Managing Remote Teams Effectively

With many marketers working remotely in 2020, managers and their teams have had to adapt quickly to new ways of working. But what does this mean for managers in education?

It's no surprise that this year has brought with it a lot of change for employees across sectors, and as life returns to normal it looks like more teams will continue to work (at least in part) remotely. With a shift in attitude towards remote working, managers need to be prepared for this 'new normal'.

When your team is widely dispersed, it is the responsibility of the manager to bring together employees and give them the tools to work well together. As the manager of a remote marketing team, you need all the skills of an in-office manager, and more.

It's never been so important to be tactical and organised, but also your team need to feel in the loop and included in your organisation - which can be tricky when you are not having face to face meetings and conversations in the office!

Here are some top tips for managers of remote teams:

Create an effective hiring and training process

From video interviews to assessing candidates with virtual tests, finding the right team members is key to any team, even when working remotely.

If your initial training is being delivered remotely, consider regularly (daily or weekly) video calls with your new team member to see how they are finding their role. Make sure your expectations are clear at all times and encourage other team members and departments to introduce themselves with video calls to welcome your new recruit into the organisation.

Run effective team meetings

Schedule a regular virtual meeting for your team and encourage everyone to attend. Plan your agenda for these meetings but there's no rush to get straight to business, good working relationships involve rapport and this can be hard to establish virtually.

Start your meetings with a planned ice-breaker, an update from everyone about how they are feeling or what they had for breakfast! Remote employees will appreciate the time to chat informally with their team and have their voices heard.

Record your meetings to share with any team members who could not attend, it is also useful to look back on what was said if you discuss projects in any detail. Remember to wrap up your virtual meetings by leaving time for questions and check in with each team member individually to give them the opportunity to talk without talking over other people.

Finally, review your regular meetings. Are the right people on the call? Did you cover everything you needed to? Did everyone have a chance to contribute? Try to review and improve with a few notes after each call.

Book time with individual team members

As well as the regular team meetings, plan video calls with your remote employees as individuals. It is a good opportunity to catch up with them about how they are doing, also have some time to chat at the start of the call before you get down to business.

Ask them about any suggestions they have to improve their involvement in the team, remember to consider their professional development or training opportunities and their workload.

It can also be helpful to have some flexible time in your diary so that employees can easily book a meeting with you if they need more time to talk.

Embrace digital tools

This one sounds obvious, but it's worth keeping an eye on new tools that are rapidly being developed and rolled out to help remote teams work better together.

From task management software to meeting booking tools, messaging apps and communications channels like Slack. There are hundreds of tools out there and by identifying the ones that will have a big impact and making them available for your team, you can ensure that everyone feels included.

Connect with other teams virtually

If you are working remotely yourself, or if other teams are, then it is also important to connect with them through regular video calls to ensure your work is aligned.

If your marketing and admissions teams are working remotely, then spending some time bringing the two teams together to collaborate is going to make a big difference. Allow time for each team to share their ideas and any frustrations, then encourage action points to align the direction of your teams so that everyone feels they are working towards a common goal.

Help everyone to feel included

In a physical office, you have more opportunity for social connection and non-work related conversations. It can be a challenge to replicate this remotely but it is just as important as getting the work done.

Consider e-cards with messages from all of the team on an employees birthday, book a team-building online experience (Airbnb has some great examples... magic show anyone?), arrange a monthly virtual coffee and cake date, you can be creative!

Consider how your remote team members are feeling

The office may feel calm but when you start a video call with an employee, you don't immediately know the kind of day they are having. Practicing emotional intelligence at all times is really important with a remote team, your employees may be struggling with separating work and home life, they may feel left out and disconnected or frustrated with technology. Pay close attention to the way they are talking about their experiences and do everything you can to make them feel heard.

And finally...

Remember to practice empathy with your team and also with yourself. Check in on your own emotions, remote working takes some adapting, especially if you are a manager of a remote team for the first time.