With the spread of COVID-19, working remotely is more than just a growing trend. It’s become a necessity for companies nationwide and worldwide. Yet leading a remote team isn’t always easy. That’s why we wanted to share with you some of the common issues that crop up in remote teams — and some of the solutions that can help address them.
Too little communication
It’s easy to feel isolated working at home alone, especially if you’re used to working with other people in an office setting. Research published in Harvard Business Review found that many remote employees are more likely to feel disconnected or even alienated than those who work on-site. As a team leader, you’ll want to check in with each member of your team regularly — and not just via e-mail, Slack or the occasional phone call. Regular, face to face communication via video conferencing with your team and individual employees who report to you is important to help maintain good communication. Keep in mind that employees have different needs. Some employees will want more frequent check-ins than others.
No downtime
Remote workers need a break from work, too. Without time away from work-related e-mail, phone calls and texts, anyone working from home can reach burnout quickly. Help your team establish boundaries so they can unwind and disconnect when they aren’t ‘at work’.
Too much oversight
Perhaps you don’t demand constant connectivity from your remote employees, but you still struggle with micromanaging their efforts. There’s a fine line between frequent communication with members of your team and micromanaging their efforts from afar. If you haven’t managed a remote team before, you may think that employees are more apt to waste time when they work at home, are prone to lose focus and need more management guidance. Studies show the opposite is true. Some studies have shown that remote workers actually work harder and are more efficient than their on-site counterparts. Why? Fewer distractions and interruptions, less socializing and an appreciation of the benefits of remote work, such as no commute, could be reasons. Gallup research, for example, found that remote work not only improves outcomes but is an arrangement that the most talented employees seek.
No sense of community
It’s hard to feel close and connected to your colleagues when you don’t see their faces or hear their voices on a regular basis. Create opportunities for them to bond from afar. This might include fun end-of-week emails with inspirational quotes, recaps of notable achievements from the past week, and words of encouragement. You could also start recognizing your most outstanding employees/freelancers on a weekly/monthly basis and include a personal bio in your email so others can get to know more about their coworkers.