How to manage yourself while supporting your new remote teams
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These 8 remote work tips will help you manage new remote teams and get work done without feeling like you're burning at both ends of the candle.
Additional communication is the biggest difference between managing remote teams and those working in-house. Unfortunately, this can also lead to distractions and other time-wasting consequences that make it difficult to manage your workload.
So how do you balance self-management and supporting your new remote teams? And how do you review projects without micromanaging?
This guide contains a mix of helpful tips to increase your own efficiency and be there for your team, starting with the right game plan:
1. Set a schedule to maintain boundaries between work and personal life
Remote teams often have flexible working hours. However, it is important to structure these working hours so that your team knows when you are on duty 24/7 and vice versa. This will help you better organize workload and free time when you start building a remote team.
To manage your schedule:
- Plan in blocks of time. Divide your tasks into 15-minute blocks to align your day with your productivity level. For example, you can check emails from 10:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. and then concentrate on your work from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Don't forget to plan a few breaks and lunch!
- Do deep work during times of high productivity and superficial work when you are less focused. Don't let superficial work (like answering emails) drain all your mental energy. Schedule your most difficult tasks for when you have the most mental energy.
- Set timers for breaks . Use your phone's alarm or an online time tracker to let you know when it's time to stretch, go for a walk, step away from the screen and give your brain a minute to relax.
To support your team's time management:
- Ask your team to provide approximate “office hours” and strict rest periods. These don't have to be set in stone, but you should have an idea of when everyone prefers to work/is most productive. You should also counteract an “always-on” mentality by asking for time away from the office.
- Share this guide on How to Work from Home and Find Productivity & Motivation because the battle against distractions and fur babies is real.
2. Make sure everyone has an appropriate remote workspace (including you!)
Whether you've been working remotely for years or just started doing so because of COVID-19, a remote workplace is essential for success. A separate room for your private life and your office area also helps you to better define your work life.
So, if you haven't already, use these tips to create a flexible, remote workspace:
- Declutter. A messy desk clutters your mind, and that only makes it harder to concentrate. Swap distractions for low-stress houseplants that actually reduce stress and anxiety and increase productivity[ * ].
- Find a suitable desk which has the right height and depth so that you do not strain your body during working hours. Make sure your arms are supported when typing and using the mouse.
- An ergonomic chair with lots of support for your back and neck.
- Headphones or speakers to hear ambient noise during deep focus work.
If you're training new employees to work from home, make sure they have access to these things. Your company can cover the costs of setting up the workplace, provide office equipment, or offer a monthly subsidy for the use of coworking spaces. Let them know within the first week they start work so they get off to a good start.
3. Make physical and mental health a priority
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Working from home can have a negative impact on physical health and mental well-being. It's far too easy to be stuck at your desk for hours without taking a break to get up and move.
To keep your mental health in check when working from home:
- Always plan a daily workout. You don't necessarily have to go to the gym to get your heart rate up and your body moving. You can also take a walk around the neighborhood, watch a yoga video on YouTube, or lift weights. This time will help you increase your energy, productivity and creativity for the rest of the day.
- Don't be afraid to take breaks. Put on your status away so everyone knows not to disturb you. The pandemic has put a lot of psychological strain on people. So it's okay if you need a little time for yourself right now.
- Try a daily 10-minute meditation. There are a variety of free guided meditation apps, but sitting in a quiet place or in nature works just as well.
To support your team's health:
- Pay attention to their working hours. Remote employees work more hours than their in-house counterparts. So if you notice that a team member is constantly working late into the night, you should guide them towards a better work-life balance.
- Set a team step challenge . Set a daily or monthly goal for the number of steps your team can actually accomplish. Have everyone track their steps and work toward a surprise reward when you reach your shared goal.
4. Always define roles and responsibilities
Virtual project management (PM) software like Trello and Asana provide managers with an easy and transparent way to assign tasks and projects to team members.
This software allows you to keep track of who is responsible for what, so everyone is always in the loop. It also prevents tasks from slipping through the cracks or two people working on the same task. And best of all? You can check in without monitoring yourself.
How to manage projects in your PM software like a pro:
- Include all the details, resources, notes, etc. your team needs for each project. Your team should have everything related to the project in one organized and central location. Even if this means an additional time commitment on your part, you will notice fewer questions, emails, and back-and-forths later on.
- Add deadlines for milestones and achievements so that everyone can see when their work should be completed. Reach out a day or two before these milestones if any issues arise.
- Assign team members Make sure everyone knows what they are responsible for and what you expect of them.
5. Switching to asynchronous communication
When managers use synchronous communication, employees must respond to emails and messages immediately. This can cause employees to become nervous and unable to concentrate (among other disadvantages).
However, moving to asynchronous communication allows employees to take the time to respond when it's best for them. You can schedule blocks of time for work and respond to messages later in a flat time slot. This doesn't break their concentration and ensures that the messages are still answered.
Adopting this communication policy will allow you to stay in touch with your team without interrupting your scheduled work blocks. Try Check-in at regularly scheduled times This way, your employees know when to prepare an update for you and you don't have to bother them about it. You also have a better overview of whether projects are on schedule.
6. End unproductive meetings
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Nobody has time for unproductive meetings, especially not you. After moving to an asynchronous communication style, you'll likely only hold meetings for kickoffs, interim reviews, project debriefs, and times when you need to pivot as quickly as possible.
To improve the efficiency of your meetings for you and your team:
- Set up an agenda for the meeting in advance. . These interview guides will help you stay on track and tell everyone what to expect during the interview. Your team can then prepare questions and answers.
- Give everyone the option to turn off the camera. Don’t stress out the introverts on your team. If you give everyone the opportunity to appear in front of or behind the camera in your meetings, you'll find that everyone is more focused on what's being discussed and more willing to participate.
7. Really get to know your team
Working remotely can sometimes feel lonely and isolating - especially since many can't work in cafes, coworking spaces or libraries thanks to COVID-19. Therefore, it is important to incorporate more social interaction between all team members, including yourself.
Try a few team building tips for remote workers such as:
- Conduct weekly virtual chats for non-work related topics. Everyone can talk about their weekend plans and recent binge binge, share funny animal gifs, etc. Schedule additional chats or videos for birthdays, baby showers, holidays, etc.
- Throw a surprise party where everyone can share the screen, comment on a film or TV show in real time and exchange ideas. You can also host monthly book club meetings if you want to spend less time in front of the screen.
- Schedule in-person meetings with various team members about their professional and personal development goals.
No one expects you to show up to every meeting or watch party. But it would promote camaraderie if you greeted at the beginning, talked to everyone, and then left.
8. Make time for gratitude and appreciation
It's far too easy for external employees to disappear from your radar. While working invisibly abroad, they may face periods of isolation and a lack of appreciation for all the hard work they do alone.
One of the best inclusive practices in the workplace is to give well-deserved recognition and praise. Every time they reach a milestone, exceed a goal, exceed your expectations, or just do great work, let them know!
This can be done in a flash by sending a quick “shoutout” in Slack. Tag the all-star employee, briefly explain why they deserve the recognition, and watch your team hand out compliments and happy emojis. Your employee will feel recognized and others will be encouraged to work hard for such awards in the future.
To create a positive work environment, you should always make time for gratitude and recognition. In order to do this:
- Set yourself a daily thanksgiving reminder. Take a minute every day to stop and thank one of your employees for a job well done. You'll be surprised at how much this small act helps keep your team motivated and engaged.
- Set a weekly reminder for praise and recognition. If you are overwhelmed with deadlines and results, you often find it difficult to pat your employees on the back every day. But don't let a week go by without recognizing one of your employees.
Supporting yourself leads to better performing remote teams
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Balancing your workload with supporting your new remote teams depends entirely on how well you communicate. When team members are kept informed, they will have fewer problems and need less help. This leaves more room in your schedule for efficient work and time for socializing and team building.
