18th June 2018
By : Fazil Loladia
One of the biggest aspects regarding cutting-edge modern technology is the fact it gives people the flexibility to work from pretty much anyplace. That is why so many companies across the planet are breaking free from geographical limitation and starting to embrace offsite work. Since 2005, remote working has expanded a staggering 80 percent, according to Global Workplace Analytics. This enormous development of remote work presents both an opportunity and a huge challenge to the management style of companies from all over the world.
Working with remote teams comes with certain challenges, in addition to the regular issues concerning projects such as delivery time, meeting project goals and objectives and similar. Some of them include not being able to ensure remote employees stay on track due to lack of supervision, cultural differences, time zone gaps – to mention only a couple of challenges. But there is more to this topic. There are so many opportunities and benefits of adopting this trend – from talent acquisition to cost reduction.
So, the question is: How can companies manage their team so that they can still remain productive and deliver the expected results?
Although it can be pretty frustrating when not being able to see immediate results of your efforts, when we talk about productivity hacks for remote teams – companies need to be oriented toward long-term value. Here is what we think might be a great guideline.
Communicate and collaborate
The ability to set up a collaborative environment and smart communication is crucial having in mind how difficult it can be to juggle the information people receive from so many different outlets when working in a remote team.
Keep proper track of work done but don’t micromanage
There are several time-tracking and project management tools to track your team’s progress on important initiatives but don’t micromanage. Constant check-ins, drafting email updates about their progress can have negative impacts on your business, leaving people overwhelmed and frustrated.
Build a positive team culture
Employees, remote or not, need a bit of motivation now and then. Check in with your team on regular basis, motivate them and make them feel valued, by providing them with incentives to improve their performance and productivity.
It is easy to conclude that managing a remote team requires both discipline and empathy. Companies need to maintain a standardized workflow and strict communication processes while creating inspiring team values that improve motivation.
In your experience, what has been the most successful way to improve the productivity of a remote team? Comment or send us a message or Get in touch with our team.
