You’re working from home and need to manage your team remotely. How can you ensure everyone is productive?

1 Set clear expectations

One of the key factors for remote work success is to have clear and realistic expectations for your team. This means defining the goals, roles, responsibilities, deadlines, and deliverables for each project and task. You should also communicate how you will measure and monitor the progress and performance of your team, and what feedback and support you will provide. Having clear expectations will help your team stay focused, aligned, and accountable.

2 Establish regular communication

Another essential factor for remote work productivity is to have regular and effective communication with your team. This means choosing the right tools and channels for different purposes, such as video calls, instant messaging, email, or project management software. You should also schedule frequent check-ins and meetings with your team, both individually and collectively, to discuss the work, share updates, resolve issues, and celebrate achievements. Establishing regular communication will help your team stay connected, informed, and collaborative.

3 Foster trust and autonomy

One of the main benefits of remote work is that it gives your team more flexibility and autonomy over their work. However, this also requires trust and respect from both sides. As a manager, you should avoid micromanaging or controlling your team, and instead empower them to make decisions, solve problems, and manage their time and resources. You should also trust your team to deliver quality work and meet the expectations, and acknowledge their efforts and results. Fostering trust and autonomy will help your team feel valued, confident, and motivated.

4 Encourage learning and development

One of the common challenges of remote work is that it can limit the opportunities for learning and development for your team. This can affect their skills, knowledge, and career growth. As a manager, you should encourage your team to pursue their learning and development goals, and provide them with the resources and support they need. This can include offering online courses, webinars, podcasts, books, or mentoring. You should also create a culture of feedback and learning, where you and your team can share insights, best practices, and lessons learned. Encouraging learning and development will help your team stay curious, adaptable, and innovative.

5 Promote well-being and balance

One of the potential drawbacks of remote work is that it can blur the boundaries between work and personal life, and create stress, burnout, or isolation for your team. As a manager, you should promote well-being and balance for your team, and help them cope with the challenges of remote work. This can include setting healthy work hours, taking breaks, avoiding distractions, creating a comfortable workspace, and maintaining a positive attitude. You should also encourage your team to take care of their physical, mental, and emotional health, and provide them with the resources and support they need. Promoting well-being and balance will help your team stay healthy, happy, and productive.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?