Remote team management is one of the most complex activities that requires mastery of a lot of skills. Without the day-to-day personal interaction, it can become quite confusing to handle a team of diverse employees and to ensure that their productivity doesn’t decline.
When employees work remotely by choice or because of the flexibility provided by the organization, it’s very different from the forceful adaption of the remote work culture. For instance, remote employees are facing mental health issues due to isolation in the remote work mandated by the pandemic.
Whether it is forced or by choice, remote team work and management does come with a lot of challenges. We have compiled a list of the most common remote team management pitfalls and how to avoid them:
Mistake 1 : Not Communicating enough
It’s easy to communicate when you sit in the same office and can quickly discuss an issue. But being physically in different geographical locations can cause disconnect and lead to a lot of facts remaining unclear.
Make sure you over-communicate and create space in your schedule to address all queries. Because this will ensure your employees that you’re approachable.
Mistake 2 : Not providing L&D opportunities
Your remote team may take up all the responsibilities that you put on them and fulfill all your expectations, but too must ensure they get enough opportunities to grow. It is very easy to deliver training by finding the best online learning platforms that fit your budget.
A lot of companies feel they don’t need to provide any training to their remote employees since they are not directly in the physical office setup. This is a big mistake which can be avoided by asking employees what skill set they are interested in learning and offering them training for the same.
Mistake 3 : Not setting clear goals and expectations
Remote team managers set themselves up for failure by not being clear from the beginning about what they expect of their team. Without clear directions, your team will have no clarity about their goals.
To avoid this pitfall, set realistic and achievable goals for your team. Be very clear about how they are supposed to accomplish a last and by when.
Mistake 4 : Micromanaging
Micromanagement is inevitable in the remote work setup as managers often turn frantic trying to get an idea about what their employees are up to. But this is counter-productive and may do more harm than good.
Avoid making this mistake if you want your employees to deliver their best. Offer flexibility and show them that you trust them to do their job well. This will allow you to get better results without being too nosy.
Mistake 5 : Not respecting boundaries
In the remote work culture, often the lines between personal life and professional life get blurred. Employees work till late since they are basically working from the comfort of their home and this encourages managers to contact them even after official work hours.
This can lead to employee burnout and is not beneficial in the long run. Instead, help employees build a good work-life balance by not disturbing them post work unless it’s very important, thereby respecting their boundaries.
Mistake 6 : Not developing connections
It’s no secret that remote work lacks the element of human interaction. This also creates a lack of connection between the manager/boss and the remote employees.
It is crucial for the manager to build terms with their remote team to be able to understand their struggles. Knowing what they are going through will help you be more supportive of them, which directly enhances employee satisfaction.
Conclusion:
Now that you have read about the most common mistakes, you can start changing your habits to avoid these. Managing a remote team may not be easy, but avoiding these mistakes will set you and your team up for success.
