How to Manage Remote Workers Effectively

Managing and leading others takes a specific skillset. Add a remote environment, and you add a few more necessary skills. As a remote manager, these extra skills are needed to make sure you keep yourself and your team connected and on track. Below are nine tips that will help remote managers to manage remote workers both effectively and successfully.

How to Manage Remote Workers Effectively

Keep communication channels open: Communication is key when working remotely. Remote managers need to keep communication channels open and encourage their remote workers to be proactive in communicating as well. To be effective, encourage your team to contact you when they feel they need to. Likewise, ensure that you are available as well as proactive in reaching out to them.

Set and talk about weekly accomplishments: While a remote worker should be independent and able to self-direct, it’s important for remote managers to set weekly goals. Then, make sure to provide opportunities to assess any successes or setbacks in reaching those goals. One way to do this is by meeting once a week as a team or individually.

Provide quarterly goals: You want your remote workers to be focused and productive. In addition to providing immediate weekly goals, provide quarterly goals that can be assessed. This will help to keep your remote workers engaged in not only short-term goals but long-term operations as well.

Implement programs to track time on projects: While you aren’t going to need to know what your remote workers are doing every single second of the day, you will want to know that they are working on projects in a manner that is both effective and efficient. Consider implementing programs to monitor time spent on projects. This helps workers know what is expected and manager to know what to expect.

Don’t micromanage your team: Nobody likes a micromanager, including your very own team. Work to build trust in your remote workers by focusing on results rather than time. This is where communication and goal setting comes into play big time! Make sure to stay in contact with you team and monitor when and how goals are set, but let your team know that you trust them to get their work done.

Get to know your team: In a remote environment it can be difficult to feel connected to each other. Getting to know your team on a more personal level will help to build better relationships. Don’t skimp on team building activities and opportunities to connect on things not work related.

Be transparent: Well, as transparent as you can be. Share organizational goals and happenings. As a manager, you are more than likely to be privy to a bigger picture that others won’t see. And, although you might not be able to share everything, your remote workers will be interested in the company as well. As a remote company, this type of information helps remote workers to see the company as they would a typical office.

Create a cohesive team environment: You don’t want to have animosity between members; I doubt anyone likes to go to work where they despise their coworkers. As a remote manager, you need to work to create an environment where the team doesn’t feel overly burdened by competition and stress. Praise where appropriate, correct privately where needed, and focus on collective goals.

Be Flexible: With remote working comes considerations involving time zones and individual schedules. Sure, the standard 9-5 might work for business, but in reality it isn’t practical for everyone every single day. Depending on when and where your remote workers work, consider the times zones they come from and work with your team to come up with meeting times that work for everyone. Being flexible AND patient will go a long way.