How to manage a team that works from home?

February
23, 2021

4 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

First of all, you have to know that it is different to manage a team strategically constituted from the beginning to function remotely than to manage one that due to the emergency is forced to work in this way. The points that we will take into account below are for this second way, that is, for teams that were not established to work remotely but that now have to start the path of the digital transformation of telework .

Technology

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Make sure your team has the necessary tools to perform adequately, that it has the appropriate software and hardware, in addition to training them if necessary in the new tools.

Organize your day

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Create a list of activities and prioritize. If it is the first time that you face this form of teleworking, it is possible that you are not used to this rhythm and independence of work, perhaps it is time for a small course in effective time management.

Communication

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In an organizational structure that now works remotely, effective communication is of utmost importance, that your boss knows what you are doing and that you know what the people in your charge are doing. Oara this there are three fundamental questions that will save you a lot of time: What is going well? What is going wrong? And what is being done to fix what is going wrong? This is all you need to know and make known. Also make sure that the whole team understands the objectives they have.

Trust

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In many companies it was customary to have a very close type of supervision of people, in this new way of working trust in the work of the parts of a remote team is essential, being a trustworthy person and trusting people will be core. Remember that it is not the hours, but the results that count.

Independence

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As leaders of remote teams, a problem-solving structure and independence should be created in team members. Give them the space and tools necessary so that they can work asynchronously.

Security

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That the members of your team have the necessary antivirus or VPN for more robust needs of privacy of corporate information, in addition to sensitizing team members regarding the protection of information and the use of secure passwords, especially if data is handled confidential clients.

Training

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Take into account that both you and the team members must renew and update knowledge to be able to use and make the most of remote work, and the way to do this is constant training so that teleworking is not a nightmare but an axis of growth both professional as well as company, in several of the previous points already mentioned, learning and teaching, acquiring and sharing knowledge will be a cornerstone of the proper functioning of the organization, training in physical tools or online platforms, time management, security information, effective means of contact for the various tasks that are both synchronous and asynchronous, conflict resolution and a long etcetera.

Remote work is not the future of work, it is now and we must prepare quickly to face new challenges.