The world came to a standstill last year when companies had to migrate to remote working overnight. Business owners and managers have had to adjust to this entirely new shift, and many companies have successfully migrated to a remote work module.

While we cannot deny that working remotely has been successful and even increased productivity in some aspects, it also poses a number of difficulties and challenges, especially for the management team. While managing a remote team can be more difficult than managing a team in the office, it’s not impossible, and a few tips from us on building remote teams can help you avoid common remote administration mistakes.

The biggest mistakes managers make with their remote teams

While there are some differences between working remotely and working in the office, a manager’s job remains essentially the same – to oversee the smooth running of every project and to ensure that communication and collaboration are proper despite the physical distance between the various departments takes place.

Limited face-to-face conversations and communication errors can cause you to lose focus. However, once you learn to identify the areas where problems are occurring, it will be easier to fix them and make progress. Some of the challenges in managing remote workers are:

Don’t build trust or relationships with team members

One factor to keep in mind when working with remote workers is that while you may not be physically in the same location, you are all part of the same team and need to build solid relationships in order to work well together. A key part of the manager’s job is to listen to feedback and make employees feel like they are heard and valued. Without a connection, your team cannot connect to you.

Building relationships beyond everyday tasks is an essential part of any good manager and helps to strengthen the bond with your subordinates. This makes them more open to your problems and makes it easier for them to come up with new ideas or assistance. While both parties are responsible for a good relationship, your job as a leader is to make an effort and make contact.

How can this be corrected?

• Actively seek more personal interactions with your team members.
• Schedule weekly / monthly meetings to get their feedback and ask for their suggestions to make them feel more involved.
• Expand your conversation to include topics beyond work – inquire about family, pets, hobbies, etc.

All of this helps ensure that your employees feel valued and connected to you as a manager and thus improve their productivity and quality of work.

Don’t involve them in important decisions and meetings

When making critical decisions in an office space, all team members become involved in the meetings in one way or another. In a remote working environment, however, we don’t always keep everyone up to date. A decision is made between one or two senior executives. The rest of the team will later be informed of these decisions in a group channel or by email.

This is not done on purpose, but while we deal with some issues that need to be addressed immediately, we often forget to involve everyone on the team. This leaves team members feeling left out, undervalued, and frustrated for not providing their input.

Another problem in remote businesses is that they may not all be available at the same time. This causes some people to miss meetings, which later leaves them clueless about project developments and less motivated to get good results.

How can this be corrected?

• Try to schedule important meetings as far in advance as possible and give everyone on your team enough time to participate in these video calls.
• If there’s an urgent crisis and you don’t have the time to involve the entire team in the decision-making process, try to arrange a call with them later in the day / week to keep them updated and to share more ideas and ideas Suggestions to ask.
• During meetings and zoom calls, especially in larger organizations, inquire that everyone who needs to be present at the meeting is present for the call.

It’s a small step, but it will really show your reps that you make an effort to involve them in every critical decision made.

Do not appreciate them in company victories

In fully or partially remote setups, employees are sometimes overlooked when they appreciate small and large wins. When a project is successful, not everyone involved receives awards or recognition, which makes employees feel like their efforts are in vain and their hard work has gone unnoticed.

Another problem with working remotely is that you can’t celebrate victories the same way you would in an office setting – to go out for a drink, throw an office party, or have dinner. As a result, managers may not know how to reward their employees for a job well done, even if they want to.

How can this be corrected?

• Make sure to acknowledge each and every team member involved in a project when it is working well.
• This can be done by shouting out your group chats, sending an email or even a heartfelt personal thank you for your appreciation and gratitude.
• If you have a large company and you have regular company-wide meetings, be sure to pay tribute to the teams who had a successful project on the job to make them feel more valued.
• Just because your employees are working remotely doesn’t mean they don’t need to be rewarded for their victories. Sending gifts makes them feel like they are seen and appreciated. It doesn’t have to be big; Most of the time, it’s the thought that matters.

Positive feedback strengthens the conviction that employees are valued in a company and make your employees work better.

No team building activities

Virtual teams often do not feel connected to their colleagues because they do not spend any time together except for work meetings. But as we already know, the power of building a strong bond between employees and managers is critical to the efficient functioning of a company.

The same principle applies to the employees who communicate with each other. In order for different departments to work together smoothly, they have to have a good relationship with one another. Your job as a manager is to provide opportunities for employees to build conversations outside of work topics.

How can this be corrected?

• If your employees are all based in the same city / country, try planning team outsiders to create an environment for your team members where they can connect and get to know each other personally.
• Let’s take Wishup as a personal example: being a completely remote company from the start, Wishup has managed to keep its employees connected even though they are scattered across the country. Regular zoom calls, movie nights, and quiz nights are held weekly to build team relationships.

Ignore growth opportunities

While your business needs to thrive with the help of your people, it is equally important for your company to be a place where your people can grow professionally. This can seem especially difficult in a remote setting where you cannot “physically” see your progress.

Avoiding conversations about their progress, growth, and the needs of the company’s people can really help them feel valued, expand their skills, and advance professionally.

How can this be corrected?

• Schedule monthly meetings with each team member to discuss their progress, achievements, and contributions to company growth. When it comes to promotions or reviews, you have such important information to make a decision.
• Invest in in-house training for your team instead of hiring new employees. Hold regular workshops and courses so that your employees learn new skills. This benefits both the company and the employees and increases loyalty to the company.

“A key to success is putting together a strong and stable management team” – Vivek Wadhwa.

There’s no denying that remote team management is hard work, even more so in a remote setting. However, it is an equally rewarding feeling when your good management is what makes your business so successful. The key to good management is to spot mistakes before they even occur. We hope that this article has helped you and helps you to keep your team motivated despite the physical distance.

If you’re building your remote team and want to hire a virtual assistant for your company, click here to schedule your free consultation or contact us at [email protected]