Personal Development
Tips for managing remote teams
Jeya Thiruchelvam, managing editor at XpertHR, provides advice
O ne year on from the start of the pandemic and remote working has become the norm for many businesses, but managing remote workers is not without its challenges. Though remote working doesn’t suit everyone, there are measures employers can implement. ● Become excellent communicators – Managers of remote workers need to be highly skilled at communicating, relationship- building, coaching, and managing by results. When most of the interaction with employees is by email, Teams or Zoom, managers can’t rely on body language and facial expressions to convey messages. Equally, they can’t always understand what an employee is saying. To manage a virtual team effectively means that communication needs to be outstanding. ● Letting go – Although managers often find ‘letting go’ uncomfortable, successful management is about trusting a team to deliver and not micro-managing them. Managers must understand the strengths and skills of each employee and their personal circumstances and life commitments, and their own weaknesses and work on those. Managers should have confidence in their ability to guide and support their team, and to create a positive environment where new ways of working can be explored. ● Ensuring good employee wellbeing – Making time for regular catch-ups with employees will help managers recognise when someone might be struggling but reluctant to admit it. This is an important part of looking after their mental wellbeing. To promote good mental wellbeing ensure employees know they need time away from their desks, and encourage communication with their colleagues, such as having a virtual coffee. Also, remind employees of any contractual benefits such as employee assistance programmes. ● Plan new working arrangements carefully – At the start of any new working
arrangement, managers should agree some regular events (virtual or face to face) to which the team can commit. They should plan and diarise the events they want everyone to attend well in advance, which means team members can more easily plan and, if necessary, change their work schedule so they can attend an event. ● Set objectives to measure performance – Measuring an individual’s performance by results and not by their presence in the office or the hours they work is the best approach. ...think about some specialised training... A person’s presence at work does not necessarily mean they are working. Equally, when someone is working from home, or on the move, this does not mean they are not working or slacking. Often, it is the reverse. Given the freedom to work in their own way, employees almost always get on with the job and appreciate being trusted. To assess an individual’s performance by their output, managers must set clear objectives and desired outcomes. The focus should be on agreeing objectives and outcomes with team members over a specific period, how they will be measured, and giving the freedom to choose how they will meet them. This flexibility will give individuals the chance to use their knowledge and experience. The individual doing a job is usually the one who knows best how to do things better or differently. After objectives have been set, managers should monitor progress. Creating regular opportunities to review, reflect and provide feedback against outcomes and objectives is even more important when an individual is working flexibly and there are fewer opportunities to observe directly or provide
in the moment advice or feedback. ● Coach and facilitate – For remote workers, a coaching management style will be more effective than a ‘command and control’ approach as there is less scope to help troubleshoot problems when they arise. Team members therefore need to develop the skills to solve problems independently. A coaching management style means managers guiding individuals to work out things themselves, but managers must be approachable and recognise that employees will be stretching themselves and may need guidance. It is essential managers don’t reprimand someone for asking obvious questions or suggest someone is incompetent if they can’t see an obvious solution straightaway. Giving employees the confidence to deal with problems more independently is something that will benefit both the business and the employee in the long run. ● Give constructive feedback – Managers recognising good progress and outcomes is crucial for team motivation. Equally, if there are issues with the progress or outcomes that a particular individual is achieving, managers must feed this back promptly, so that they can improve. It can be demotivating if a team member thinks they are doing a reasonable job because no one has said anything to the contrary, only to be presented with negative feedback at their annual performance review when it is too late. n Remote and flexible working can be hugely beneficial for both employees and employers. Allowing employees input and control over how, where and when they work means they are more invested and more likely to perform better. For employers, it can boost productivity, engagement, and commitment from the workforce.
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 69 | April 2021
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