5 Technologies that help your team work remotely

I know managing remote workers and remote teams can be difficult. It certainly has a learning curve. I’ve led a fully remote team with no office on more than one occasion, and I've led other teams that are separated by oceans and 10+ hour time differences. Those situations really only add a bit more complexity to the same struggles found in having multiple offices or branches. Here are some tools that I have used that make a big impact.

Video Conferencing — Over 50% of communication is body language or non-verbal. When you work with someone remotely, you miss out on that. Studies also show, it’s easier to develop relationships and build trust when you can see someone’s face. (Many of those internet trolls wouldn’t dare treat someone the way they do in person). You want to get as close to being in person as possible and build strong relationships, just like you would with any other member of your team. So, whenever possible, video chat. Even if it’s just a short call or check in, video chat. You also need to make sure you are scheduling at least an hour of dedicated time each week to checking in with them. Depending on the schedule and the person, it could be two 30-minute sessions or one 60-minute session. Start off with more frequent check-ins during the onboarding process.

Recommended Tools — Zoom, Facebook Messenger, Workplace (by Facebook), Google Hangouts, Skype, or FaceTime. 

Chat Apps — Email can get confusing and phone calls or texts back and forth make it hard to keep everyone in the loop. Apps like Workplace (by Facebook) and Slack are really good tools that allow groups for teams, projects, file sharing, etc. Many also connect with other sharing tools like Google Drive, etc. It makes communication more fluid and consistent.

Recommended Tools — Workplace, Slack, or WhatsApp

Relationship Building — When your team is distanced from each other, it is important to be intentional about relationship building. This can be as simple as an internal Workplace, Slack channel dedicated to fun stuff, or some time at each video conference to chat and share personal and professional stories. It can be as complicated as off-site facilitated meetings. I’d recommend a combination of both.

Recommended Tools — Workplace, Slack, and message me for info on off-site facilitation options.

Shared Documents — Document sharing and editing is a must on remote teams. Sending edited documents back and forth creates a lot of confusion. It’s best to share documents and folders with relevant teams and edit them live. Don’t worry, both of the below recommendations allow you to go back to previous versions in case someone makes a mistake. 

Recommended Tools — Google Docs or Microsoft One Drive.

Appreciation — This has been a secret weapon for teams who have embraced it. Distance can create... distance. Appreciation builds relationships by releasing dopamine and norepinephrine. These hormones connect and motivate people. The best remote implementation is to make sure the appreciation type is prominently shown in team profiles like their Slack profile or email signature. Message me if you would like to see some examples.

Tools — Motivating by Appreciation (Remote Assessment).

Try out a few of these tools and let me know what you think. If you are having trouble deciding which tools to start with, shoot me a message, and I'll make some personalized recommendations just for you!

For advice on where to get started, check out this article The Beginners Guide to Remote Work for Rental We will continue the conversation on remote work over the next few weeks. Follow along!