Show Effective Leadership in a Remote Work Environment

Working from a distance will become the new norm around the world. Before the recent coronavirus pandemic transformed the American economy, there were 4.7 million workers working from a distance. On March 19, the number of remote workers was twice as high as at this time last year, and the upward trend is expected to continue, according to Ray Canzanese, director of threat research at Netscope. On the downside of the increased occurrence of remote workstations is the growing need for a different type of leadership - one that meets the new standard. The way in which people choose to be led can not only encourage employees in uncertain times like these, but also set the tone for future remote management.

Create clear boundaries and expectations on both the management and employee fronts

Remote team leaders must have clear guidelines to avoid miscommunication, employee exhaustion and general confusion within the team. Setting these guidelines early on lets employees know what is expected of them and what processes they must follow if these expectations cannot be met. With performance assessment no longer the primary focus in the office, managers must now set measurable and company-specific performance metrics for remote teams. It is also important to review these goals regularly and update them as needed.
When setting your policies, try not to focus solely on the larger business goals. Instead, include guidelines for team and executive communication. Even without a physical office, you can establish corporate social responsibility policies and promote sustainability goals. For example, you can still encourage your employees to adopt environmentally conscious habits, such as choosing environmentally friendly vehicles instead, or participating in shared driving.
To ease communication difficulties, create built-in slots each week where your entire team is available for team meetings and ideas for collaboration. Set up recurring meetings and include them in a shared calendar that is visible to every team member so they know what's happening and are prepared.

Finally, make sure that the team knows how to report changes to their remote work locations or a change in project goals.

Make communication and feedback a core part of your leadership style

Regardless of what kind of manager you are, good communication is a key skill to have when leading teams in remote locations. A Harvard Business Review study showed that 46 percent of remote workers believe that the best managers are those who communicate frequently and regularly. However, managers should beware of micromanagement. Employee trust is an important component when working in remote locations. Make sure you ask employees questions during your weekly check-ins and, more importantly, be open to feedback. Encourage both vertical and horizontal discussions as well as off-topic conversations among employees.

Maintain employee engagement with accountability and regular coaching opportunities

According to a Gallup survey, 70% of an employee's engagement is controlled by his or her supervisor, demonstrating the importance of a manager's role in an employee's experience, from recruitment and induction to performance management and employee motivation. It is often said that managers are the most important link between a CEO's vision and his or her operational front line. Therefore, training your management team on how to engage employees and engage these managers themselves is a great place to improve your leadership.
In remote work environments, distance and the freedom it brings can often prove an obstacle to holding employees accountable and keeping them in line. By creating a culture of accountability from the top down, you can fill some of the common gaps associated with a remote team. Weekly team meetings and sharing individual goals can help employees and managers stay on track. The requirement for weekly progress reports is also a useful opportunity to introduce coaching and milestones for the professional development of employees.

Integrate employees and managers remotely with technical support

Remote teams are largely focused on integrating good technical support. Progress in technology has been the main driver for the growth of remote working. It's no different for the leader of a remote team. With the right technical support and the right tools, it's easier to do their job and be present to guide their employees, even when they're not in the same room. Managers and team leaders can use remote management tools such as Scoro, IDoneThis and PukkaTeam to delegate and manage projects and encourage water-cooler conversations among remote workers. This is especially useful in a remote work environment where the fear of being left out and the feeling of isolation were prevalent.

Even though it is an ongoing process, leadership practices like these can help you become a better leader in a distant work environment and get the most out of your team.

Also Read: 5 free applications that can increase the productivity of remote teams