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If you are used to working alongside your team in a brick-and-mortar location, making the move to a remote setup can be difficult at first. Not being able to check in on your team by simply walking over to their workstation can be off-putting, especially if this is your first time not working in the same physical location as your team. As working remotely continues to grow in popularity, however, it’s vital that you put systems in place to manage your team as best as possible.
There are many different tools and strategies that you can use to monitor the performance of your remote team and track their hours. Whether you use staff scheduling software, use an employee time clock app or use other tools, you need to do everything you can to keep your business on track towards your goals. Failing to manage your remote team properly can quickly result in things slipping through the cracks and you falling behind on different projects. While you might be able to recover from a few slip-ups here and there, if these errors become more commonplace, it will become increasingly difficult to bounce back, and over time you could end up in hot water.
Let’s take a look at how you can keep your business on track when you are managing a remote team.
Maintain Clear Lines Of Communication
Clear communication is crucial for any business; however, when you are managing a remote team, it is even more critical. Make sure that you use the right communication tools and outline clear expectations to ensure everyone knows what is required of them. For example, you might require that all internal emails are answered within twenty-four hours, so team members are not held up when trying to move forward with their workload. It’s also a good idea to let your team know how often and when you will be checking in on their progress with various milestones and tasks.
Have Regular Employee Meetings
If you want to ensure that everyone in your team is always on the same page, it’s crucial that you host regular team meetings. Using video-conferencing software, you can ensure that every one of your staff is on the same call so that nobody misses out. If you have a very large team, you can also host meetings, one department at a time or simply meet with senior management, who can pass the information from the meeting onto their teams as required.
Streamline Your Workflow
Just as you would put systems in place to ensure your workflow at your brick and mortar office space is efficient and streamlined, you need to take the exact same approach when you are working remotely. It’s crucial that you set clear expectations from the start as to what you and your team should be doing to achieve your goals. If everyone follows the same workflow, it will be much easier for you to stay up-to-date with your obligations and to keep everything in your business running as smoothly as possible.
Be There To Support Your Team
Working remotely has countless benefits; however, some employees might struggle in this type of work environment. As a manager or business owner, you need to ensure that you are there for your team to support and help them through any challenges they might have. Whether they are struggling to reach a healthy work/life balance, they find the tech a challenge to utilize, or they are having any other issues, you need to be sure that you are always there to help. Being patient, understanding, and supportive can help to boost staff morale and to keep your team motivated and productive in their roles.
Take Measures To Improve Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a hot topic nowadays, especially as more and more businesses are operating remotely. If you haven’t already done so, now is the perfect time to invest in improving your cybersecurity. There are countless tools available nowadays that can help to protect your information online. When you and your team are operating in the online realm, you will naturally be sharing more information and data digitally, which can open you up to cybersecurity threats. To ensure your business doesn’t suffer any setbacks from cyberattacks, take the time to put cybersecurity systems in place that will keep your business protected moving forward.
Make Sure You Stay On Track When You’re Managing A Remote Team
Working with a remote team is becoming increasingly commonplace nowadays, and there are many different tools you can use to manage your remote team with relative ease. While this might be a significant change for your business, by following the tips outlined above, you can ensure that you keep your business on track towards your goals, regardless of where your employees are based.
