Employers increasingly permit their employees to work remotely. Unfortunately, however, transitioning can be challenging for all involved.
Distributed teams require more transparency and strategic communication than co-located team members to reach maximum productivity and success. By adhering to these two qualities, distributed teams are better able to maximize productivity. You can try out mogu for online task management.
1. Organize Your Tasks
Remote work has become the new normal, making life harder for managers managing distributed teams. But using the appropriate tools and best practices can make managing distributed teams much simpler.
Managers who oversee teams across various locations or time zones may find it challenging to ensure all team members are aligned on expectations. To assist this process, clear expectations should be set so everyone is aware of their responsibilities and can inquire should any be unclear.
Establish communication standards to prevent issues like “out of sight, out of mind,” which Deloitte has reported is a prevalent challenge among remote project teams. Regular check-ins between team members (both individually and collectively) give team members an opportunity to discuss experiences or voice any concerns before any become more pressing issues. By being proactive about problem resolution you can catch issues early before they escalate into larger ones.
2. Create a To-Do List
Keep up with projects in distributed teams can be tricky, but using a to-do list for remote work can make things much simpler. A to-do list ensures all tasks are being taken care of and progress is being made.
The best online to-do lists provide actionable, measurable and realistic goals for each project. Setting priorities and creating accountability through due dates helps set priorities as well. When possible, assigning tasks directly to team members promotes ownership while increasing transparency on project tasks.
Integration of video conferencing into your remote working schedule can also enhance communication. Set aside some time each week for short meetings to address project status and obstacles; and host larger wrap-up meetings at the end of every week to celebrate successes.
3. Set a Schedule
Workflows within distributed teams can be more complicated than those involving co-located employees, increasing the chances that mistakes slip through the cracks. Therefore, setting clear, measurable goals as well as having an effective team management tool in place which offers visibility into productivity is absolutely essential to ensure smooth workflows and avoid mistakes from falling through the cracks.
Setting and respecting time zones are also key. While managers might expect their remote workers to be available 24/7, this can quickly become tiresome and interrupt personal life. Therefore, it is highly advised to hold regular team standups (or similar meetings) with remote workers in order to discuss progress of projects and set mini-goals.
Regular meetings can also help foster team bonding. Some companies even host virtual happy hours so employees from both locations can connect over light-hearted conversations. Regular feedback meetings allow employees to give and receive constructive criticism, which helps foster an environment for growth.
4. Keep Track of Time
Managers of remote employees should monitor their output to ensure they meet daily targets, without resorting to micromanagement which can stifle motivation. Instead, focus on results by setting SMART goals for everyone on your team to work towards.
Regular meetings and check-ins are vital for keeping everyone up-to-date, discussing roadblocks, and setting new goals. With your team scattered globally, finding a meeting time that works can be tricky; to help find one quickly Doodle provides availability analysis across different time-zones to suggest meeting times that work for everyone.
Setting up the appropriate tools and processes is integral to successful remote work. Miro provides teams with online collaboration tools that enable them to work seamlessly together while building strong working cultures; for instance, an online collaborative whiteboard provides teams with the means of planning work strategies, discussing progress reports and sharing files seamlessly.