Easily Manage Your Remote Team With These Tips

Contributed by Sam Marcum

If you need to add virtual assistance services to your team, reach out to Milrich Virtual Professionals today!

How do you manage a remote team of employees effectively? While the biggest concern is solid communication, there are a few other factors that go into making sure your team members have everything they need to do their jobs well. Providing the right tools for success, researching some of the biggest obstacles for remote workers, and remaining flexible are just a few of the things that go into managing employees who work from home.

Whether you’re working together on a group project or need to branch off into separate areas but remain cohesive, there are tons of resources available that will make the process a smooth one. Here are a few steps you can take from Milrich Virtual Professionals to manage your team effectively no matter where they’re working from.

Make communication a priority

When your employees aren’t in a workspace together, it’s crucial to make sure communication is streamlined so that everyone stays on the same page. Start by holding daily, weekly, or monthly meetings so you can get a feel for any issues and pass on news and other important info. Maintaining progress reports on individual projects is also a good practice. Keep in mind that it’s essential for you to learn how to be an active participant during these meetings, as your employees need to know that you care about their needs.

You can also look for tools that will make collaboration easier. Whether your team will be working on a project together or will just need to keep up with one another to stay on track, being able to stay in touch will streamline tasks and prevent mistakes. Look for budget-friendly communication platforms that are easy to use and integrate with other tools.

Plan ahead

When you’re managing a remote team, things can get off track easily without a solid schedule in place. That’s why using a monthly planner is a great idea because you can plan out the next 30 days, customize it with notes and videos, and share it with your entire team. This way, everyone can see what needs to be done while keeping up with important deadlines, making it a collaborative tool that allows your team to visualize what comes next.

Make your expectations clear

Good communication and the right tools are two major keys when it comes to managing your employees remotely, but it’s also vital that you make your expectations clear for each team member, both individually and as a team. Create a guidebook for your business that outlines the tasks each employee is expected to perform as well as the tools and resources they need to use. Include any disciplinary consequences that might occur for those who fail to follow the guidelines, and give meaningful feedback as often as possible.

Be available

Even with the right tools and guidelines, it can be challenging for remote employees to hit every deadline or keep their work consistent. Working from home can be a blessing for some, but for others, it can provide many more distractions than an office environment. You can help by remaining flexible, offering mental health support, and being available to listen to any concerns or offering possible solutions. It can be helpful to create a handbook with tips for parents of young children on how to focus on their work, ideas for staying productive, and tips on how every remote employee can maintain a healthy work/life balance.

Keeping your remote team on track can be a challenge, but many small business owners find that by remaining flexible and maintaining solid communication, they can help their employees find success while building a supportive work environment.