NARRATOR: Managing requires a skill set all its own.
And managing remotely is no exception.
Challenges can range from a lack of face to face interaction,
to trust issues, and in some cases,
to employees feeling their manager is out of touch with
their needs .
Let's go over some tips on how to be a great remote manager.
Make yourself available at the same time
as your direct reports.
This is extremely important as it
allows you to have an open line of communication
and enables you to ask and answer questions
regarding tasks and projects without delay.
The last thing you want is for your team
to feel like giving or receiving information about a project
is harder than it should be.
Different ways of communicating are
necessary as there is no one size fits all solution.
Time sensitive questions or casual conversation
are better suited for messaging applications
where people can respond quickly and effortlessly.
Email is better for sending larger chunks of information
all at once, where it can be easier to archive or search
for the information later.
And lastly, more important or sensitive conversations
are best over video calls which feel more personal than text
or audio only conversation.
Having digital face to face communication with your team
is also important as feelings of loneliness and social isolation
from their organization are some of the most common complaints
of remote workers.
To help counter that as a manager,
you should hold weekly video calls with your direct reports,
whether it be one on ones, or a team
call to check in and connect on both work and life.
Each person on your team was likely
hired for being talented at what they do.
As it is important to set expectations
about when and how work should be done,
allowing them to accomplish tasks on their own
without constantly checking on progress
is crucial to building a strong and trusting relationship
with your direct reports.
It's important as a manager that you offer encouragement
and emotional support.
If you see that someone is struggling with their work
or even acting differently, don't be afraid to reach out.
Even asking a simple question like--
how is this remote work situation working out for you?
--can reveal a lot of information
to help you better support your team members.
The tips in this video are a great starting point for people
managing a remote team.
But the most important thing to do is try different solutions
and find out what works best for you and your team.
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