7 Tips on Leading Your Team in the Era of Remote Work

The trend for remote everything has been around for quite a while. We’ve long discovered the perks of doing everyday stuff online. We shop online, communicate online, and do plenty of other things without leaving the comfort of our homes. And, as this trend kept growing bigger, we could see even more exciting opportunities.

Not so long ago, professionals across various industries began embracing the opportunities to work on a freelance or remote basis. Likewise, students began recognizing the benefits of online learning. But then, the global pandemic struck, forcing millions of people to start learning or working online, whether they wanted it or not. And, it turned out that not everything is that exciting and simple.

Though online work or learning can both have benefits, there are also plenty of associated issues. For example, doing such things remotely requires excellent self-organization and dedication. And, while students can at least get support by hiring professional essay writers by DoMyEssay and delegating their homework to pros, things got much trickier for employers and employees.

The Biggest Challenges of Remoteness

According to the 2019 State of Remote Work Report by Buffer, there are nine key challenges of remoteness:

  • Unplugging after the workday;
  • Lack of socialization and loneliness;
  • Issues with communication and collaboration;
  • Distractions;
  • Differences in time zones;
  • Lack of motivation;
  • Issues with getting focused and organized;
  • Issues with finding time for rest;
  • Unreliable internet connection.

These are the biggest challenges facing remote workers. Yet, the same problems exist for remote students too. The good news for students is that they can get professional help. Services like EssayService make studying simple, whether it is in a traditional or remote format.

So, if you are a remote student, you can easily order coursework writing by EssayService or get help with other assignments and solve all these problems at once. But, what if you are a remote worker? Or, even more, a remote team leader?

The good news is that with the right approach, these challenges can be easily overcome. Wanna know how? Below, we are going to focus on remote work, in particular, and share handy tips that will help you lead your remote team effectively and with no stress.

Team-Leading Tips for Overcoming Challenges

If you are a team leader concerned about making your remote team perform at the top of its abilities, these tips will help you make a difference.

Conduct Daily Check-Ins

Though it may sound like putting too much pressure on your employees, daily check-ins are an absolute must-have for all teams that are new to remote working. As was mentioned earlier, getting focused and organized is one of the major issues of remote working, and daily check-ins can really help you create a fixed office-like schedule that will keep your team on the right track.

Leverage Technology

Working, managing projects, and collaborating online can be tough. But, luckily, now we have plenty of handy tools that help streamline the workflow and boost productivity. Depending on your needs, you may want to integrate tools like Zoom, Microsoft Team, Trello, and others into your workflow. Find what suits your team best, and don’t hesitate to take advantage of technology.

Provide the Needed Resources

When your team is at the office, they typically have everything for a comfortable and productive day. And, even if they lack something, they can always notify you about this. Working remotely is different. Sometimes, your employees may lack even such basic things as webcams, good internet connection, powerful laptops, and so on. To ensure success, you must provide your team with everything they need.

Foster Lots of Communication

In the era of remote work, the lack of effective communication and collaboration are among the top challenges facing teams. This leads to a variety of issues and misunderstandings. So, the next tip for effective team management is to over-communicate with your team. Encourage your employees to discuss everything, including the expectations, challenges, duties, tasks, and desired outcomes. The more you communicate, the more effective your workflow will be.

Set Clear Expectations

To help each of your team members work productively and get tasks done, you should identify and set clear expectations. Moreover, apart from setting expectations, you should also request feedback from your staff in order to discuss these expectations and make sure that everyone’s on the same page with you.

Focus on Outcomes

Speaking of expectations, one more tip we have for you is to focus on outcomes rather than daily activity. As a team leader, you should understand that different people have different routines, especially when they are forced to get self-organized at home. Thus, don’t put too much pressure in terms of what your employees are doing during work hours. Instead, focus on the results they are getting.

Create Social Interactions

Given that the lack of socialization and the feeling of loneliness are the two biggest challenges facing remote workers, it is crucial that team leaders encourage remote social activities for their teams. To give you some ideas, it can be a recognition session, a virtual pizza party, or any other non-work-related activity that will help your team relax, have some fun, and communicate in a non-work environment. This tip is one of the most important ones here. Not only will it help you create a tighter bond with your team, but it will also help your team members retain motivation and a positive attitude, reduce stress, and get rid of the feeling of loneliness.

Final Thought

So, these are our top tips proven to help remote teams overcome challenges, streamline daily activities, and boost performance. Start using them to manage your team right. And, trust us, they will thank you!