How to Manage a Distributed Team in 2021?

Management of employees is the biggest challenge that organizations are facing nowadays. It has become the most daunting task for small to large enterprises which are operating their chores virtually especially when they have a globally distributed team.

No doubt, virtual work has benefited businesses in a plethora of ways, however, the hassles that may arise along the way cannot be overlooked. Keeping that in mind, we will share some of the tips that will help you to manage virtually employed outsourced workers in your organization before wrong practices cause severe damage to your business.

The following points will tell you How to manage a distributed team? 

• Leverage the Benefits of Innovation

Advanced and sustainable technology is the critical factor for managing the operations of contemporary organizations. An organization that is skilled enough in incorporating modern technology is more likely to double its productivity.

The virtual technology is directly accumulated with the virtual workforce management. Thus, having advanced and sustainable technological gadgets and tools can help a business create a working relationship among virtual employees and thrive in the competitive market.

• Assign Work to each Employee Online

Managing work and making a structure about who will do what can help an enterprise to alleviate the confusion that can emerge in a company. Thus, it is the liability of an enterprise to create checkpoints to ensure that each virtual employee is fulfilling his duty and taking their weight with responsibility.

• Communicate with Employees Regularly

One of the best ways to engage your virtual team and persuade them to work effectively is to compile a list of their contact information, such as email ID or phone number. You can also insist your virtual team keep in touch through instant messaging. This way, you can facilitate real-time discussions with your team and can also start a foundation to foster harmonious relationships with your globally distributed team.

• Encourage Team Bonding

The biggest challenge that organizations face while working virtually is encouraging their employees to develop a good bond together. It is evident for organizations to meet this unique challenge as they are separated by thousands of miles from each other. Thus, developing the strategies of team interactions once in a while will make your remote employees feel involved, values, and a part of the team.

• Allocate Some time

Companies organize short breaks while working in the office, they should imply the same practices for virtual employees as well. The best practice is to expand the concept of virtual fun meetings, the daily dose of conversations, and have a discussion about daily life’s happenings. This practice will indeed help employees to feel connected to each other as a team.

• Flexible Work Environment

The companies that have globally distributed teams should need to be aware that time zones chaos may arise when teams work remotely from different locations. Thus, to mitigate the cultural barriers and make associates feel comfortable, they should design a flexible design and work structure to ensure maximum comfort level to the employees. Do not forget that a happy employee is more likely to work with an organization for a longer span.

• Set Clear Goals 

While managing a team from a remote location, it is very important to prioritize setting up clear goals. It is very important to properly communicate the goals and guidelines to all team members. Usually, the teams are made up of team members from different places with different backgrounds, and different work experiences.

Some employees may have good experience of working from home and some may be new to it. If you want to make sure that every employee is putting his/her maximum effort, then you set realistic and clear goals. If you will fail to clarify the expectations, then it will lead to misunderstandings and problems later on. 

• Hire Right People 

First of all, it is important to make a team of trained, professional, and skilled people gets the desired results. While working remotely, you should hire only those people whom you can trust and who can positively contribute to the team. You should hire only those employees who can work without micromanagement and peer pressure. The managers and team leader should be present to provide guidance and direction. 

• Offer Bonding Opportunities

When it comes to working remotely, then regular in-person meetings are not an option. But it is imperative to find a way for managing the distributed team and remote employees. You should look out for different ways to strengthen the bond between different team members.

You should allow your team members to create work-appropriate social media groups, private chat groups where they can have light-hearted conversations and play games. Video conferencing for virtual happy hours is another good way to let your employees interact and catch up through video calls.