Managing a remote workforce calls for specific skills and interventions

Successfully managing a hybrid or fully remote team requires excellent communication, an abundance of trust and an enhanced focus on team building. That’s according to experts who say that while many managers found themselves in this novel situation during the pandemic, it is time to take a considered approach to the unique challenges involved in managing dispersed teams of workers in order to ensure optimised performance and maximise the gains this set-up can offer.

One of the key challenges faced by managers in this new world of work is the effective management of dispersed teams, agrees Vicky O’Neill, HR strategy specialist with Ibec.

“Optimising team performance amongst dispersed teams requires a different set of skills and interventions,” she says. “It is no surprise that leadership development, learning and development, and performance management, were the top three HR priorities in our HR update survey last year.”

Managers now need to put in place conscious interventions and mechanisms in order to “curate connection, learning experiences and the culture they need to succeed”, says O’Neill. A simple one is ensuring every member of the team understands their shared purpose.

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“Having a shared purpose and helping the team understand how their work contributes to this purpose is a key motivational lever,” says O’Neill. “Purpose provides an emotional hook that can drive performance and connection.”

From a pragmatic point of view, clarity regarding roles, responsibilities and performance expectations is necessary for team success, O’Neill notes. “This can also be connected back to the team’s purpose, continuously reinforcing the ‘why’, alongside the ‘how’ and the ‘what’.”

Such clarity is essential when it comes to managing remote teams, says Elysia Hegarty, associate director of the Future of Work institute, a consultancy service offered by recruitment agency Cpl. She says organisations that prioritise team building often establish team charters, which clearly articulate the team’s purpose, norms and values. Within these charters, recognition plays a key role as a fundamental value and is an incredibly effective component in team building.

“Employees who receive regular recognition and praise increase their individual productivity and engagement and are more likely to stay with their organisation,” she says.

Hegarty cites the example of a recent client who introduced a 30-minute biweekly team meeting dedicated to positive news, such as celebrating successes and recognising team members collectively: “This simple practice took very little time out of the workday but had a profound impact on team morale and performance.”

O’Neill agrees that empowering team members to take ownership of their work fosters autonomy and accountability.

“Research emphasises the importance of empowering leadership styles in remote settings,” she says. “Providing autonomy while offering support and guidance, when needed, cultivates a culture of trust and enhances individual and collective performance.”

Ultimately, communication is critical, says O’Neill. “Establishing clear communication channels, whether through instant-messaging platforms, information portals, video conferencing or email fosters transparency and collaboration, which will build trust and psychological safety in teams and across the business.” This positively correlates with improved performance, she notes.

And, according to O’Neill, the role of technology in facilitating virtual teamwork is sometimes a “missed opportunity”. “Platforms such as project management software, cloud-based document sharing and virtual whiteboards streamline workflow and promote seamless collaboration across geographies,” she adds.

Hegarty suggests using these platforms to establish “regular rituals” involving both synchronous and asynchronous communication.

“These could entail video calls such as time-boxed daily stand-ups or weekly meetings to ensure everyone is aligned and aware of project updates,” she says. Useful tools include Slack, Microsoft Teams and or project management tools such as Trello or Monday.

Leading teams requires trust to empower employees and input via ongoing coaching conversations, O’Neill says. “Organisations are moving toward performance and development experience to drive employee engagement versus traditional hierarchical performance processes,” she adds. We are also seeing a rise in organisational mentoring programmes to foster learning and connection across organisations.”

Hegarty also emphasises the need for trust and cautions against using tech to micromanage in a remote team situation: “Lack of trust for some managers can be an issue and this results in over monitoring employee work. We have seen the embedding of technologies to track employee time, which can lead to dissatisfaction, decreased wellbeing and increased attrition.”

The successful management of remote teams does not lie squarely at the manager’s feet, however, says Kevin Empey, author of Thrive in the Future of Work and managing director of WorkMatters, a consulting and training firm. Empey, who carries out training at IMI for its Senior Executive Experience programme, says that while the manager is the creator of a solid trust base and consistent team environment, the individuals within a team have a shared accountability for the its ultimate success and performance.

“The manager cannot be in a traditional command and control mode in a remote team setting so joint ownership and responsibility is necessary for the team to perform,” he explains.

He agrees that managers should not fall into the trap of feeling they need to micromanage and “be on top of every detail and decision the team makes” to get their work done.

“Creating this sense of shared accountability is critical, as is ensuring that colleagues know that with flexibility to work from everywhere also brings responsibility to support the overall team in achieving its objectives for their internal and/or external customers.”