Leading and Managing Remote Teams

Rajit Kamal

I started my career with Procter & Gamble in 2001. I was a team manager and led a group of operators and technicians on a factory floor. Everyday started with a 6am team meeting. This was a mandatory face to face meeting to discuss results from the previous day and plan for the day ahead. This meeting was important, we discussed challenging issues about safety, quality, production and also celebrated success. We made eye contact with each other, read everyone’s body language and built professional relationships and rapport with each other. There were occasional pat on the back for a job well done or a quiet conversation on the way out. Being physically present in the same room was critical to getting things done. 

18 years later, I work with a global team that is located in multiple time zones. If we are lucky, we all get together in the same location maybe once a year. But we connect everyday. I have “meetings” (or shall I say calls) all day and we connect with colleagues all around the world (US, Europe, Asia, Latin America) on a daily basis. There are so many people that I work with on a daily basis that I have never met in person. Still, I feel I know them and have a healthy and effective professional relationship with them. 

Working in remote teams is going to be the way we work. Where we work, when we work is going to become less relevant as long as we get the work done well and in a timely manner. 

Below are some of my learnings on how to effectively lead and manage remote teams.

1. Responsiveness

Not being in the same location means it is not longer possible for someone to stop by and have a quick chat or run into someone in the hallways. Remote location means people will email, text or call. Responding to these messages in a timely manner is key to making sure distance does not hinder progress and people feel heard and valued. I make sure that I respond to every email (filter email for what needs response etc.) within 24 hours. I request my team to text me if something is urgent and usually get back as soon as possible if not instantly. If a team member needs to speak, I always find time, maybe not instantly but definitely the same day. Most effective part of the communication is not about communicating in person, it is about making sure people feel heard, respected and valued. Being responsive ensures distance does not becomes a barrier in effective communication.

2. Ask for inputs 

When you are on the phone, you can not read the body language of team members or don’t know how people are reacting to the discussion. Sometimes, people hesitate to speak on the phone as they don’t know how their comments are being perceived as they can’t read the room. It is very important to make sure the meeting leader, asks people individually for their comments and inputs. This is specially important if there are junior or new members on the call who might not always feel comfortable speaking up.

3. Leverage technology (Video, FaceTime etc.)

It is important to turn on the camera during meetings or instead of regular calling do FaceTime (during work hours). Turning on the camera helps make the visual connection but also prevents us from multi tasking (e.g. text, write emails etc.) which we are very prone to do when no one is looking. These days WebEx, Skype for Business and other business meeting tools have videos conferencing feature.

4. Manage the tone of your voice

Dr. Albert Mehrabian, author of Silent Messages found that 7% of any message is conveyed through words, 38% through tone of voice and 55% through non-verbal elements (facial expressions, gesture, posture). So, just mathematically, if you are on the phone and non-verbal elements don’t exist, 15% of communication is the words we say and 85% is the tone of the voice. Being measured and calm conveys gravitas. Tone of voice controls ~90% of what we communicate and something we all need to keep in mind.

5. Convey warmth and competence

Social psychologist Amy Cuddy says when people meet you for the first time, they judge you on warmth and competence. When they meet you face to face, these are primarily measured by non-verbal cues. On the phone, it is the tone of what we say and what we say matters. Being a good listener conveys warmth and respect. Ability to ask good questions and steering the conversation towards a conclusion conveys competence. Being disciplined about not multi-tasking, paying attention to what is being said etc. matters a lot. 

6. Hand Written Notes

Even when the team is located remotely, the personal and human touch is still very important. I think it is good to write a hand written note and send via regular mail (not email or text) to your team members and colleagues at the end of the year (or even during the year for a job well done) to recognize and thank them for their contributions. That personal touch is what makes us human.

What are your thoughts and lessons to effectively manage and lead a remote team?