Remote team management may seem a little tricky to begin with. Especially with a lot of business owners asking “How do I keep my remote staff working, especially when I’m not there to supervise?”
Now this is a big one if you’ve sent your workers home during a lockdown. Settling into remote workplace arrangements can be challenging. When your team is working from home or in remote workspaces, it is hard to feel confident that they are doing what they need to do. Remote team management requires serious trust and confidence in your staff.
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” Henry Ford
So here are some tips to help you with that confidence. This should help you feel you’re leading them well and keeping your workers on task.
Lead From The Front
Even from far away, your team needs you to set the pace and create an environment where they can thrive. It’s your job as the owner to lead from the front. It means you have a clear vision, and you inspire your staff by reinforcing business values in routine circumstances. It relies on you setting clear expectations with routine work every day. Some of your skills from face to face management can be applied to remote team management. Your ability to motivate your staff is one of them.
Trust Them To Work
It may be hard, but you need to let go and trust your workers to work. If you need encouragement, research is your friend here. Studies have shown that remote workers are around 35 to 40% more productive than people in the office. It’s likely your remote staff enjoy the lifestyle benefits that come with flexible work arrangements. They’re motivated to do a really great job. They want to jump in, get their work done, and then enjoy the rest of the day. They also have less interruptions, so they will be productive and engaged.
Give Them What They Need
Productivity only happens when you give your remote team the support they need. Especially if they seem to be struggling.
Make sure you make their work instructions clear. Make sure you clarify your expectations each day. If your staff need support, make sure they know how to get it. You don’t want them to feel intimidated or alienated from the rest of the team. By making sure your remote team has the tools they need to begin with, you will save yourself a lot of work later.
Embrace The New Normal
Remote team management is now the new normal. So, as the business owner, you can go ahead and embrace this new normal. You are one of the 74% of companies planning to permanently shift to more remote work, even after the global pandemic. Remote work, and all of its new challenges, is here to stay. The world has changed. This means that your business has to evolve with it. By thinking of it as normal, you will find yourself adapting to this change more readily.
Enjoy The Benefits
Go ahead and enjoy the benefits. 77% of business leaders say their remote workers lower the cost by reducing overheads. It’s cheaper and it’s more time-effective. It’s certainly more rewarding for your remote workers to work from home. It does you and your team the world of good. So embrace the benefits and enjoy the lifestyle freedom you now have as the business owner. When you’ve got a remote team doing their work in spaces that make them feel great and comfortable, you will as well.
