How do you empower remote teams?

I completely agree with setting clear goals & expectations, as it is essential for empowering remote teams. It gives them a sense of purpose, direction, and understanding of what is expected. By using frameworks like OKRs, KPIs, or SMART goals, leaders can effectively track progress and communicate the criteria for success. Regularly reviewing and updating goals allows for flexibility and adaptation. This approach fosters a culture of trust, autonomy, and accountability among remote team members. Effective communication is vital to building trust and motivating team members. It provides a sense of purpose, enables effective progress tracking, and cultivates a culture of trust, autonomy, accountability, and a shared understanding of success.

Empowering remote teams is the same as empowering any team, in-person or not. Every person on that team needs to know: a) what they are responsible for b) why it matters c) how they measure success (with metrics they can see) d) what they have autonomy to decide themselves and where they need to involve others What's different in a remote environment is that this information is harder to share informally (over a water cooler, etc). With remote teams, you have to be transparent and perfectly explicit. And continue to reinforce

In my experience facilitating 50+ (remote) innovation teams in my career, THE KEY MOMENT building trust to empower collaboration in a new team is at the START of the project. Especially when the team members are new to each other, a strong starting technique is explaining your personal WHY this project is personally relevant, and what is the personal take-away is that you are striving for. The empathy of being heard, the openess of the discussion and the passion of all participants felt are a great base for trust and fruitful collaboration. Tip: As a final exercise is facilitate drafting together ‘THE TEAM VALUES’ for the disruptive innovation journey which everyone shares.

Absolutely. You have to have super clear exceptions. You need to chat/connect to make sure everyone is on the page/organized (also getting what THEY NEED)! Thanks! Sheila

They key word, "empower" defined as, "to give strength or power to. Your job is to uncover THEIR power not rely on yours. Besides, who's the one who sets the goals & expectations? THEY DO. To uncover motivation, drive & personal goals: 1.What motivates you? 2What do you love most about your job/company? 3.What gives you a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day? 4.If you could design your perfect day, what would it look like? 5.If you didn’t have to work, what would you do with your time? 6.What makes you happy? 7.What would you like to spend more/less time doing (at home/work)? 8.What frustrates you? 9.What would make your job even more exciting and fulfilling? 10.How do you like to be rewarded / acknowledged for a job well done?

From my perspective, empowering remote teams involves delegating tasks and decisions, granting autonomy, and fostering a culture of trust and respect. By entrusting your team members with responsibilities and authority, you demonstrate confidence in their skills and expertise, while also encouraging their growth and development. Utilizing tools such as RACI matrix or decision trees can further clarify roles, responsibilities, and provide the necessary resources for success.

By empowering remote team members through delegation and leveraging the tools mentioned, leaders not only recognize and appreciate their valuable skills & expertise, it also provides them the opportunity to shine. This level of trust & confidence boosts their self-assurance, enabling them to unleash their full potential, showcase their unique competencies, and bring forth their boundless creativity. By granting autonomy & authority while using these tools, team members are empowered to take ownership of their work, navigate responsibilities with clarity, and ensure accountability. This dynamic approach benefits individual team members by fostering personal growth & development while simultaneously contributing to the team's overall success.

Here is the important part. After you delegate, have trust in your team to be able to execute on the task. ?? Don't micromanage. ?? Be curious and check in if they need any help from you or if they want to bounce off any ideas. ?? Avoid the temptation to call them at the end of your work day to check in..just because they are remote doesn't mean that they are available after hours (I have made this mistake many times!??) ??Acknowledge that your team method to get to the end result might be different from your way and that's OKAY!

Friction flourishes in remote and hybrid offices. Proactively address with responsive strategies so your teams aren’t brought to a grinding halt in the face of interpersonal challenges. The challenges don’t often resolve without intervention. Nothing replicates the power of real rapport when the going gets tough.

Striking a balance between synchronous & asynchronous communication while respecting team members' time zones & preferences is pivotal for maintaining a collaborative environment, empowering remote teams, fostering connectivity, & sustaining engagement. Utilizing various tools & platforms, such as video conferencing, instant messaging, project management, and document sharing, facilitates seamless communication and collaboration among remote team members. Establishing clear norms & guidelines regarding communication frequency, mode, tone, and agenda is equally crucial to ensure effectiveness & respectfulness, enabling remote teams to thrive and overcome the challenges of distance & diverse schedules, ultimately achieving their shared goals.

I agree wholeheartedly. In my experience in order to properly and successfully empower remote teams you must first learn their way of life, understand the cultural differences and take the time to research and physically immerse yourself into their communities. What empowers one remote team may not be similar to what empowers another based on their way of life and cultural norms both professionally and personally.

Clear communication and collaboration is the cornerstone of a successful remote work environment. When employees are dispersed across different locations, time zones, even cultures, effective communication becomes paramount. Enabling transparency with collaboration platforms fosters trust and helps remote workers feel connected. Establishing a feedback loop via surveys, regular feedback sessions, or virtual 'suggestion boxes' leading up to a company town hall, offers remote employees the opportunity to have their voice heard. Ensuring remote colleagues feel connected will help maintain a healthy work culture and aid with productivity.

In the absence of side-by-side work, a lack of feedback breeds insecurity and reduces confidence, innovation at an alarming rate. It doesn’t matter if communicating praise feels natural - it doesn’t need to. Deserved public and private praise transforms people and accelerates the mission and objectives.

One thing I do with my remote team and colleagues is to give weekly props in our Slack channel, acknowledging those who really made a difference in my week or on a particular project. Genuine appreciation never goes out of style and it helps keep morale high.

You can't underestimate the benefits of proper recognition and a rewards Program for remote individuals. Contributions need to regularly acknowledged publicly, whether through team meetings, email announcements, or dedicated recognition platforms (preferred). Rewards should be commensurate with results, work / life balance and / or opportunities for advancement. There really isn't anything new here. What is required is intention, process and proper infrastructure.

With in-person teams, you can give someone a pat on the back for a job well-done, and everyone will see it. With remote teams, you have to be more intentional. Feedback and praise 1:1 is great, but so is public recognition. Find opportunities to call people out publicly for great work, big or small. At the end of every remote all-hands, we have a section for "shout-outs and gratitudes." Any team member can recognize anyone else for any deed, large or small, that represents one of our core values. It's a fun way to get everyone involved, build goodwill, and end a meeting on a very positive note

Empowering remote teams goes beyond a mere skill - it requires a mindset rooted in trust, respect, and recognizing the value each team member brings. It creates an environment where they feel empowered, inspired, and fulfilled while fostering personal and professional growth. Coaching, mentoring, training, and providing learning resources effectively offer encouragement and support. It is equally important to actively listen to their needs, goals, and feedback and tailor support accordingly. By embracing these principles, remote teams thrive, unlocking the benefits of remote work for organizational success. #Empowerment #RemoteTeams

Unleashing the potential of remote teams means trusting them to do their job without micromanaging. Encourage ownership by setting clear expectations and providing support. Celebrate their achievements, big and small, to foster a culture of accountability. Empowering remote teams means creating an environment that values autonomy, collaboration, and trust. With the right approach, remote teams can flourish, exceed expectations, and deliver exceptional results.

Ensuring remote employees have access to the same career advancement opportunities as their in-office counterparts is crucial for long-term satisfaction, engagement, and retention. Ensure remote employees have equal access to promotion opportunities. Establish mentorship programs where experienced employees can guide and support those looking to advance their careers. Consider rotating remote employees through different projects or teams, helping them gain a broader organizational perspective, and enabling the development of new skills. By actively supporting career advancement for remote employees, you not only benefit the individual, but also strengthen your remote workforce.

Even as the leader if you are the one setting the goals and expectations for the team around remote work, it's important to make sure that people feel acknowledged and seen. Making sure that you are also making it clear that you are there to listen and hear people's perspectives, questions, challenges, and to provide support is also critical to building trust and buy in around your goals

It’s also important to have tools for remote teams to collaborate on and they should be tools your team ENJOYS using. If your company is rolling out a new tool for communication or collaboration and there’s a collective groan… you may want to evaluate if it’s the best tool for the job.

Remember to have fun! One hurdle many remote teams tend to neglect is that you don't have to miss out on those "water cooler chats," talking about fun weekend plans, or sharing pictures from your vacation. ?? If you use Slack, use the Donut bot for a space that encourages fun ice breakers, random pictures, etc. For Teams, setup the ? CoffeePals bot. ?? Have virtual game nights or contests! (this could be anything from a quick game of Among Us to fitness challenges) ?? Video calls don't always have to be about work! Just like you would at an office, encourage your team to hop on video calls for casual convo! Communication that isn't just about work is key to making the team feel energized and casual. It's only isolating when you allow it