Since Lockdown 1.0 began on 16th March 2020 the way we work has been revolutionised – overnight, teams who were used to working face to face have on the whole become remote based and managers responsible for leading these people, have had to quickly adapt to managing effectively from a distance. There are specific skills required to being an effective team leader on a remote basis so here are 5 tips which could help improve upon existing good management working practises.
Communication is key
Everyone responds and reacts differently with how they communicate and of course different work aspects may require various methods of communication. It is therefore key for everyone in the team and your superiors to understand the best and most effective means of communication. Some people ignore emails but respond better to a phone call whereas others might prefer instant messaging or a skype/Teams chat. A quick matter could be resolved with a phone call whereas a more major aspect might require a team meeting by video. Communication presents one of the biggest hurdles to remote based working but with so many platforms and tools now at our disposal it should be possible to adapt to all scenarios and satisfy all personal working styles.
Daily check-ins
Whilst you want to ensure your management style has not gone from trusting and autonomous to micro-managing, having daily check-ins will boost morale especially when times are challenging and communication styles vary within the team. Projects and tasks can be prioritised and any potential issues can be flagged up. Hold an on-screen call with the team then follow-up on email with agreed actions which can be discussed on the next day’s call. Being able to see as well as hear each other works wonders for fostering team unity.
Make your expectations clearly understood
Clearly defining the goals and objectives for the team and ensuring everyone is aligned to them is paramount to unity. When you can’t see people at work you need to know they are staying on task and not being distracted, being clear with your expectations – whether it’s how you communicate each day or what the weekly objectives and deadlines are is key to getting things right. If everyone is aligned to the plan regardless of how far away from each other they are working, they will feel committed to making things work and not want to let their colleagues – or you, down.
Ensure deadlines are being met
Managing remote teams requires careful monitoring of task completions, if deadlines are not being met there will be need to investigate as to why. Of course, given the extraordinary circumstances many people find themselves working in due to the coronavirus pandemic, there could be reasons beyond their control which are impacting on their ability to complete work related tasks in time so its important to be mindful of this. Having a level of flexibility could help with ensuring people meet deadlines but equally conveying the importance of a delivery-focused work practise is essential.
Have empathy towards your team’s well-being
As team manager your role is a pastoral one so you have a responsibility for your teams physical and mental well-being. Some people may struggle working in isolation and those who have a propensity to soldier on when ill could become severely ill or burnout if they don’t take necessary time to rest. You need to have regular check-ins with all your team and the best way to do this is a coffee and chat video call where you can see the person and just talk about non-work-related matters – this is key to long-term successful remote based working.