As technology progresses, offices and other places were people usually converge are slowly being phased out by businesses and corporations. Due to certain events that have transpired in the last few months, many offices have closed down since government entities have been issuing lockdown procedures for businesses. If a company was not considered essential, then most won’t have to leave their homes to go to work. That isn’t for a lot of individuals who live hours away from work; remote work then becomes a dream come true. Not only can you just wake up a few minutes after you time-in, but you can also work in your pajamas while sipping on your favorite cup of coffee or tea. It’s a lot more convenient than having to drive for hours, wading through traffic, and potentially getting late from work.
But for a lot of employers and managers, it can be a challenge in managing teams, especially when there is no direct face-to-face interaction. Most online platforms that have become a medium for remote and freelancing work have reported that only 6% of businesses nowadays use essential workers who have to go to offices. For the most part, that is probably because switching to remote work from an office set up isn’t such a smooth transition.
Aside from having to carry several workstations home and ensuring that data is secure in the process, most will also have to deal with distractions at home. Some individuals who have been working in an office for years will start dissociating rest. That is represented by our house, from work, which is represented by the office. As such, reduced team cohesion and productivity can be a drawback for remote workers.
You might be working for SEO marketing businesses, such as Create Element, managing some files for a variety of different clients, or safeguarding the data of your company’s servers. Remote work is no different from office work, with the only nuance of being able to work anywhere.
Effective Ways of Managing Remote Work
With all of these said, managing remote work teams is more than just throwing a few inspirational speeches and doing a bit of office banter here and there, it’s also about keeping track of your teams. Whether they are previous employees who are still adjusting to the work-at-home lifestyle or newly-hired freelancers who have had experience in the industry, managing remote teams is quite different from having to manage teams face-to-face.
Use the Right Applications
In this time and age, there are a plethora of different apps that you can use for conferencing, meetings, and project management.
Here are some essential applications that you can use:
- Tools that are designed for conferencing will help with setting up meetings and drawing up plans.
- Project management apps will help with the workflow and process. That can give the team a good overview of what is happening and the progress that they have made.
- For brainstorming sessions and creating ideas, are whiteboard tools are a great way of showing flow-charts, as well as conveying ideas.
- Having a group chat application will make everything more fun and intuitive. Everybody wants to catch up and hang out after a long day at work.
- Document and sheet applications will help keep track and store critical data that’s important to work.
Communications
Of course, in almost any scenario in a business, a clear line of communication needs to be set. That is especially important in a remote working scene when everybody needs a good stream of information to work efficiently.
Actual Face Time
Of course, it is to everyone’s best interest that we limit video conferences and meetings to a minimum since there are other, more urgent tasks that people have to do. But one of the best ways to increase the productivity of remote workers is by making them feel as if the only thing that has changed is their environment.
Frequently checking up on them will ensure that they are constantly reminded of their workload. Of course, it’s best to slow down because no one wants continuously wake up to a messenger app with around hundreds of notifications early in the morning, but it is still essential to keep track of your team’s progress.
Managing remote teams can be challenging and a tedious process, but at the end of the day, there’s no such thing as work that’s easy. Don’t worry, with the applications and the strategies that we have discussed, managing these teams won’t be a problem. Ultimately, just treat your everyday duties in the same way that you did while you were still in the four corners of your office cubicle.
