Whether it’s collaborating with remote employees or with team members traveling for work, remote teamwork is becoming common in many offices. In light of this shift in how people are working, we’d like to underpin a few important tips to facilitate successful remote teamwork, help guide leaders in managing remote teams, and finally will describe some of the benefits that come from remote collaboration.
Remote Collaboration Tips
Having a sense of belonging to something meaningful and understanding your role in achieving those goals greatly influences a person’s work performance. The first hurdle to enhance work performance in an organization is by mastering remote collaboration. Successful collaboration happens by understanding the various ways remote employees can interact with each other and then selecting and implementing systems that best fit the current team.
Respect Other People’s Time
The easiest way to respect your teammate’s time is through preparation. If all mobile employees are being asked to go live, whether on the phone or through video, the reason is usually important. Whoever scheduled the meeting should have gathered all the materials needed including background information, opinions, and documents, and distributed any necessary information to the rest of the team to help the meeting run as productively and as smoothly as possible.
Use the Right Technology
Research the various types of technology that are available for use. Make sure you and your teammates are using a product or service that meets your exact needs. Too many technology options can prove to be both overwhelming and confusing. To avoid any misunderstandings, make sure all remote employees are using the same product and have sufficient knowledge of how software works.
Invest in things like conference phones with clear audio, video conferencing technology that allows remote employees to be more present, and screen sharing services that allow easy remote collaboration between locations. If your team works from home or travels frequently, supply them with the tools necessary to make mobile work more efficient.
Avoid Miscommunication
Communication that happens in the same room is not always efficient; more often than you’d expect, team members can have a slightly different interpretation of what is going on. Now try communicating remotely, and you will find that it is much more difficult. Be aware of common mistakes and misconceptions by reviewing your messages. Pay special attention to wording, phrasing, spelling, tones, times, and dates. If a message is too complicated to write out, try to schedule a meeting through a phone call or video chat to be proactive through remote collaboration.
Share Industry & Company News
By sharing industry news that excites you, you can share issues or opportunities with your team that you’re passionate about. Sharing company news keeps everyone in the loop and aware of any updates, events, or big projects.
Set Expectations
Set clear standards and establish communication guidelines from the beginning for remote employees, to avoid communication confusion. Discuss who will be taking on which roles, what calls each team member will be expected to be on, and establish norms around how frequently emails need to be read and replied to.
Managing Remote Teams
Work itself isn’t always what is complicated, more often than not, it’s the people. Managing remote teams can be a difficult or overwhelming task, but is important when working to create successful remote collaboration.
Perform Daily Check-Ins
Managers can have a big impact in their employees’ lives. By sharing the positives and addressing failures, managers can help give those who are working from home the extra support they may need to get help. Daily check-ins allow for a 1-on-1 opportunity to discuss any questions that may have come up, but also allow for bonding, which helps to improve workplace relations.
Give Everyone a Job
When managing a remote team, the leader must make sure all employees are aware of what they are doing according to the task they’ve been given. Remote teamwork is at its best when clear project guidelines are provided and leaders consistently check back in. By engaging mobile employees in group roles, work can feel more inclusive and leave them with the desire to contribute their best work.
Recognize Accomplishment
When managing a remote team, you can’t always see what others are working on behind the scenes, it is important to recognize accomplishments, not just of one person but of everyone involved in the project’s success. Regular positive reinforcement can lead to higher morale and increased dedication.
Approve Access to Data
Approve access to data and provide remote employees with any usernames and passwords they’ll need. It is likely that some people will be working different hours than you and it’s important to be sure that they are able to access all the accounts they may need.
Review Results
By involving everyone on the team when reviewing results, team members can understand the importance of facilitating successful collaboration. Remote teamwork can be hard, but by recognizing achievements and addressing weak spots, team members often understand their roles in achieving future goals and improving day by day.
Why Work with Remote Teams?
Remote teams are becoming a norm in the workplace. Remote teamwork and collaboration require a lot of management, however remote employees are often some of the best assets an organization can ask for.
Be Result-Oriented
Remote teamwork is special because mobile employees realize the value they are getting from the company – the option to work out of office. This requires a lot of trust from the employer and for remote employees to be loyal and honest to the company. Remote teamwork often produces outstanding results because of high-performing employees work hard to prove the work structure is functioning well.
Open Doors to the Best Talent
Remote collaboration can be insightful — by allowing employees to work remotely, the company can broaden its horizons tremendously. Remote teamwork can then exist globally, giving companies the opportunity to search for and hire the best talent from all over the world — bringing new perspectives, thoughts, and skillsets to an organization.
Attract New Prospective Employees
As Generations Y and Z begin to occupy most of the jobs in the workforce, companies will have to shift their norms to suit these new prospective employees needs and expectations. They often look for a job that doesn’t tie them down in one place with flexible work hours that enable them to travel and create their own routine: remote work.
Amplify Organization
Organization needs to be top notch at all times, especially when remote collaboration is taking place. Due to different time zones and availability of employees, not everyone will be working at the same time. An organizational structure that is planned out and completely managed will help remote employees understand what is expected of them and how to meet these expectations.
Regardless of whether you are on a remote team or you are in charge of managing a remote team, successful remote collaboration will make your organization stand out among others. Check out this blog for more tips and tricks for any remote employees who have to travel for work!
Related blog posts:
• Working Remote with Poly Power and Zoom Simplicity
• 5 Tips for Working from Home
• Three Ways Microsoft & Poly Foster a Culture of Collaboration
• Among the Converted – Three Key Ways to be Successful as a Remote Worker