From startups to large companies, everyone is looking kindly at the idea of having employees working remotely. This is because the amount of benefits is so huge: reducing office costs, saving employees time on the road, increasing productivity and reducing corporate stress are just some of the examples. But like everything else in life, there are problems with distance work, especially managing remote teams.

When a remote work structure is tested in a company where micromanagement reigns, the chances of the initiative failing are high. You have to know how to managing remote teams work because the idea of working from home presupposes employee freedom, and freedom and micromanagement do not match (imagine a collaborator used to working and delivering results only under pressure, working free in the comfort of your couch.

Also, the lack of staff integration, poor internal communication, and productivity measurement are other challenges that must be addressed. To help companies looking to start an initiative (or the entire company) on a remote system, follow our 3 most valuable tips.

1) Keep the team integrated

One of the great benefits of a presidential work environment is the integration, union that this daily living can bring (and with it an increase in productivity The collaborative culture has even talked about the importance of maintaining the integration between employees and the company sectors.

But what about managing remote teams? The good news is that online tools already exist to meet this need. Slack is the business communication software that makes contact with employees faster and replaces endless emails. Similarly, Social Base streamlines internal communication and aids in company integration using social networking concepts.

Keep in mind: On remote work systems, using good virtual communication and relationship tools (developed especially for business purposes) is a must.

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2) Use the right tools when managing remote teams

Are you struggling to managing remote team and wondering how you’ll be able to organize the team tasks and communication? Here are tools for managing remote teams that can help you run your teams effectively:

Team Collaboration– Slack

Slack has become the app for collaborating and managing remote teams. The platform has a number of advanced features, including voice chat and integrated with many platforms.

Secure Team Communication– Zangi

In an era of data breaches and privacy-deficiency, Zangi is one of the few systems that companies trust for communication. It has 3 levels of encryption and works on a serverless system. The app is great for calls, messages, file transfer, notifications, statistics and collaboration.

Video Conferencing– Zoom & GoToMeeting

With Zoom, they practically promise that you won’t have technical problems when video calling. GoToMeeting is also fast becoming a favorite tool for teleconferencing, online meetings, and even sales demonstrations. GoToMeeting is flexible: can be used from any browser as well as most mobile devices, and with or without a camera.

For Design Collaboration– InVision

InVision is the most comprehensive tool of design software which uses prototyping tools and features to create great prototypes that they can present their clients. Prototypes are functional and clickable, making it easy to collaborate.

Project & Time Management– Teamwork, ProofHub & When I Work

Track every hour to boost your managing remote teams.  You can create custom time reports of time logged on the project. ProofHub helps from the start with initial planning, assigning roles, creating workflows, tracking time, etc. When I Work makes it easy to schedule work for employees and track their work time, especially for remote workers that you are paying hourly.

Process Management– Pipefy

Pipefy offers a lot of flexibility for a great price, which uses automation to complete tasks in less than half the time. Pipefy offers easy templates, allowing you to quickly load different project types into your account.

Project Management– Asana, Trello & Basecamp

Asana is one of the most popular project management apps because it’s simple to use. Asana allows you to break down projects into specific tasks and assign them to your team members. Trello also stands out for its style, simplicity, and performance.

By visualizing what needs to get done and aggregating feedback from the whole team, Trello helps remote teams increase productivity. Basecamp allows you to monitor tasks, discussions, documents, schedules, collaboration, and milestones directly through the dashboard.

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File Sharing–DropBox

A Dropbox account can be a great way to ensure that you are sharing all of the files that you need to within your team and sharing all these files is made maximally easy.

File Management– Google Drive

File management often is more important because geographically dispersed (remote) employees access files during times when their team members are not able to be reached.

Signing Papers–Adobe

Adobe Document Sign makes it easy for remote managers to get signatures easily and in no time. It’s compatible with all browsers and mobile operating systems. https://zangi.com/news/en/digital-communication-tools-in-the-workplace/

3) Drive out the micromanagement of the organization (Focus on the result)

We hit this key at the beginning of the article, but it’s worth stressing the importance of banning the management of every small employee activity in a distance work system. Since each employee will be able to control his or her routine, it is worth focusing on deliverables: what result should each person present after an X period of work? Companies that work with internal sales teams often give their employees a lot of freedom.

And why not do this with every salesperson working at home, without spending money on rent, office supplies, etc.? If your company works with an internal sales team read the post with inside sales tricks. Set clear and quantifiable goals, and make it clear that each one is responsible for achieving them. Focus on the result!

4) Improve the work environment

 

Making the environment greener and enjoying the sunshine are ways to make the space more pleasant. So far, no news. But what’s interesting is that these desktop details positively influence performance. The second survey from the National Institute of Environmental Health Services, plants make the office air healthier and even affect the cognitive functioning of staff.

And strong links have been found between daytime sunlight exposure and productivity. Sunlight affects heart rate and vitamin D production, which is related to attention and motivation. Most of the time, it is not possible to leave all of your staff by the window, but special care with lighting is already effective. Escape from fluorescent lamps, prefer softer lighting and consider outdoor breaks.

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5) Celebrate wins in person

Has the company exceeded its annual revenue target by 50%? Schedule a company-wide immersion weekend in a hotel. Are you celebrating 10 years in the market or the launch of a new product? Get together to do this. Making the environment greener and enjoying the sunshine are ways to make the space more pleasant. So far, no news. But what’s interesting is that these desktop details positively influence performance.

The second survey from the National Institute of Environmental Health Services, plants make the office air healthier and even affect the cognitive functioning of staff. And strong links have been found between daytime sunlight exposure and productivity.

Sunlight affects heart rate and vitamin D production, which is related to attention and motivation. Most of the time, it is not possible to leave all of your staff by the window, but special care with lighting is already effective. Escape from fluorescent lamps, prefer softer lighting and consider outdoor breaks.

Author: Jacklin Jo.  Check Jacklin out at  zoetalentsolutions.com.