Remote working: how to be a good leader?

How do you manage a remote team? How to be a good leader/manager in remote working? Here are some tips | BeetCommunity

 

Leader, manager, or coach? In remote working, these roles must merge to effectively manage a remote team

Managing a remote team? “It seemed impossible, but we made it” (cit.). Well, not everyone: there are still some who struggle to understand how to adapt their role as a manager to this new working mode. The truth is that to manage a remote team you have to be a good leader—one who doesn’t just give directions but also cares for the team in many ways, not just professionally.

It all started...

By now it’s well known: the pandemic didn’t just overwhelm and disrupt global healthcare systems but also economic systems. Emergency measures, subsidies, support, a global vaccination campaign unseen since the early 1900s. Everything changed, and we all had to adapt. The working world, like every other sector, was caught up in this whirlwind of change and emerged (so to speak) quite shaken. Both companies and workers, both managers and team members, had to reinvent how they work and approach daily work life. The relational aspect certainly took the biggest hit, as the possibility of immediate, in-person interactions between colleagues, bosses, directors, and collaborators disappeared entirely. In times of transformation, uncertainty, and challenge, we need to bring out the best of our abilities and leverage our strengths to live and work under the best possible conditions. Everything is more complicated now: achieving goals, managing productivity, accessing resources, maintaining relationships; or at least, it is for those who weren’t ready to dive headfirst into the fantastic world of remote working.

A shift in style: caring

In this context, being true leaders and points of reference for your team, even in the face of an unfamiliar situation, is what makes the difference. A good leader is able to effectively manage their team even in difficult situations, like suddenly having to turn your living room into an office. The secret lies in maintaining a focus on achieving objectives, enhancing and valuing team members’ resources; but also in creating an action plan tailored to adapt professional and personal performance to the new situation. However, we have to remember that a year into the emergency, these new work modes can no longer be considered sudden and improvised. Remote working is increasingly becoming a well-established reality that many people favor. Therefore, a change in management style is no longer just a necessity dictated by extraordinary circumstances—it’s a real need. In this light, we need to find the best practices to create a perfectly efficient and effective remote work system. The key point is to ensure that the remote work experience is as good or even better than in-person work. To achieve this, the first best practice to implement is caring: a managerial approach that focuses on caring for team members.

What does caring at work mean?

First of all, you have to set aside a closed-minded attitude, stubbornness, and the belief that you know everything and have all the answers and solutions. New leaders must have a forward-thinking approach, taking the time to observe and listen to identify needs, difficulties, and issues and solve problems before they even arise. Today, when distance is not just a matter of hierarchy but also physical, paying attention to signals and embracing servant leadership (characterized by serving and caring for your team members) are the essential traits of successful leaders who can bring an organization to success. According to data from a Gallup study, in 75% of cases, employee turnover is caused by a poor relationship with their managers—who fail to gain their trust and instead cause dissatisfaction and frustration.

The secret is in the relationship

To manage team members across a screen, rather than from the next room, managers must focus on improving the relational aspect of work. With remote working we lose the physical spaces for connection, like the break room or the cafeteria, missing out on those informal communication moments and breaks that allow workers to take a breath of fresh air. It’s important to schedule spaces and moments during the day, week, or month dedicated exclusively to team relationships: this will help motivate everyone, listen to practical/technical or psychological challenges, and ensure everyone can work with peace of mind and satisfaction. The 2021 ISTUD research data shows that the pandemic has had both positive and negative effects on managing team members: it has improved delegation skills and the focus on achieving goals, while it has worsened listening, causing a loss of informal feedback and exchanges between colleagues and managers, weakening relationships. The relational aspect is essential to keep team spirit high and make everyone feel important and appreciated, especially when working from afar. Long before the rise of remote working, Peter Drucker (economist and essayist, one of the most renowned theorists and writers in contemporary management) said: “The best leaders never say ‘I.’ They don’t do it because they trained themselves not to say it, but because they don’t think in terms of ‘I.’ They think in terms of ‘we’—as a team. This builds trust and makes work thrive.”

Some practical tips

So, what can you do to improve your management style and boost your team’s morale? 1. Observe and pick up on all signals. 2. Motivate, listen, and welcome (problems, requests, doubts). 3. Delegate and empower team members. 4. Maintain contact and encourage internal communication (virtual coffee breaks or lunches, group video calls). The change must start with the manager’s attitude and behavior: the new role is no longer that of an authoritarian, distant manager but of a manager-coach who leads their team enthusiastically, instilling a sense of belonging and care. >