Managing Remotely

Managing remote teams can feel a lot like playing chess... with a blindfold on. You can use all your experience and instincts to make the right moves and still have no idea if it made any impact. Awareness and human connection are the manager’s best tools. But they’re also the first things to get murky when your team goes remote.

The less face-to-face time, the more issues seem to creep up. Comments and feedback get misconstrued. Expectations are sometimes not properly communicated. And your remote team suddenly feels unseen, unheard, and, often, unhappy. Remote teams require more communication, better time management skills, and more commitment. Remote teams often feel isolated and disconnected from company culture and can easily drown in different communication tools.

It's not all bad news, as per the research reported by Planio

• Remote workers are?30% more likely to say they’re more productive?during the day
• 82% of remote workers say they?experience lower levels of stress
• While 87%?feel more connected to their team?thanks to tools like video chat

However,?getting?these sorts of benefits out of your remote team takes work. All Managers today do the global dance. The key to remote management is learning to do the global Dance –Learn the culture before interacting and managing.?

Understand the Geographical challenges

• Building relationship
• What managers/employees need to succeed
• Visibility
• Continuously clarify goals and direction
• Time zones and holidays
• Have enough face time
• Strengthen coordination and collaboration
• Coach for performance

The goal with managing remote teams is to manage lack of face-to-face supervision, set clear expectations, ensure we don't have productivity issues, and ensure there is no lack of communication and not create social isolation.

Bad management leads to the ladder of inference. When the receiver has observable data, he/she will make assumptions, and based on that, he will draw conclusions and take actions that can lead to unintended consequences creating a situation.

Example: When you give a suggestion or FYI (For your information), it can be assumed by the receiver that you are giving a proposal. He might conclude and build an empire around that proposal and take actions that are completely cut off and the consequence is a bad personal relationship.

The solution for this is adopting a technique - Inquiry, and Advocacy. Inquire into the thinking of others and make our thinking clear to others (advocacy).

Managing remote teams has a unique set of challenges that require equally unique solutions. Hybrid teams can help businesses lower costs, increase productivity, and become more agile during times of adversity. But with this new system comes a new set of challenges for managers who have been trained within the parameters of the traditional workplace

TIPS

1. ?Understand the Diverse Global Team working – Consider the individual first, Avoid the law of negative attribution and Assume the best
2. Explain 3 ways/times
3. Replace closed questions like- “Do you understand? with open questions like “What else do we need to know before moving forward?”
4. ?Use “Tell me more” and “What else” frequently
5. Use numbers in voicemail, email or conference number
6. Use Drive by phoning – “Hello! How are you doing call”

7.???Use from “1 to 10” example – “From 1 to 10, rate him”

8.???Be clear when you are giving an action item and when you are thinking out load

9.???Prioritize your 1on1 communication – If you ever have to cancel your 1/1, prepone it and not postpone

10. Never use negative questions – “You cannot deliver on Friday, can you?”

Managing hybrid teams may differ from traditional management, but many of the same principles still apply. Good communication has always been a part of effective management, the only difference in hybrid teams is that communication has moved online. Just be sure to always follow up with team members to see what challenges they face, optimize systems and operations where necessary, and lead from the front to set an example for your team. In summary, as a manager, we need to update our communication process to understand when our remote employees need help. be inclusive. use office hours to save team members nonstop meetings, calls, and emails. be intentional about creating a culture focussing on results. Mainly be flexible and give your team?true autonomy.