Office work is no longer strictly set in an office environment. More companies are embracing the benefits of having a distributed team where many if not all team members work remotely from anywhere in the world. Although there are many challenges, there are many benefits to establishing and managing a distributed team.
Creating a distributed team allows you to work with the top talent and industry leaders anywhere. It opens the door to help you find the perfect person for the job. The benefits expand even further into a better work-life balance, reduced stress, fewer employee turnovers, flexible working hours, increased productivity, and more.
Building a distributed team is one thing. Managing it is another. There are a few tips you can use to help tap into the power of the distributed team and help create an effective, engaged, and fun environment for all.
Schedule Remote Training and End with Fun Competitions
Remote training can be a drag but try to add an incentive to give your team something to look forward to. Scheduling an event that can work as a training yet fun competition is a great way to engage your team. Patagonia is a virtual survival race where your team can work together to traverse and survive across extreme landscapes, creating collaboration and problem-solving and uniting your team across time zones.
Communicate Through the Right Tools
Communication across a distributed team is unique in you have to be mindful of time zones. Communication has to be clear and concise, and you have to be sure to choose the right tool to get the message across and reduce unnecessary back and forth. Always keep in mind the time zone of the person you are communicating with to ensure you can get the timeliest response and make sure you aren’t cutting into their dinner.
Use a Variety of Remote Software
Every distributed team should adapt to using various tools across all channels of the work environment, from communication tools to project management and productivity tools. You need to have multiple communication tools, from instant messaging to asynchronous communication tools for communication across different time zones. There also needs to be an effective way to collaborate to allow teams to make changes and leave notes for other team members.
Enable Flexibility and Adaptability of Working Remotely
Allowing your team to work according to their schedules can help create a sense of trust and allow your team more freedom. There can be regular check-ins to ensure no help is needed or that they aren’t facing any roadblocks but allowing them the freedom reduces the risk of low morale and reduced productivity.
Always Create a Space for Fun
When a team works together, they need to feel connected. Employee bonding helps foster connections no matter where every member of your team is. Team building is essential in boosting morale and creating a team that is strong communicators that is more productive and enjoys working with each other. Get the team together for a fun virtual escape room activity like Moonshot 2. You and your team can work together to solve the mystery of why the Lunar Gateway is unresponsive as you attempt to dock your ship, Lola.
Managing an entirely remote workforce on a distributed team can be a challenging but extremely rewarding role. With the right tools and the right team, you can create a team that thrives in a highly productive and fun environment.