5 things that make a remote team effective

5 things that make a remote team effective

By establishing these “rules”, your team will be on the path to productivity and success.

Teams that follow these guidelines will be productive and successful. (Freepik pic)

Remote working provides countless possibilities and benefits.

It enables a person to set workplace environments according to what suits him or her best, and manage their own schedules.

This way, workers are able to experience freedom, autonomy and a peaceful life. Plus, they don’t have to count on one physical space to develop tasks.

Considering that remote team members don’t get to meet as often, it is essential that the team leader takes into account steps that will help ensure that everybody in the team remains productive and motivated.

Clear requirements

It is true that freelancers work more autonomously than traditional professionals.

Yet, it is essential that everybody feels safe about their needs and how these requirements should be met.

Team members should discuss deliverables regularly, and team leaders should guide the freelancers’ work to ensure a smooth work process.

Monthly meetings

The most important aspect to consider in any remote team is communication. Given the fact that most team members are far from each other, it may seem difficult to keep the communication as effective and frequent as that of an office environment.

These days, however, there are tools that can replace face-to-face settings and even improve communication within a team.

A good way of keeping connected is organising one-to-one virtual meetings with every team member on a periodical basis. This can be done using Hangout, Skype or any other means.

It is good to see each other’s faces and attend these meetings with a shared agenda, as it will provide fruitful outcomes and a chance for the team to talk about work issues.

Team bonding is crucial to any organisation or work process. (Freepik pic)

Team connection

While it is important to have the team meet regularly to set new goals, talk about what has happened lately and coordinate relevant issues, don’t forget that work is not the only subject that should be talked about.

Knowing the people one works with is important, but talking about subjects beyond working responsibilities is equally important as this provides a chance for team bonding.

Meetings are crucial to make up for physical absence and stay connected, but knowing each other is essential. So, chatting with workmates is a good thing.

To make this possible, create team chatrooms that will enable all the people in the team to participate in the conversation.

Task organisation

Apart from Hangout, Google Docs and Google Sheets can help a team build shared documents in which the work process and improvements can be traced.

Every member of the team will be able to provide input, which will lead to the best outcomes. Whenever inspiration strikes, it’s only a question of writing it down.

The tools available are innumerable, but the core matter is coordinating them appropriately and organising time availability, working teams and communication.

Identify gaps

What skills does the team need or demand? Which aspects can be improved upon?

Take time to speak to each team member about the kind of progress they’re seeking. Once this is done, research should be done on how to achieve these objectives.

After all, there is always an application or program ready to help teams meet their goals.

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