Managing Remote Teams: Your Guide to Success
The working world across the globe transformed completely over the past year and a half – and it will not likely ever be the same as it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote work will persist. During the pandemic, many businesses shifted to part-time or full-time remote work schedules in response to local ordinances.
According to a survey by Intermedia, 57% of small to medium-sized business owners said they will continue to offer remote work options in the long term. Of course, fully remote work is not applicable to some industries such as construction, agriculture, manufacturing, and warehousing. For many others to compete for talent going forward, offering remote work options to employees will be necessary to survive.
Two years ago, many organizations did not have a single remote worker. Now, full or partial remote work is becoming normalized in certain industries and companies are determining ways to thrive in this new environment. Is your organization moving towards a predominantly remote work environment, but needs assistance with managing a team remotely?
To benefit your company’s remote work situation, we’ve outlined several key moves to make when managing a remote team to enhance your collaboration, productivity, growth and ROI in a non-traditional office environment.
Invest in Tech Capabilities
For your organization to successfully manage remote teams for the long term, it will need to invest in technology capabilities to enable home working. Beneficial technology assets include a private company VPN, virtual collaboration tools, cloud-based software solutions, and physical assets that enhance your employees’ work from home (WFH) experience, such as a home office stipend for remote workers.
The technology aspect of remote work – which is crucial to staying connected from various locations – can be daunting to figure out without the help of experts. Bridgepoint Consulting has a dedicated team of experienced consultants ready to assist your organization with the adjustment to a remote or hybrid work environment. Our consultants are skilled in implementing cloud-based software solutions that enable a cohesive and connected remote work environment.
Keep Teams Motivated and Engaged
Though the convenience for employees who have the flexibility to work remotely is unmatched, their social experience with the company could be hindered if connections are not established, encouraged, and maintained between colleagues and management. Just like how connections are made in person – communication between all parties is key to create a working relationship and built trust, even if it will predominantly occur remotely.
In addition to keeping employees engaged, your organization needs to establish methods of monitoring productivity in a remote environment. Remote work entails a lot of trust by having employees working on their own from a location – usually their home – that is not the company office.
Trust between managers and their employees is directly tied to how well an employee performs while working away from a physical office, so it’s critical to develop and maintain that trust. That could look like routine check ins between managers and employees – whether daily, weekly. biweekly, or monthly, or some other method of open communication between parties. Written expectations, methods and processes will direct employees and enable them to work independently based on clear directions and after receiving adequate training. Managers also may need additional training if they aren’t accustomed to managing employees from afar.
For many employees, being able to measure results or completed tasks at work can add motivation and contribute to goals within their career. Create systems that empower remote employees to continually progress professionally and gives them visibility as to how close they are to reaching goals.
Engage with Consultants
The best way to set your team up for success during the adjustment to a remote work environment is to bring in experts. At Bridgepoint Consulting, our consultants come with a wealth of experience advising teams and entire organizations on effective uses of technology for connection and collaboration in a remote environment.
There are many benefits of bringing in consultants – especially remotely. Our teams are accustomed to and have a proven successful track record of working remotely, both internally and with clients, giving you access to the best talent regardless of location. From an efficiency standpoint, bringing in a consultant for a few hours at a time reduces costs compared to hiring a full time and onsite employee to oversee work activities.
Bridgepoint Consulting offers a full scope of technology consulting services – including project management systems implementation and integration – rivaling management consulting firms 10 to 100 times our size to help you optimize your digital landscape. A strategic partner first and technology expert second, which is why our driving force, every day, is helping you solve your biggest business challenges.
If you have questions or need assistance, please get in touch. Learn more about our other services here.
