Online Meetings: How to be a Leader when Your Team is Apart

Online Meetings: How to be a Leader when Your Team is Apart

During this pandemic, many businesses have had to move their teams online and to work remotely.Some leaders will have already experienced having their team members working from home, while for many it’s a very new style of management and it common for many to have doubts, especially with project deadlines looming. Thankfully technology has improved so much over the past few years, and is accessible to most people, making this huge workforce move more achievable.

For many people it a positive change – especially when they realise they have more time available as they don’t need to wake up early to get ready for work or spend an hou reach day in traffic or on public transport. For others this change can create physical and/or emotional problems. Some people thrive on face-to-face communication, and therefore feel isolated when working from home. While others cannot find the quiet workplace, they need and have too many distractions.

That’s when an experienced manager comes into the picture. As a competent manager with team members working remotely, it is your job to foster professionalism, to support and guide the team members through this period of change.

In this article, we will shed light and tackle some the challenges a leader faces managing and building strong team working remotely.

1. Tools.

Are you and your team members using the right tools? Technology these days has made it possible for remote teams to be productive, organised, and keep everyone on the same page though they work apart from each other. There are tools that your team can use for chat, task management, and collaboration. As a leader, you have to choose effective and reliable tools to invest in that suit you and your team.

2. Connect.

Though you are working remotely, you have to remember that your members are not robots. People perform better when they are at ease with each other.Great collaboration, candor, and mutual interest is key for success. One of your tasks as a leader is to make your people feel connected though you are working remotely so you can have a productive team and effective meetings. Just like as you would do in an in-person meeting, you’d ensure that the members are all feeling comfortable. In a remote meeting, how can you do this? Well, perhaps a a minute of asking how their day is going would be a way to make the atmosphere more relaxed and connect the attendees.

3. Organise.

Being a leader during online meetings can be a handful. Juggling tasks from one team member to another can take time. And no matter the team’s size, it is your responsibility to keep everything in check. Flexible working hours while maintaining consistency can really be a challenge. A concrete plan will save your day. Collaborating with your team members and sharing your strategies will ensure everyone is on track and the job will be done. If you, as a leader,are organised, your members will follow suit.

4. Timelines and roles.

One key to being productive while working remotely is to set up clear goals and responsibilities. Tell your team members of their specific roles and the overall goal of the project so everyone is accountable during online meetings. If everyone has the same timelines and understand the roles in the project, there’s no reason not to get it done on time and with quality results.

5. Human touch.

As discussed earlier, since you are working remotely with your members, you won’t have moments to talk about issues. Set up regular online meetings like one-on-ones with your members to discuss their concerns and you can give them instructions. Never lose the human touch. Though you are working remotely, don’t ever let your team members feel that they are out of your mind. It is a struggle to address the needs of every member, yes, but making your presence known would help a lot to make them feel at ease.

6. Celebrate.

Working from home gives team members a sense of freedom. But isolation can sometimes breed negativity, doubt, and loneliness. This where positive reinforcements become handy. Never forget to celebrate your team members’ successes. Researchers show that employees who get recognised and feel valued are more likely to be strongly involved in their tasks with a high level of energy and feeling vested in what they do. As the saying goes, give credit where credit is due.

Send me a message today to learn more about how to be an effective leader managing remote team members.