At Adadot we have created our own collaboration platform which is part of our product. But in general, each remote team, especially in a digital agency, needs to be able to organize their work. There are some great free tools like Jira, Trello, Slack, and Toggl out there. For example, instead of having a group chat with 100+ messages , have a video conference instead. Use the appropriate channels for communication and tell your teams to do the same. For instance, if a certain manager needs something done on an urgent basis, email wouldn’t be an appropriate channel.
A third step to lead a remote team effectively is to facilitate collaboration among your team members. You should use the appropriate tools and platforms to enable your team to work together, share information, and solve problems. You should also create opportunities for your team to interact socially and informally, such as virtual coffee breaks, team building activities, and fun games.
Encourage creativity and innovation
Start every meeting with an icebreaker question, even if you’ve been working together for some time. Slowly you’ll learn more about your team and what you have in common. You may have worried that working from home could cause communication to falter in the absence of face-to-face discussions. But while in-person communication has its advantages, so does remote communication. We are rethinking and reshaping where we work and how we work, with a global workforce that is now more distributed and remote than ever before.
Use Reliable Communication Methods
Some of your team members may not complain about this, but stress will reflect on their work performance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , one out of four employees complains that work is the number one stress factor they deal with. For instance, a dedicated channel for project updates might be separate from one used for general team discussions. A well-structured onboarding process ensures that new hires integrate seamlessly into the team.
Now, our inboxes are more flooded than ever, and we’re pinging each other constantly through messaging tools. With the flow of communication significantly moving to technology, many are finding that it’s tougher to collaborate and get the answers they need in the time that they need them. And some of these obstacles will separate simple team managers from true leaders. Organization and guidelines are more important than ever – but so is being supportive, understanding, and resilient.
Asynchronous communication is essential throughout the day and also required; however, I make sure to set up at least one “face-to-face” digital call weekly on the calendar. There is power in reading body language and having a “real” conversation with your colleagues. One of the most important parts of our collaborations is our video call with the team, these are on alternate days of the week; Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This is all really concise and helps me to structure my catch up calls with the team by seeing a clear agenda. Regular check-ins with your remote digital team are needed to ensure not only the productivity but also the wellbeing of your team. Teams that are working remotely have a greater sense of responsibility towards their work. According to ZDNet and Board-Room, only 28% of on-premise employees are willing to work overtime.
Our story—and the stories of other remote companies—proves that it’s possible to scale even when you’re fully remote. Whether you’re a small team or a large one, if you want to dip your toes into remote work, consider this your crash course. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses were forced to close their doors and embrace remote work. For nearly two years, employees and business leaders around the world have been navigating a new, remote reality. If a team is distributed in different time zones or geographies, it’s important to schedule regular video conferencing. You can also hold asynchronous stand-ups where team members use Slack to check-in or comment on their work board to share updates. This provides a quick forum for a distributed team that helps with focus, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving.
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