​Managing Virtual Teams

Managing people at a distance is more challenging than on-site. Communication is often a barrier. That’s why managers should focus on the key factors that will ensure productivity, engagement, and growth.

You might be forced to work remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Looking beyond this, remote work is here to stay. It’s been on the rise for many years and research shows that hiring managers expect nearly half of all their workers to be working remotely over the next decade.

But don’t fret, there are lots of resources to help you manage remote teams. Including this LinkedIn Learning video by Phil Gold.

The main takeaways in this video is that your role as a manager should be to build trust, remove roadblocks, nurture connections with your team members, and set clear goals.

4 Priorities of a Remote Team Manager

1. Building Trust at a Distance

Trust is at the heart of every relationship. In the office setting, trust is built daily by frequent interactions with each other, like passing someone in the corridor or having lunch with them, or small talk while getting a cup of coffee.

But when everyone is working remotely, these interactions are limited. That is why it’s important for managers to keep this in mind when managing remote teams.

The key is to provide consistency and structure in the virtual team.

2. Removing Roadblocks

As a manager, you are measured by the collective output of your team, not your own. That is why it’s important that you focus on removing roadblocks that hinder productivity.

That means giving your team the tools they need to be successful, including training and opportunities to learn.

The less time your team spends figuring things out or wandering in the dark, the more time they have to do the actual work that drives value to your customers.

3. Nurturing Team Connections

As mentioned earlier, communication is vital to remote teams. Maintaining regular contact with team members is important if you want to build that trusting relationship.

If you decide to “hide behind your screen,” you are only making it harder for you in the long-run.

Being an introvert doesn’t excuse you for doing your role.

As a manager, it is your responsibility to ensure work gets done in an efficient and effective manner. Frequent communication helps get things done faster.

4. Managing Workloads and Deliverables

One of the most common pitfalls of working remotely is not having clear goals for yourself or for your team.

That’s why it’s important to set clear goals from the start.

For example, everyone attends a daily standup meeting at 9 AM with their videos on. Or if something personal comes up, you don’t just get up and walk away. You have to notify the team or at least your manager that you’ll be attending to something personal.

These are just some of the things you’ll learn in this video. Head on over to LinkedIn to learn how you can manage virtual teams better.