While it’s not unusual for companies to have remote employees, COVID-19 has forced a majority of companies to start working remotely since it hit the US. This has resulted in thousands of employees managing a completely remote team. While it may be scary at first, many have learned the ropes on how to handle this situation. Below are a few tips to help you manage your remote working team. 

  1. Establish Structured Daily Check-Ins

Each day, you should plan a one-on-one meeting with each member of your team. While emails and phone calls are great, a face-to-face meeting via video will help you get the most out of your conversations. Thankfully, there are services like Zoom and Google’s Team Hangout to help make this easier for you. These daily check-ins can help you make sure that everyone is getting their work done. It also allows your team members to consult with you about any concerns/questions they have. 

  1. Take Advantage of Technology 

Nowadays, technology makes it very easy for teams to stay connected while working remotely. Communication tools such as Slack and Microsoft Teams make communication even easier to help your team stay engaged. These chat-like tools make it easy to send and receive messages.  

  1. Communication

It is very obvious that communication is a very important part of remote working teams. One of the hardest parts about working remotely is the sense of loneliness, especially if you’re used to working in an office environment. This is especially true considering how many people are practicing social distancing. Communication helps your team members not only stay connected, but also lets them have the “social” interaction that they are used to.

  1. Manage Expectations

You need to collaborate with your team members to create realistic expectations for their work. This will help set you and your team up for success. Also, it helps with making sure that everyone is on the same page. You can manage your expectations by defining deadlines for each task/project that each of your team members are working on. Otherwise, you might be in a situation where members are behind on work because they aren’t sure what needs to be done and when. 

  1. Be Flexible 

It’s important to understand that everyone has a lot going on during these unconventional times. While it’s no excuse for work to not be getting done, it is a reason to reconsider the productivity of your team. You need to be flexible and trust your team. They need the freedom and flexibility to get their work done on a schedule that helps them be the most productive. You might have members on your team who are at home with their kids. This is something you need to take that into consideration. They might not be able to be as productive as they usually are when in office.