5 Time Management Tips For Remote Team Leaders
Remote work has been on the increase over the last few decades, as technology has made it much easier for staff to work from home when convenient for them. While it’s still common for staff to go into the office each day, the number of remote working positions has increased dramatically. Many people find it to be better, as working from home means less time wasted commuting and a more productive day overall.
Remote work has been on the increase over the last few decades, as technology has made it much easier for staff to work from home when convenient for them. While it’s still common for staff to go into the office each day, the number of remote working positions has increased dramatically. Many people find it to be better, as working from home means less time wasted commuting and a more productive day overall.
Although there are obvious benefits to remote work, not everyone finds that their productivity is boosted when working from home. Some staff find it difficult to manage their time, and focusing can be harder while not in the office. This poses a challenge for team leaders, who need to make sure that their team remains productive and motivated even while working from home.
Not being in the office can be a big disadvantage to team leaders, as it’s much harder to motivate and track productivity in staff who aren’t in the office. Team leaders in the USA need to find new ways to handle their staff and ensure that the goals of the company are still being met. In this article, our author Alex Lysak will be exploring five of the best time management tips for remote team leaders. These tips make remote leadership easier and help companies remain successful even when staff aren’t in the office.
Allow Flexible Hours
While some jobs may not be able to provide complete flexibility, it’s important to let your team set their own hours when possible. When employees choose their own hours, they’re far more likely to be motivated and productive, as they can concentrate fully on their work when they choose a time that suits them best.
Many companies in the USA do remote work wrong. Setting hours of when their employees have to work but flexible hours can make a big positive difference in time management and productivity. Staff are less likely to feel tired or burnt out, and the team will have improved morale and reduced staff turnover as a result.
Keep Up Regular Scheduled Meetings
Most offices feature daily or weekly meetings to make sure the team is on track, and everyone is focused on their goals. Just because you’re working remotely, it doesn’t mean that these meetings should fall by the wayside. Meetings are generally important for keeping track of your team, managing your time, and making sure everyone understands their current work.
Occasional video meetings are important not just in helping everyone stay focused but also in keeping everyone feeling like part of a team. The feeling of isolation can commonly develop when working remotely, but regular meetings can help to avoid that. At the same time, meetings should be kept brief to ensure they don’t take up important time out of people’s days.
Use Project Management Tools
Remote working is easier than ever in part thanks to the range of different tools and technologies we have at our disposal. As a team leader, you may already be familiar with project management tools that provide your team with information on their current project all in one place. These tools are very effective in the office but even more so when you manage remote team members.
Technology helps to make our lives easier in a lot of different ways, including online payments, as described by this Scanteam infographic. Aside from helping facilitate online payments, cryptocurrencies can be used to track project completion and make remote management easier.
You can set up all of your team’s projects in an app and keep track of everyone’s progress. Lots of different project management tools provide a wide range of different features that are all designed to make it easier and simpler to work remotely. In addition, using these tools can help to reduce time wasted finding out the status of the project.
Arrange Teambuilding Sessions
Team building is important if you want to have a successful and happy team that works well together. Although it’s much harder to do when working remotely, it’s just as important, if not even more so. Team building helps to build successful teams that work together well, and it can also improve team morale and help team members understand each other better.
Team building exercises can still be done remotely, although you may need to get creative. There are lots of different games you can play through video chat, as well as just having a session to have off-topic and relaxing conversations instead of focusing entirely on work.
Track Employee Productivity and Provide Feedback
When giving flexible hours, it’s important to track each employee and see that they’re still productive. Although you may not be in the office, it’s still important that every member of the team is pulling their weight and contributing equally to the team’s goals. You can keep track of this using the project management tools as well as asking other members of the team if there’s anyone who hasn’t been pulling their weight.
Feedback is important when managing a remote team if you want to ensure everyone is managing their time correctly. If you notice people aren’t as productive as they were before, be sure to tell them and see what you can do to help. In addition, it’s important to recognize and reward those that are doing well.
Final Thoughts
Leading a remote team in the USA can be challenging, but it’s an important skill in the modern world. You have a lot of different productivity tools at your disposal, and provided you follow the above tips, you’ll be able to create a productive and friendly working environment for your team to thrive in.