Making Remote Teams Work

How can you make teams work effectively when not everyone is in the same location?

In remote working scenarios if you don’t pay close

attention you can end up with poor communication,

disaffected staff, low morale and lower productivity. Here are five things to consider to

help avoid these issues.

The Issue

One thing that you want to ensure you don’t lose are the conversations between team members, even if it is

only to have a “watercooler moment” discussing last night’s TV. These days there are many ways of

achieving this beyond email. For more instant communications why

not consider Skype, Yammer or Slack?

Team Communications

Nothing cements team bonding more than a night out with a chance to unwind and get to know others

better. Popular with many businesses in Reading and just round the corner from RBC’s new offices is Sweeney &

Todd. I have attended many team events there over the years and it is

great for this.

Regular group events

Make sure that your remote workers have the opportunity to work from the office occasionally. Being in a different place can often stimulate thoughts that wouldn’t have arisen

otherwise.

Opportunities to Visit the Office

Nobody wants to feel isolated from the rest of the organisation so make

sure that news and information makes its way to remote workers in

a timely fashion. A company intranet is a great place for this information and is possible for organisations of

all sizes.

Company Wide Comms

It is easy to forget when working remotely just what your objectives are. For many this will ultimately mean a delivery to clients and

customers, even if this is not their direct responsibility. Make available opportunities to reinforce this goal,

perhaps by getting remote workers to meet clients or to be involved in the delivery of their work in some way.

Meet Customers

www.workinconfidence.com

Read more articles aimed at helping

organisations in public and professional sectors increase staff retention

through better employee engagement

on our blog.