Nurturing Productivity in Remote Teams
Strong teams can thrive with any mix of geographic presence – both in-person and remote. However, when some or all team members work remotely, prioritizing some fundamentals improves dynamics.
- Meet regularly to stay connected
- Build a culture of accomplishment
- Use technology to organize your team
Respect the team meeting
Hold regular team meetings that follow standard agendas with the intent to keep all team members connected and aware of work being done by others. Value the team by planning around these times and rescheduling only as a last resort. Teams bond when they help each other so use this time to identify areas in which team members need support and determine who will help.
Accountability leads to accomplishment
Successful teams set realistic goals and work together to complete them. The biggest factor to accomplishment is accountability. From top to bottom within a team, if members do what they commit to doing, or ask for and get help when needed, the team moves forward and team members feel confident, satisfied, and willing to work hard. For remote teams, transparency by sharing calendars and being available during working hours, outside meetings are both essential to accountability.
Lean on technology
Organize all team information following a system that works for the team. You will minimally need a document management system and a plan for using it properly, an instant messaging tool to keep team members in direct contact, and reliable remote meeting software. Stay tuned for an article outlining our favorite work from home tools and read this article on the importance of good meeting hygiene.
