Due to the pandemic, the working culture has shifted. Long ago, we show up at our offices. But today, we are hiding behind our home desks due to the work-from-home situation. Due to this transition, we have little time to set the foundation for a solid remote team.
Fortunately, we have tips for you to follow when it comes to managing a remote team. We will discuss them further below. We hope this will help you in managing your remote team or your dedicated software development team.
As a CEO, How do I Manage My Remote Team?
According to the Harvard Business Review, people were less motivated to work at home. Since it’s an entirely different setup than what we are used to, managing a remote team takes adjustments and time.
As a CEO or CTO, all you want is to increase productivity and results. But with the work-from-home setup, how should you manage your remote team? These are some of our tips below:
- Be Present
According to Forbes, managing a remote team means being aware of the circumstances and matters of your employees. If your team is facing difficulties, make yourself available. Doing this will make the employees’ productivity even better while earning their loyalty.
- Incorporate Software/Tools and Automate Everything
Working from home means you won’t see and track your employees’ progress. Because of this, you need to use the right tools to ensure everyone is on track with the tasks and projects. As a result, your employees can do their assigned tasks as if they’re in the office.
Some of the tools you can use for a work from home setup are:
- Slack
- Async
- Zoom
- Github
- HelloSign
- Help Scout
- Coda
Furthermore, it also makes sense to automate everything if you’re running a software development company. You can automate tracking systems or admin tasks that are low-impact and productive.
By doing this, you can focus on high-impact work or income-generating tasks to easily comply with them. As a result, you will be eliminating repetitive and less meaningful tasks.
- Streamline Processes
A process is critical in every business. While it may be boring when you think about it, it’s the foundation of how everyone works.
A good process will allow you to get things done without issues. It provides direction to your employees for accomplishing tasks. It doesn’t mean the processes should be inflexible or rigid. In fact, it should be all about providing a feedback loop, so it is easy to measure the company’s progress.
- Accountability and Building Culture in Person
It’s essential to have constant updates with your employees. This is to ensure that your employees are working. You could set up every Friday updates where one team member will report the updates and progress for the week and the following.
In addition, encouraging updates with one another will hold everyone accountable for their part.
Meanwhile, interaction is essential for a fun and interactive working environment. After all, work is not just about the deadlines and reports. You can occasionally meet once in a while to play fun games as recommended by Zapier.
You can also hold get-togethers or retreats on an ad hoc basis to discuss projects in the company. It may seem unnecessary to meet in person, but it’s great when you want everyone to be involved in the company. It’s also another way to get your colleagues to know a bit deeper.
- Build a Community while Establishing Boundaries
Being disconnected is inevitable when you work from home. As a result, this will lead to social isolation and frustration. To prevent this from happening, often communicate with your teammates on Zoom or Slack. You can also conduct a daily or weekly virtual meeting to keep everyone in check.
Since your company is working from home, it’s also important to distinguish between home and work. Make sure to stay connected with your remote team when it’s working hours. Beyond that, focus on your family.
- Focus on Performance than Presence
It’s essential to establish clear objectives for your remote team to know someone is working even if you don’t see them every day. Do this by setting regular check-in calls to track the progress.
Conclusion
Working remotely presents many challenges, particularly when managing remote teams. However, every CEO and CTO can adjust as long as you follow the tips above on managing your remote team. As time goes by, you’ll be able to adjust to the work-from-home setup, together with your remote team.
