Working for the sake of working is a loss of energies: we all usually work to achieve results.
And one thing is you alone, the other is coordinating a dispersed team.
How many times we’ve been frustrated because…”They do not understand”. With that “They” being teams that “don’t get” what should be delivered, or when it’s due, or don’t stick to costs.
Happens in all organisations that the sense of urgency seems to be missing from time to time. What can we as leaders do to reduce uncertainty and achieve results?
Communication is never enough
Develop and use a communications management plan and transfer clear information and agreements. These tools define how the team will interact. Group agreements are similar to ground rules for meetings, but extend to managing day-to-day activities. Team operating arrangements are sometimes standalone and sometimes developed as an extension of the communications management plan.
The plan outlines how the communication should occur, with whom it should be done, how often, the reason for the communication, where it is coming from, and the means of communication. It does not contain step-by-step details or the expected result. When done correctly, the communication plan can be used for many other purposes and be adapted as needed.
Team agreements are more of a living document than the communication plan. They emphasise agreements on how to work together on a daily basis at operational level. Working agreements allow remote team members to interact with each other more effectively.
Adapt the pace, sometimes you need to slow down
Slowing down to speed up is a fundamental principle for remote teams. It’s also a good principle for co-located teams, but most co-located teams understand how to interact as they work on a day-to-day basis. Slowing down, in practical terms, means spending time setting expectations, focusing, creating processes for how the team will interact, and putting the right tools in place.
Tools needed are not always the same
Technology is as important to the remote team as it is to the co-located team. While for co-located teams, talking is enough to communicate, for remote teams, technology is the medium of communication. The tools used are essential and must be effective changing from time to time as the situation adapts
Be present and let them be present
“Out of sight and out of mind” is a natural human behaviour that works against the effectiveness of a virtual team. The manager’s challenge is to be visible and present, but not excessively. Creating a virtual personality and presence is a good practice for managers managing remote teams. Finding the right balance between how often to communicate is a very important aspect.
Interact as much as possible.
The time spent on communication and communications planning is at least double that of a co-located team.