Software Team Remote Management | Bunch Consulting
How to keep your remote software team up to date with all the tasks? What kind of team-building activities are available online?
We’re here for you today, with tips on remote management, motivating your team, and our advice, on how to cope with the challenges on the way to effective management of a dispersed team.?
The benefits of remote project management?
Are your team members dispersed in different locations or even time zones? We at Bunch Consulting know the challenges you face while managing projects remotely. There are many good sides to it, as we’ve learned over time, and we’d like to tell you about them.
Detailed planning and task delegation
No one relies on being in the same room and being able to ask questions directly. Hence, all the tasks need to be assigned carefully and described in detail. Individuals are forced to understand the scope and schedule of projects from the very beginning.
Transparent reporting and feedback
The only way to succeed while working in a remote model is by providing clear reporting. Transparent rules and well-designed reporting processes allow PMs to get a full picture of how things are going.
Lower operational costs
The costs of managing a remote workforce tend to be significantly lower than managing them in-house. Just think about the maintenance of office space, rent costs, travel costs, etc. Of course, there are some other costs connected with managing remote teams, but in the long run, businesses can save as much as $11,000 per employee who switches to a remote or hybrid work model, according to Fortune research (2022).
Work-life balance and employee happiness
The members of remote teams save money and time spent commuting and getting ready. It improves employee morale, which usually directly translates into work efficiency and better performance. Employees can spend more time with their families and friends. In short: the employees and employers both benefit from it.
More hiring options
If you decide to adopt the remote work model, the range of possibilities to hire experts is not limited to a city, country, or even continent. You’ve access to an employee pool of professionals from all over the world.?
The challenges of managing remote software teams and how to overcome them?
“Beep, beep, beep! Can you hear me well?”. Endless calls, chasing your software team members for updates – who doesn’t know it? There are many challenges Remote Software Team Managers face. We’d like to discuss some of them, and, more importantly, share our tips on how to deal with them with you.
Communication issues?
Scheduling meetings and connecting with members of remote software teams, dotted around the globe is just the tip of the iceberg. Conveying the meaning is also impaired, as many calls are held without cameras and lack face-to-face communication.
Trust issues
Keeping track of the progress of all tasks and deadlines that your remote software team should stick to requires investing in proper tools. Constantly asking your team members for updates via e-mail shows that you don’t trust them, and for sure it doesn’t support innovation.
Isolation influencing the teamwork
As we already mentioned before, getting to know each other is an essential part of managing a remote team. It’s good to know the faces behind the e-mail addresses.
Time zone variations
This point is connected to communication issues. Not everyone can join a meeting because they’re eight hours ahead of you? Here’s what you can do!
How to avoid micromanaging your remote software team
The struggle of micromanagement is real, even more in remote teams. Remote employees want to be trusted, without the manager constantly breathing down their necks, and managers want to be up-to-date with the current stand of the projects. Here’s how to find the balance between making sure all tasks are done and preserving your remote team's autonomy.?
Use a remote project management tool?
The functionality you should be looking for is providing real-time visibility into workloads and the status of all the tasks. Whenever a team member makes a change to their calendar, workload, or availability, the platform reflects it in real time. You have all the information in one spot, without toggling between various apps, calendars, and task management tools.?
Understand and respect different productivity patterns
One of the biggest cited perks of remote work is flexibility. Don’t ruin it by constantly monitoring your employees’ availability. The lack of flexibility was the no. 1 reason why people voluntarily quit their jobs according to GoodFirms’ 2021 survey. This is why you should consider resigning from the need to announce someone is stepping away for 15 minutes.
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Keep virtual meetings to a minimum
Wanting to get real-time feedback is natural but the more time your employees spend talking about projects, the less time they have to work on them. Focus on the quality of meetings instead of quantity. Once you have chosen and implemented the remote project management tool, your meetings will revolve around essential topics.
Remote work software – employer business expenses
Working from home made most of us rethink our furniture and lighting choices. But a comfy chair and a good equipment set-up aren’t enough. Working remotely has also forced employers to invest in additional tools. What kind of software, supporting work from home, was the priority for 67% of businesses, according to Trust Radius research? Have a look at the statistics!
How to keep your remote team motivated
Do you remember the children’s coloring books where connecting dots or numbers was revealing a picture? This could be an allegory to managing a remote team. Motivating the team members who are dotted around the world is a challenging job for every PM.?
Let’s have a look at some of the strategies you can use to boost the motivation of your remote team!
Provide and ask for feedback
Regular and mutual feedback in a remote team is essential because it helps to align expectations and objectives. Feedback helps remote workers feel significant and ensures their work really matters. The importance of employee feedback also can’t be forgotten. Asking about the current work progress, or suggested improvements encourages innovation and increases productivity.
Maintain company culture remotely and be empathetic
We wrote about the possibilities of remote team building in the previous post. Fostering connections between team members is essential for effective collaboration.
Also, putting employee well-being at the forefront really matters. Actively listening, and asking how someone feels is appreciated and shows that you value them.
Use mission-oriented communication
Why? Because understanding the significance of the performed tasks leads team members to feel more committed and goal-oriented.
Keep team members in the loop
Communication is the key in all industries but is even more important while managing a remote team. Consistent contact ensures your employees feel up-to-date and reduces stress connected with expecting sudden changes that are communicated too late.
5 ways to connect with your remote team
Team building in the times of remote team management is essential and became a norm over the last few years. How to achieve it, and allow people to get to know each other better? We’re sharing 5 tips to help you with it.
Create team norms
This isn’t as obvious as it sounds but doesn’t have to be complicated. The key is to gather your team and discuss what is necessary to create an environment where the communication line is open and potential problems are spotted as early as possible. Your employees will feel trusted and set their own standards. The next step is to list the rules so they can refer to them if necessary.?
Facilitate a retrospective
The aim of this activity is to give your team members a judgment-free zone to tackle all challenges they face. A retrospective allows you to inspect and adapt to what your team has been working on in a specified time. The scope of discussion is wide and can include topics like what went well, what can be improved, and what the next steps of a project are. As the facilitator of a retrospective, your goal is to keep the dialogue going and help define any issues your team may face.?
Do a spotlight on a team member
Do you know what your team members like to do in their free time? Where would they like to travel? If not, creating a spotlight once a week where you get to know a specific team member can really help. What is the purpose of a spotlight? Getting to know your team members on a personal level helps everyone to increase their level of empathy. Encourage your team members to share something about themselves, and create True or False sentences or answers to the following questions:
The most important thing here is to make them comfortable with what they’re sharing, and keep the questions non-intrusive.
Schedule a weekly video call
Facial expressions and nonverbal communication are important and help understand each other's feelings. Video calls support personalizing an icon from Slack or the email address you write to almost every day.
Play a game
It’s really easy to find online games in the digital era. What for, aren’t they for children, would someone ask? It’s an easy way to bring your team together! Gather ideas and choose one of them every time you decide to play. A sense of humor and bonding over a good game will create some much-needed laughter and a sense of community.
Need a hand in your upcoming IT projects?
With 2023 knocking on our door, we’d like to encourage you to consult your future IT projects with us. We’ve been mastering the remote work model for many years and can’t wait to get to know new, exciting projects! Simply write to [email protected]! Would you like to have your IT project managed by an experienced team? We’d love to hear from you!
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