The Ultimate Guide to Managing Remote Teams in 2022

In the previous two decades, the American Dream has altered from a pet, two kids, +1, and a backyard to something more akin to “working from home sans trousers.” The birth of remote management, a field dedicated to the skillful practice of managing and leading remote teams, coincided with the trend toward remote labor.

Managing remote teams isn’t something you learn in business school. Since it’s a relatively new business phenomenon, it is also unlikely that your supervisor or mentor has any experience with it. However, developing effective team management abilities, HR skills, and leveraging remote work tools are part of this sector.

Thankfully, you don’t have to figure things out on your own. We’ve learned a thing or two about managing remote teams. In this comprehensive guide on managing remote teams in 2022, we’re sharing what we’ve learned.

The Best Remote Team Management Practices

As a manager and leader of virtual teams, it is your responsibility to help your colleagues overcome obstacles and rise to the top of the remote work heap. If you and your team successfully navigate this area, you will have a strong foundation for a great profession and a happy and healthy life.

Leading a virtual team is similar to managing a local one. A list of highly effective management approaches– some of which are unique to managing remote teams- is given below:-

Offer Your Employees More Than They Expected

Giving your workers more than they ask for is one of the most significant accomplishments as a manager or leader. If someone requests a raise and you believe they deserve it, offer it to them. Your staff will think you are looking out for their best interests when you go above and beyond, which is a powerful incentive.

Include Every Member

Give everyone a chance to speak up, particularly in meetings. Introverts might want to disappear during in-person meetings; internet meetings are a piece of cake. Introverts have valuable things to say. Please make an effort to offer them a chance to speak up and express themselves.

Keep Your Team Motivated

Workers who work from home are 182 percent less engaged than those in an office. The majority of this disengagement is due to a sense of time shortage.

As the CEO or team leader, it is your responsibility to keep personnel motivated. Since everyone’s motivation is different, you’ll need to adopt a personalized approach rather than a batch-and-blast technique.

Learn To Prioritise

When you’re gazing at a computer monitor all day, it’s easy to lose track of big-picture issues. Zoom meetings, emails, Slack conversations, and Google Docs all start to blur together, and to-do lists pop up to keep track of everything.

Take a step back and assist the team by focusing on their goals. Remember those resolutions you made in February? What’s the latest on their condition?

Recognize the Efforts of Your Team Members

Everyone wants to be acknowledged for their efforts. In 1:1 meetings, group talks, corporate get-togethers, and even all-hands conferences, you must make a concerted effort to recognize team members’ efforts.

Give Direct Feedback

If you ask someone to rate how they think direct reports help communication on a scale of one to ten, they’ll usually say seven or eight. However, when you ask the same individual what level of directness they prefer, it’s usually a 9 or 10. 

Direct feedback is essential for personal and professional growth, especially true in remote management. This feedback can be given in one-on-one meetings.

Encourage the Advancement of Your Team Members’ Careers

It isn’t easy to feel emotionally invested in the careers of your coworkers when you’ve never spoken to them face to face. It is, however, your responsibility to do so. Show an interest in the wants and needs of your coworkers. Support them where you can, and ask the tough questions to get them to open up and break free from their epidemic bubble.

Over Communicate But Don’t Micromanage

Ensure all members of your team know what’s going on. While it is better to over-communicate than to under-communicate, avoid micromanaging at all costs.

Provide daily check-ins with the team to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding priorities, urgent tasks, and long-term goals. Meet with each team member weekly to check how they’re doing and what you can do to assist them.

Organize Team Building Activities

While you may not be able to bring the whole company together for dinner or an escape room, there are plenty of remote team-building activities available. It may be as essential as a Wordle competition that lasts a week.

Consider doing a more extensive team-building exercise every quarter. A pizza-making night or a talent show might be on the cards. To enable your team members to get to know one other better, including their families (where appropriate).

Show Empathy

Being a distant leader is no longer fashionable (or culturally acceptable). Instead, demonstrate your concern for your staff. Be vulnerable and compassionate, listen, show, don’t teach. When you need help, ask for it. 

Pick their brain to gain an employee’s opinion on a plan or the company’s direction. Long-term trust, good connections, and insightful leadership result from this type of leadership.

Become a Leader Who Leads By Example

Nobody would have thought about virtual management a thousand years ago. Even twenty years ago, the idea of remote leadership would seem like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. 

Your world differs from mine. You can and will lead remote teams, and you have the chance to set a new standard for virtual management. So do your best work, look after your employees, and be the best virtual manager this side of the millennium.