Perspective on Managing Remote and Distributed Teams

March 20th, 2020

Michael JB Carter, CRO, Energy Acuity, LLC

I was chatting with Nitin Tanwar, CEO of Climate Connect, this morning about COVID-19 and he prompted me to share what I know about managing remote and distributed teams. 

I have been managing remote and distributed teams since at least 2001 and since then, I have encountered many shocking dislocations and challenges to business continuity. I hope my perspective may be of value as companies and their leadership teams struggle with the impacts of COVID-19. 

2001 was when Platts bought FT Energy and I found I had new teams of people to manage in Boulder, New York, Washington and London. 2001 turned out to be challenging in energy markets and human connection alike.

The merger transaction closed on the 4th of September and the whole management team of Platts and FT Energy were together in Boulder the week of the 9/11 attacks on the US. To say things were chaotic was an understatement. 

We were managing personal loss, market chaos, inability to travel, overloaded phone systems, all while comforting hundreds of colleagues from their worst fears.

The COVID-19 pandemic far exceeds what happened in the US after September 11th, 2001: both situations are unique, unexpected and shocked our normal systems: phone lines were overloaded, transportation was halted, good information on the situation was hard to find, and national leadership, like now, was severely underprepared for the scale and depth of the crisis.  

As a business every process had to re-configured. We had to rely on all available forms of communication. Above all, we had to send out clear and positive signals, both internal and external, that communicated our plan to address the situation.  

Some points for your consideration in overall business and crisis management:

• Encourage an open, respectful and accepting environment- Not everyone processes these events the same way. 
• Listen to what your team is telling you- even if it sounds weird- and there is always weird stuff that happens in crises and in regular life- listen and let them know you heard them. 
• Communicate with your people frequently with positive messages and clear signals from you and your leadership about what is happening and how you aim to address it. 
• Set realistic goals and steps to measure success- even small successes make a big difference to morale.
• Set up consistent times to connect with your people and prioritize this commitment. I recommend you immediately set up a daily stand-up call for 15 mins with your team. Stand-up Call Simple rules- What did I work on yesterday? What am I working on today? What issues are blocking me?
• Ensure people have what they need to communicate in the manner that best fits them and your culture.
• Encourage cultural tendencies that may seem odd in regular times, but that bring people together in a supportive environment.
• Humor may not always be appropriate, but when it is appropriate, use it a lot.

Businesses are complex human systems. Dislocation events like COVID-19 upset our human interaction. Bring your teams together as soon as possible to establish a new set of human interactions. Maintaining a rigid business environment that may have worked prior to the crisis may no longer be practical. Be open to allow dynamic and shifting responsibilities and recognize how amazing people can be in times of crisis. Most important of all is to support each other, deliver a consistent message, and be patient as you plan your next steps.