on your needs.
Meeting tools
● Zoom – a video conferencing platform that you can use to host meetings and breakout
rooms for projects or brainstorming
● Google Meet – a replacement for Google hangouts, staff can easily communicate through
any device via video
● Microsoft Teams – a place to meet, chat, call, and collaborate in one space, particularly if
you use Microsoft already
Project management tools
● Monday – a project management tool that uses workflows to break down projects and
assign deadlines across a range of departments
● Asana – helps teams to organise, track, and manage their work by adding collaborators
● Trello – is a project management and productivity tool that uses ‘boards’ to organise tasks
with columns that include tasks
● ClickUp – a personal productivity tool that teams can use to create lists or boards full of
different projects that have just partnered with HubSpot
Collaboration tools
● Miro – offers a virtual whiteboard for brainstorming projects with the option of adding files
and images
● Scribe – automatically creates a how-to guide, complete with screenshots, instructions and
clicks that can be customised
Communication tools
● Slack – a good communication tool for one-to-one chats or in group ‘rooms’ that is
integrated with Google Docs, Trello, and other tools. Read more about the Slack brand in
our case study.
Document sharing tools
● Dropbox – a file hosting service that allows your team to store and share documents from
anywhere
● Google Drive – allows your team to access and share files across the Microsoft suite of
software
Time tracking tools
● TimeDoctor – tracks time and productivity across teams and is useful for agencies and
software teams
Team building & culture tools
● Crystal – offers a free personality test to learn more about your team and their preferences
to build a picture of their needs
● Compt – helps you offer tailored perks to your employees by letting them pick ones that.
Hone Remote based skills
There are some skills when people work remotely that they may need to learn or refresh, such as time
management. Polishing this evergreen skill will help employees manage their time to fit in meetings
and deliver work within a set timeframe.
Other skills that may be required as a remote worker (practical and soft skills) are:
● Project management
● Organisation and planning
● Online communication
● Collaboration
● Mind mapping
● Videoconferencing
● Data visualisation
● Adaptability
● Self-motivation
● Organisation and planning
● Presentation
● Software (e.g. Google Docs, Gmail, etc.)
There is a range of skills that need to be honed to successfully work remotely. It’s up to you as a
manager and the business to provide the tools and training required to help facilitate this new way of
working.
Managing a team, particularly remote or hybrid, can be challenging. DMI’s strategy and planning
course covers topics in digital communications, automation, analytics, budgeting, and strategy to give
you the knowledge and skills to lead.