These days, most of the world is practicing social distancing and working remotely, for some people they’re trying this for the first time. But before that, some businesses have been shifting their business models to enable more employees to work remotely. So, if you're a business owner who’s trying to implement a work-from-home setup for the first time, don’t panic! We’ll help you with some tips to learn how to manage a team remotely.
According to CoSo cloud, 77% of remote employees say they're more productive when working from home.
Just remember that setting up a good remote working environment for your team is essential and that many tools are available now to make it easy for you and your employees to work from home. Now let’s check the following tips so you can learn how to maintain a successful business and manage a happy team remotely.
Set a plan
You must have a plan that clearly shows you and the team where you want to lead your business. As a leader, you must take responsibility for outlining how communication will be handled, how tasks will be delegated, and setting expectations and deadlines for your remote workers. As Napoleon Hill says:
Plan your work and work by your plan.
The best thing you can do for your employees Now is to be clear and well planned. So, consider all these before working.
Related articles: 10 steps to support your business with a crisis management plan
Don’t forget to communicate regularly
Your remote employees are right now uncertain about a lot – what kind of tasks do they need to work on, will they be able to work effectively and achieve their metrics, how long they will be working remotely, – and you can be most helpful to them by maintaining regular communication. So, schedule regular meetings with your team to encourage collaboration and reduce feelings of isolation. Also, check in with each member of your team to set expectations and find out what they need from you and go over their work and challenges.
On the other hand, remember that Employees are more productive when they feel secure . So try to recognize your team members' fears and feelings, and do as much as you can to convince them that things are OK and will eventually return to normal. And make sure that they have the perfect home office and atmosphere to work from home.
Related articles: 5 tips for creating the perfect home office
Invest in the right tools
Technology is constantly evolving and is making us capable of getting the same job done wherever we are in the world. Use that to your team’s advantage and utilize tools that will help your team members to smooth communication and maximize their productivity.
Related articles: Tools to work from home effectively
Trust your team
Trust is a crucial ingredient for success, and it is the secret behind all successful companies. You might be now asking yourself how to build trust when you manage a team remotely. Check the following points:
- Start the project with a positive attitude.
- Share goals and be clear about your plan.
- Ask for ideas and suggestions.
- Communicate on a regular basis, and, if possible, meet face-to-face (you can use Skype and video Hangouts).
- Give Constructive Criticism and Appreciate
Peter Drucker, author of Managing for the Future said:
The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say 'I.' And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say 'I.' They don't think 'I.' They think 'we'; they think 'team.' They understand their job is to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but 'we' gets the credit....This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.
Be flexible about how the work gets done
if you manage a team remotely now, keep in mind that many employees have a lot of new stressors right now besides working from home. For example, you likely have employees with children now at home with them all day, or employees with medical issues being exacerbated by the quarantine. Make it known that you are allowing more flexible scheduling for as long as the remote work continues.
If you need more help to get over this pandemic, check the following Crisis Management Guide and the article titled 10 ways for small businesses to weather the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
You can also check what GoDaddy is doing to help support small businesses through the #OpenWeStand page.
