Changes in technology, cheaper travel costs, and the speed of the global economy have transformed ways of working, leading to a huge rise in remote workers.

Global Workplace Analytics estimates that around 3.7 million employees (2.8% of the workforce) work from home at least half the time. If you are not already managing a remote project team, you likely will in the near future.

Managing a remote group is entirely different from the conventional way of monitoring employees within your office. You need an effective approach for managing teams in different locations and time zones.

Try these four tips for managing your remote project team.

4 Tips for Managing Remote Project Teams

Tip 1:  Establish A Definite Ground Work

First and foremost, be specific when starting a project or assigning tasks.

Team members from opposite sides of the globe often have trouble getting on the same page not merely because of their contrasting talents. These people clash because there is no definite goal in the first place.

Remember the success of your remote group begins with you. Simply asking someone to complete a task is not enough. Give specific objectives in detail to avoid confusion and wasted effort.

Tip 2: Define Clear Roles and Responsibilities

Next, be firm when relaying instructions and responsibilities. Considering you don’t really know the daily routine and habits of a remote team member, simple guidelines will make it easier for everyone to work together.

Make sure everyone is clear about their roles and responsibilities; how to contact each other; time zones and hours of availability, and so on.

Be prepared to discuss issues, such as not following instructions for a task or overdue work, directly with remote team members as needed.

Tip 3: Encourage Collaboration

One benefit of remote employees is higher productivity. These employees enjoy a flexible working routine that suits their own lifestyle and ways of working.

However, remote employees can struggle with a sense of belonging to a team and feelings of isolation. This can make collaboration difficult, and may also lead to high employee turnover.

Using a weekly check-in call is an ideal way to discuss progress and engage with your team on a personal level.

You can also leverage discussion boards and wikis in a collaborative project site to encourage instant communication and problem-solving.

Tip 4: Celebrate Success

Celebrate the success of your remote team as a group, for example, add a slot to your weekly team meeting to share positive stories from the previous week.

If your company uses an internal social media platform or shares monthly updates via email, be sure to add these successes to the channels. It’s important for the wider organization to have some visibility into the achievements of your team.

Guest Author Bio

Maria writes for TimeDoctor.com, a time monitoring and productivity monitoring software designed for tracking hours and productivity of remote teams.

Image credit