Companies have been forced in recent days to transition to teleworking. While technology has made this easier than ever, there are still some drawbacks. The biggest issue with a remote workforce is trying to get them to operate just as seamlessly as if they were all together at the office. Nevertheless, there are strategies and tools that can help.
Establish Guidelines
It’s more important than usual to establish guidelines when managing a distributed team. Oftentimes errors occur when guidelines have not been communicated. You should establish working hours, response times, and time off requests. A remote workforce can also benefit from more meetings than usual as a way of bringing everyone together.
Communication
As mentioned above, communication is key. While this is true universally, it is important to set aside time for it when your team is scattered. Fortunately, modern technology makes it easier than ever.
One method you should incorporate is video. While the phone is important, using video conferences allows your team to see facial expressions and hand movements. It’s a good way of recreating the feeling of everyone being together in one place.
It’s not always necessary to use video conferences though. Using a Unified Communications tool such as IM is a good way to get a quick answer to a question. Best of all, your team can use group chats. This way, if someone doesn’t know who to ask, they can raise the question to the entire team.
Don’t Overcommunicate
While communication is more important than ever with a remote workforce, you should resist the urge to overcommunicate. It’s a good idea to hold more meetings than usual when everyone is working from home, but too many can reduce your team’s productivity. While it’s critical to keep in touch with everyone, you should remember that your team has tasks that they need to perform.
If you have any questions regarding remote working, or Business Phone Systems in general, please contact Advanced Communication Systems today at 800-750-3624. Please feel free to also follow us on Twitter.
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