Here's how you can effectively manage and lead remote teams in R&D.

I have managed global teams for 15+ years. Very early, I realised the importance of cultural context and that every individual is UNIQUE in the way, they are wired and CULTURAL context plays a big role. Example: Someone from United States will be very "explicit" and vocal about what they want, but, if you have team members in ASIA or Latin America, then you have to "READ THE AIR" as because of cultural settings and respect given to seniors in these geographies, they will not open up easily. Also, these are some of the brightest minds on earth. Spending more time with them, building a relationship, helping them open up, will give you best, trustworthy team for future. BTW, I went to the extent of reading books on culture in Brazil & Mexico.

In my humble opinion, there has to be at least one person on the team who is well-connected, and able to understand and resonate with all the different backgrounds (professional or cultural) of other people in the team. This specific person can act as a bridge and help create an environment of clarity and understanding for the whole team. I recently had an opportunity to invite people from academic backgrounds to an industrial project for research and product development purposes, I felt that the presence of such a person played a crucial role in aligning the expectations and goals for everyone. In summary, build and choose your team carefully.

To register creative risk in project management, teamwork must be done and with a comprehensive plan and the formation of a strong team, it can be evaluated and consolidated. Everything happens with a strong start and risk-taking, and we must have trust.

Planning is the first thing to do in R&D activities. We have to reconfirm the objectives and methodologies and discuss with your own team. The goals should be to achieve products/outcomes that can be useful at least over a decade as a primary target. The market or stake holders should be identified in the beginning itself.

?? Set Expectations for Remote R&D Success ?? Establish clear project goals, deadlines, and responsibilities from the start. Regularly review expectations to ensure alignment and accountability. Clarity is essential to avoid confusion and inefficiency. Encourage questions to minimize misunderstandings and keep the project on track.

Effectively managing and leading remote teams in food R&D requires clear communication and establishing a structured R&D approach. Clarity in communication ensures team members understand goals, tasks, and expectations despite physical distance. Establishing a well-defined R&D process from ideation to experimentation and implementation fosters efficiency and accountability. This structured approach enables teams to collaborate effectively, maintain workflow continuity, and achieve project milestones.

Example 1: Use specific platforms for instant messaging to quickly address minor questions or updates, and others for weekly video meetings to discuss complex issues, review data, and make strategic decisions together. Example 2: Schedule daily stand-ups where each team member shares their progress and plans for the day. This keeps everyone informed and creates a sense of routine and connectivity, similar to in-person interactions.

La comunicación efectiva es clave en el trabajo en equipo en cualquier disciplina, pero se vuelve aún más importante en proyectos de investigación y desarrollo remoto. Esto se debe a la necesidad de un entendimiento total y preciso de cada dato por parte de todos los miembros del equipo. Una buena comunicación no solo facilita la coordinación y el seguimiento del progreso, sino que también promueve la cohesión y el compromiso del equipo, lo que es esencial para el éxito del proyecto.

It's important to set clear communication expectations by establishing guidelines for communication frequency, preferred channels (email, video conferencing, instant messaging), and response times. Also, it's important to regularly acknowledge and appreciate team members' contributions to boost morale and foster a collaborative spirit. This will encourage transparency and open communication.

Encourage sharing of ideas. Make the work environment a 'safe place' to brain storm and dump. You'll need to build trust before you trully get open, effortless collaboration. There will always be hiccups and frictions...that's just a fact of life. It's the ability to absorb these, accept them and move on that makes a trully great team...and they do exist. I've had the honour to be part of some.

Think of it like a sports team, especially if you work in a matrix. Be the team captain and coach, support the needs of your team members, empower them, use their strength, listen to them and help them where needed. A good overall mix always helps to flourish and grow. This is not only needed in R&D it should be applied in any global spanning team. It moves everybody closer, creates a sense and also makes work fun by being a true team not afraid to share and speak up.

Example 1: Implement collaborative tools to document sharing and real-time editing, allowing team members to simultaneously work on research papers or project plans. Example 2: Set up virtual brainstorming sessions using few other tools where team members can freely share and build on each other's ideas, mimicking the spontaneous creativity of an in-person lab environment.

More likely yes than no, but you also need to understand the scale. Most often for collaborations, it is necessary and urgent to form the BORDERS and goals of the collaboration, most often many scientists are too immersed in themselves and their ambitions.

This is indeed the 'glue' that holds any team together, not just remote teams. Trust takes time to build. I would always recommend meeting the team face-to-face and have regular face-to-face events where you can you can get know each other, share experiences and have a laugh. These shared experiences will help when you (as a team) face tough times and challenges. It's these tough times that create the robust team you need. Be honest...be respectful, be open. Work hard, play hard.

Example 1: Assign significant parts of the project, like designing a key experiment or analyzing critical data, to team members and trust them to complete it independently, checking in only for major milestones or if they request help. Example 2: Maintain transparency by regularly updating the team on the overall progress of the R&D project and any organizational changes that might impact their work. This transparency helps build a secure environment where team members feel valued and informed.

That's the main thing. A lot still depends on the hierarchy and culture of the team, but it helps keep the project team together. More often than not, it fuels motivation for those who follow the lead researcher in the team.

I see using technology to bridge the gap between remote team members. Invest in specialised R&D software that simulates collaborative working in a physical laboratory.

Supporting the well-being of remote R&D teams is essential for maintaining productivity and morale. Strategies such as promoting work-life balance, providing mental health resources, fostering a sense of community, and regularly checking in with team members can help create a supportive environment and improve overall team satisfaction.

Yeah, it's important. Very often if you are in a managerial position you will have to look after the health of your colleagues and subordinates. And it is important to look after mental health first of all, because very often those who are in R&D processes are under a lot of pressure and this affects motivation and intelligence. Speaking from my own experience and seeing your colleagues who could be brilliant engineers or scientists go suicidal is not pleasant. Especially with political upheaval.

After 20+ years of leading R&D teams across Pharma and biotech companies to collaborate, some of the biggest roadblocks are when decisions aren’t made after endless meetings, a few loud voices dissent from the group/deter progress, the teams propose ideas but the levels above won’t fund it without giving a addressable reason why. Culturally, team leaders need to be granted accountability to make decisions without needing everyone’s agreement, ask the dissenting voices to provide a solution around their dissenting opinion (tell us “how”, not just no”) and given the budgets/opportunity to try a new direction. Rarely do micromanaged institutions allow for the above. Instead, time and money are wasted not being able to move forward.

It requires a combination of strategic planning, robust communication, and utilization of the right tools and technologies for your team. First, set clear expectations and goals using SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), but don't underestimate the significance of building a strong team culture. It may take time, yet each element in the equation is crucial. Try to get to know your team members as individuals and encourage them to do the same for each other. Don't forget to recognize and reward team members for their contributions to maintain motivation and engagement.