Managing Virtual Teams

Ideas for managing remote employees and tips for remote workers

Practically overnight, managers and their people had to scramble to find ways to help business go on as usual under very unusual circumstances.

Since the pandemic grasped the country by the neck last March, business managers have had to pivot and figure out how to manage remote teams. Ongoing quarantines and concerns about safety have made coming up with remote working solutions for employees necessary. And it’s been a challenging and expensive undertaking for many.

But management isn’t alone in coping with the dramatic changes.

Employees have also had to figure out how to stay productive and do work from home while contending with all the distractions. And the loneliness felt by many who enjoyed hanging out at the proverbial water cooler has made it even harder.

If you think of a situation with everyone chasing a loose ball, you’ll get the idea of what it’s been like for millions of people working here and across the globe.

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Whether you’re still trying to nail down the ins and outs of managing remote employees or how to work from home, this episode of Stay Paid should help sort it out for you.

Luke and Josh take a critical look at Inc.com’s 7 tips for managing virtual teams as well as suggestions for how to work remotely from home. And the guys bring a little bit of their own reality to the situation.

They’ve been managing employees remotely for four months.

Together they had to figure out how to keep the work flowing and productivity up, so the company invested in virtual team management tools.

With other leaders in the company, they learned about motivating remote teams, which is critically important since they have highly sociable salespeople on whom they depend.

And keeping the unique culture at ReminderMedia alive and well has been important to everyone.

For those who like to scan, here’s the quick list of tips:

• Schedule regular meetings with your teams.
• Bump up your level of communication.
• Ensure everyone is clear about expectations.
• Management should invest in the tools for working remotely that the business needs.
• Focus on outcomes and not activity (Luke has something to say about this one.)
• Employees should set up a space at home devoted to business.
• Remember to be flexible.

Listen to the episode and then leave a comment about whether you agree, disagree, or want to share a tip you think could be helpful to others. Someone somewhere will be glad you did.

Key Points

• Communicate more than you think you need to.
• Make sure everyone is clear on expectations and goals—including you.
• This is the new normal, so invest in the tools you need to be productive.
• Look for ways to stay connected. Being isolated is tough on folks.

Action Item

• If you don’t already, start each workday with a morning huddle.
• If you already having a morning meeting, up your level of communication and check in more often.