How to manage a remote team and keep productivity up

In 2020, the world went through a major transformation with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. Remote work grew, increasing the need for remote management.

To give you an idea, according to a Folha de S.Paulo reportopens in a new tab (in Portuguese), before the pandemic only 7% of organizations worked remotely. By 2022, that number had grown to 33%.

Even though the model already looked like a trend in recent years, the context accelerated it and many organizations, not used to the format, had to reinvent themselves.

Today, that reality has been changing, with some companies going back to in-person or hybrid work. According to EY, with data from JLLopens in a new tab (in Portuguese), only 14% of Brazilian companies currently adopt a 100% remote model. Also, among companies that choose hybrid work, most (45%) use 2 in-person days and 3 remote days per week. Siteware also works in a hybrid model.

Faced with the prospect of having teams working remotely, many managers asked themselves: how do you manage a team remotely? How do you lead and motivate employees remotely?

Many leaders began to improve their knowledge to try to answer questions that, at first, seemed quite complex.

If that is your case, you have come to the right place. In this article we share 7 essential tips on remote management that will help on your journey.

We have also selected 10 online tools that can help you coordinate the team and communicate with employees working from home.

Want more? We will also talk about experience in managing teams remotely.

Enjoy the read!

What is remote team management?

Remote team management, also known as “distance management” or “remote leadership,” refers to the supervision and coordination of teams or individuals who work outside the traditional workplace, such as at home, satellite offices or coworking spaces around the world.

This form of management became relevant with the popularization of remote work, driven by technological advances and, more recently, by the needs arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

This type of management is challenging, especially for more traditional managers who have always been used to in-person work.

What are the challenges of managing a remote team?

Among the main challenges of remote management are:

• creating effective communication;
• building a relationship of trust;
• tracking the team’s progress;
• introducing the culture into the company;
• promoting personal development;
• providing more well-being to employees.

1. Communication

Managers must make sure the team is well informed and feels connected, despite the physical distance. To do that, they must use some tools, which we cover later in this article.

But there are many challenges to effective communication, including good broadband internet where employees work and the whole team’s ease with technology.

2. Building trust

Without daily face-to-face interaction, building and keeping trust between managers and the team can be more challenging. It is vital to set clear expectations and trust that team members will fulfill their roles.

3. Tracking progress

Monitoring progress and productivity can be different in a remote environment. Instead of supervising hours worked, many managers focus on goals and results.

This shift is particularly hard for those used to the traditional model, but adapting is necessary in this way of working.

4. Company culture

Keeping the company cultureopens in a new tab and making sure employees feel connected to the organization’s mission and values is a challenge when working apart.

To try to overcome it, initiatives such as regular virtual meetings, online team-building events and regular recognition can help.

5. Professional development

Managers must make sure employees have development opportunities, even when working remotely. In practice, this means investment in training and upskilling must continue.

6. Employee well-being

Mental health and team well-being can be concerns when working in isolation.

So managers must be aware of the challenges remote work can present and offer support when needed.

As you can see, the challenges exist to be overcome. However, the journey of remote work is not made only of obstacles. There are a number of benefits to adopting remote team management, and we cover each in the next section.

What benefits does remote team management bring?

Remote team managementopens in a new tab brings benefits that are not limited to the company and extend to employees themselves. Let us understand the advantages for each party involved.

For organizations

1. Access to global talent

Companies are no longer limited to hiring talent in their immediate location. In that sense, organizations can recruit professionals from anywhere in the world, which diversifies and enriches teams.

2. Lower costs

In remote management, by allowing employees to work remotely, organizations can save on operating costs such as rent, utilities (electricity, water), office supplies and more.

3. Flexibility

The ability to operate across time zones can benefit businesses with global customers or partners, covering customer requests and tickets nearly 24 hours a day, if needed.

4. Talent retention

By offering flexible work options, employee retention tends to increase, reducing turnover and training costs.

5. Business continuity

In unexpected situations, such as natural disasters or pandemics, companies that already use remote management can keep operating without major interruptions.

For employees

1. Work-life balance

Employees can have a better quality of life by avoiding daily commutes, and they have flexibility to manage their own working hours.

2. Saving time and money

Eliminating the daily commute means less time in traffic and less money spent on transportation, meals and professional clothing.

3. Personalized work environment

Employees are free to create their own workspace, which can lead to an increase in productivity and well-being.

4. Fewer distractions

Although working at home can bring its own distractions, many employees find that the home environment has fewer stimuli than a traditional office, where side conversations and interruptions are common.

5. Professional development opportunities

With the possibility of working for companies in different locations, workers have more opportunities for professional growth and contact with different cultures and work practices.

However, even though it brings countless benefits, some care is needed to avoid common mistakes of the remote work model.

What mistakes should be avoided in remote leadership and management of teams?

The main mistakes to avoid are:

• not setting clear expectations;
• over-supervising;
• not investing in technology;
• failing to build team relationships;
• treating all employees the same way;
• not creating opportunities for feedback;
• not reviewing and adapting processes.

1. Not setting clear expectations

Team members need to know exactly what is expected of them, from deadlines to quality standards and performance metrics. Not having that definition is a serious mistake in remote management.

2. Over-supervising

Also known as micromanagement, monitoring every move employees make can reduce trust and harm each person’s autonomy and initiative.

3. Not investing in technology

It is important to have the right tools and software to make collaboration and communication easier in a remote environment. Without the right technology, work can fall short of what is expected.

4. Failing to build team relationships

Building strong working relationships is essential, even in a remote environment. Leadersopens in a new tab should encourage social interaction, even if virtual. Not adopting this practice is a serious mistake.

5. Treating all employees the same way

Each employee is unique, with different needs and preferences. Some may thrive in the remote environment, while others may have more difficulty adapting.

Personalizing the remote management approach can be more effective than treating all employees the same.

6. Not creating opportunities for feedback

It is vital to have open channels for feedback, so workers can share their concerns, ideas or challenges.

Many companies forget this point when they adopt remote work, which causes frustration among employees.

7. Not reviewing and adapting processes

What works in a traditional office environment may not suit remote work. Leaders must be willing to adjust and optimize processes as needed.

Mistakes like these can determine a team’s success or failure.

Now that you know the mistakes to avoid, here are 7 tips to gain more experience in remote team management.

Remote management: 7 tips on how to manage a team from a distance

As we have seen, technology and the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation in companies, and most businesses adopted remote work.

To help you succeed in this format, we put together 7 tips to reduce the impact on productivity and to build more experience and repertoire in managing teams remotely.

Check them out!

1. Decide how and where you want to get

The transition from in-person work to home office can create confusion among employees and put the company’s results at risk.

In that sense, try to be as clear as possible when redefining processes and communicating new objectives, considering the new remote management format.

To understand how to manage a team remotely, it is essential to make sure everyone is aware of what needs to be done and of the results expected from each employee or work team.

A goals meeting can help a lot here.

2. Plan for remote work

It will hardly be possible to keep the same planning used in an in-person environment. That is why it is important to rework it and adapt it for remote work.

From that adaptation, it becomes possible to set priorities, new goals, new deadlines and new responsibilities. With a good remote management plan, everyone will feel more confident and secure in carrying out their roles.

3. Define the team’s work routine

There is no way to lead a team remotely if employees do not have a well-established routine.

During the transition from in-person to home office, it is common for them not to adapt to the new dynamic at first. So it is up to the manager to help the team follow a routine.

Set the start and end times of the workday, with breaks for lunch and rest. Also agree on a time for videoconference meetings. Ask your team members to set up a workspace at home.

4. Use performance indicators

If, in in-person work, you already use indicators to track performance, in remote management they become even more important.

It is through KPIsopens in a new tab that you know which adjustments the remote work strategy needs to avoid harming team productivityopens in a new tab. In this transition, knowing how to track goals and KPIs remotely is essential.

However, it is not always easy to track indicators, so here is a video to help:

5. Gather the team (virtually) at a set frequency

One way to track goals and KPIs and also to motivate the team is through regular meetings.

In these meetings, held by videoconference, the manager presents the performance indicator results, shows employees what can improve and answers questions.

This is also the moment to recognize the efforts that have contributed to positive results.

That way, employees feel more motivated to do their best. The practice also strengthens the relationship between leaders and team members.

Meetings can also be held one-on-one, to give more personalized feedback.

6. Improve communication

When work is done remotely, failures can generate noise that significantly harms team results.

So try to improve communication with your employees, being more detailed when describing instructions for certain tasks.

Adopt channels to answer questions and make it easy to access relevant information about the workflowopens in a new tab (in Portuguese) and results in real time. And do not forget to encourage knowledge sharing among them.

7. Avoid micromanagement

As we said, micromanagement is one of the most serious mistakes most managers make in remote work.

It is a leadership practice that can harm team productivity.

In micromanagement, the manager wants to do everything to make sure every task is carried out without errors. To do that, they monitor every detail of their employees’ work almost obsessively.

This behavior is usually worse in remote management and limits employees’ autonomy too much, leaving them insecure and less productive.

So avoid micromanaging your teams. Trust your employees’ talent and let them come to you when they have questions about their roles.

10 tools for remote management

During remote work and throughout the remote management process, you can use technology tools to better integrate employees, make communication easier and track team performance.

Here are 10 tools you can implement.

1. Stratws

Stratwsopens in a new tab is an AI platform for strategic and performance management created by Siteware. In it, goals and indicators live in a dashboard shared with the team, deviations are tracked through action plans and results meetings have a history of decisions and pending items.

That way, the manager and the team know whether individual and collective performance is as expected, even remotely.

2. Google Drive

Google Drive lets you share documents, spreadsheets, presentations and many other file formats. Everything is stored in the cloud and can be edited collaboratively and in real time.

3. We Transfer

We Transfer is for anyone who needs to send very heavy files that cannot be transferred by e-mail. With the tool, you send just a link for the recipient to open and view or download the files.

4. Slack

Slackopens in a new tab (in Portuguese) is an internal communication platform that serves as an alternative to e-mail.

With the system, you can exchange instant messages with coworkers, send different files, share projects, view reports and hold meetings.

5. Google Chat

Google Chat is also a communication tool. With it, you can create chat groups and share Google Drive files. You only need an active Google account, and the tool works with the main browsers.

6. Trello

Trelloopens in a new tab is a useful platform for managing projects. Based on the Kanban methodologyopens in a new tab, the tool organizes tasks into boards and lists.

With Trello, you can integrate with other platforms, such as Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox.

You can also create work groups, update reports in real time, share files and create checklists. The tool is simple and intuitive, which makes it easier to manage workflows.

7. Asana

Asanaopens in a new tab is a useful tool for tracking projects. With the platform, you can map each task and see its progress clearly, and you can create a timeline for your team’s projects.

The platform also helps track goals and KPIs remotely, because it lets you check the progress of activities against performance indicators.

Another useful feature is the e-mail alert. You can set alerts to be sent when deadlines are approaching, so employees deliver on the agreed date.

8. Operand

Operandopens in a new tab (in Portuguese) aims to promote integration between people and processes. Information about work and projects is centralized in a single platform, which makes access easier for all professionals involved and optimizes remote management.

9. Evernote

Evernoteopens in a new tab is a note-taking app that lets you create notes, add attachments, set reminders, edit files, schedule meetings and much more, collaboratively. With it, you can share ideas with the team.

10. Whereby

Wherebyopens in a new tab is an option for holding video conferences directly in the browser, without installing programs.

What did you think of our tips on how to manage remotely more efficiently? Put them into practice and follow how the teams working remotely evolve.

How to track remote teams day to day?

In remote management, the manager stops seeing the work happen and starts depending on a clear goal, an up-to-date indicator and a meeting with a recorded decision. Without that, tracking turns into chasing people by message.

In Stratws, the AI platform for strategic and performance management created by Siteware, each team’s goals and indicators live in a shared visual dashboard, and results meetings record decisions, owners and deadlines, with action plans tracked until completion.

Visit our website and explore the Goal and Indicator Deployment solution in Stratwsopens in a new tab.