Leading remote teams
Kommunikations-experte KEN TAYLOR wirft einen Blick auf die Fähigkeiten und Sprachkenntnisse, die in der modernen Arbeitswelt unabdingbar sind.
Due to the corona pandemic, many of us now work exclusively or mainly from home. Recent surveys show that a majority of companies plan to continue with increased homeworking after the pandemic has subsided. With this in mind, it becomes even more important for managers to have the skills to lead their teams remotely.
Have a look at the conversation below to familiarize yourself with the language you might hear when discussing this topic. We’ve highlighted the relevant words and phrases for you.
Maria and Henry are middle managers at an international company. They lead teams that are working remotely and chat regularly on the phone to give each other advice and exchange best practice.
Henry: Hi, Maria. How are things?
Maria: Not bad. How are you?
Henry: Fine. I’m trying to follow your advice about having regular check-ins with my team, but it isn’t always easy.
Maria: I try to do a daily check-in just to see if anyone needs guidance or support. We’ve come up with a simple but flexible schedule that suits everyone — including me!
Henry: I should do that. I do send out stuff. You know, the latest
from management and from HR — that sort of thing.
Maria: It’s good to keep your team updated. But don’t worry if you can’t always get in touch with a team member. We have to trust people. Everyone manages their work and life differently. And people have to adapt to new stresses, such as having one’s kids at home while working.
Henry: You’re right, of course. I did try to set some ground rules at the beginning to show what I expected of everyone. Maybe we should revisit them — now that we have more experience working as a remote team.
Maria: That’s a good idea. I should do that, too.
Henry: One thing we’ve found useful is to have the occasional online meeting over coffee, when we just chat about things in general. People miss the social interaction of being together in the same office.
Maria: We do something similar. Team members take turns setting up a meeting on Fridays. Instead of going to the local pub after work, we have a drink with each other over Zoom.
REMEMBER!
Maria and Henry have suggested several ways to help team leaders to manage their remote teams:
• Maria says team leaders should have regular but short one-on-one check-ins with team members to offer support.
• Henry sends out regular
company updates to make sure that team members know what’s going on in the organization.
• Both Henry and Maria have some basic ground rules for their teams that should be regularly discussed and updated.
• They both try to compensate
for the loss of social interaction by organizing social chats online that are less structured.
It’s helpful to realize — and come to terms with the fact — that it’s impossible to micromanage a remote team. So, once you’ve defined goals and
outcomes, let people develop their own plans of execution. Be a mentor and coach rather than a manager.