According to a recent study from Stanford University, forty-two percent of U.S. workers are now working from home full-time, accounting for more than two-thirds of economic activity. As a real estate development, investment and consulting company that specializes in multifamily residences, we have had the opportunity to lead a 100% remote team for over three years now. With employees located all over the country, managing this team has been an interesting and sometimes challenging experience. But by setting up certain parameters and following specific guidelines, we have been able to make it work. Here’s how we’ve done it.
- Communication
The most important component of running a successful remote team is communication. It’s important to review your communication style and frequency—this can mean everything from daily check-ins to weekly updates via email or video conferencing. Additionally, you should always be aware of everyone’s different time zones so that no one feels left out or overwhelmed with too many messages at once.
- Tools & Best Practices
It is also essential that every member of your team has the tools they need in order to do their job effectively. From project management apps like Monday.com or Trello, to cloud storage solutions like Google Drive or Sharepoint, making sure everyone has access to the same resources is key in ensuring that everyone is on the same page when it comes to tasks and workflow. Additionally, you should help your team set up best practices so they know what is expected and how they can stay organized while working remotely.
- Online Security
Another important consideration is hiring a technical manager or team to oversee best practices and stay abreast of the latest protocols for online security. This person or team can help to ensure that all team members are following proper security protocols and can identify and address any potential vulnerabilities or threats. By implementing strong security measures and hiring a technical team to oversee best practices, companies can ensure that their remote teams are able to work safely and securely, while also protecting sensitive data and information.
- Community & Balance
Another key component of running a successful remote team is the focus on community and collaboration between members. This can be done through virtual happy hours or other events such as weekly trivia nights or book clubs. Doing this helps create an atmosphere of camaraderie among teammates even though they are separated by miles and time zones. It also helps reduce feelings of isolation which can often come with remote work situations. One thing we have included is “shared coffee breaks” team members are encouraged to schedule virtual coffee breaks with someone outside of their department whom they would not regularly interact with and we encourage them to get to know each other by asking personal questions like, “Where are you from, Where did you study or what is one thing about you I would find surprising?” Lastly, make sure everyone understands the importance of work/life balance when working remotely; encourage them to take breaks throughout their day in order for them to stay productive and focused on tasks at hand without burning out from overwork or exhaustion.
Working with a remote team requires trust and organization from both sides—the employer must provide clear expectations as well as access to necessary tools while employees must remain committed and accountable for their work despite being separated by physical distance. Additionally, employers must prioritize digital security education for all members of their teams along with providing support for any issues that may arise due to working remotely such as feelings of isolation or lack of motivation due to lack of face-to-face interaction with colleagues in office settings. By following these steps, we have successfully managed our own remote team since 2020 and would highly recommend these methods to anyone looking into doing something similar!
