Working in a team is a very efficient way of learning and growing. However, managing a remote team is also challenging. It is often seen that human behaviour fluctuates in different working styles. 

Remote project management can be a rewarding way to work, but it has its challenges for efficient team leadership. You don’t have to go it alone! Here are some strategies that our remote project managers used to ensure smooth sailing from start to finish, no matter how far apart the team members may be.

How to manage a Remote Project

To get a job as a remote project manager, it’s important to first understand what such a job entails. Remote projects don’t just mean working from home—they can be done almost anywhere with an internet connection. It doesn’t matter if you do your work at an office every day, or on your couch with a laptop; all that matters is that you can oversee projects and interact with clients when needed. Remote project managers are self-employed, although they might have full-time jobs. Most remote project managers will use their skills to manage specific projects at a time. 

What you should Know About the Team

As a remote project manager, many factors affect your work. For example, you should be able to read your team’s personality to determine if they are suitable for remote working or if they need some training to become more flexible. You also need to know about their strengths and weaknesses and their preferences regarding working hours. Thus, as a remote project manager, you must make sure you know these things beforehand so that you can work with them more efficiently.

How an Efficient Leader Manages a Remote Team

If you want to become a remote project manager, then keep these things in mind: many employers prefer those who already have experience managing remote teams. If you plan on getting into remote project management without prior experience, look into how to gain some through volunteering or interning first. You may also want to consider taking some courses on effective leadership and communication—these skills are essential for successful remote project management. And remember: no matter how experienced you are as a remote project manager, take no shortcuts for security! Always keep your data safe by using VPN software and encrypting sensitive information before sending it over the web. Remote projects require constant communication between workers—both virtual workers and physical ones. Remote project managers must be excellent communicators. 

Before starting any remote project, make sure that everyone involved knows what’s expected of them and what they can expect from others involved. This will help ensure that everyone stays on task throughout every stage of the process. Communication is even more important during times of crisis; if something goes wrong with a remote project (and something will go wrong), make sure that all members know what they should do to fix it as quickly as possible.

How to Act Like a Good Leader

Being a leader doesn’t always mean getting others to do things for you. Good leaders are good because they act as leaders. Even if you aren’t their boss, there is still a lot you can learn from them. Here are some traits that great remote project managers have, and that you should adopt as well:

1. Provide structure - A remote team needs structure just as much as any other type of organization does. It may not be obvious at first glance, but everyone must know what is expected of them and how they fit into your organization's goals. You need to provide that direction and guidance, so your team members know where they stand with each other and with you on any day or week. That way, no one will be left wondering what it takes to succeed or wondering why someone else got more done than they did that day. 

2. Be a leader, not a boss - There is a difference between being a leader and being a boss. Being a boss means giving orders and expecting people to follow them without question or discussion. Being a leader means having respect from others because they see you as someone who knows what he/she is doing and has their best interests at heart. They'll look up to you because of your expertise (or perceived expertise) and trust that when you decide about something, it's for their benefit rather than yours. 

3. Share information - Good leaders don't hoard information; they share it with those around them. This goes hand-in-hand with providing structure and setting clear expectations for your remote team members. When you have an idea about how to improve productivity or get more work done in less time, share it! The same goes if there are new technologies available that could help streamline processes, save money, etc. Spread knowledge so everyone can get better at what they do every day. 

4. Encourage proactive ness - besides sharing information among all remote team members, good leaders also encourage their teams to take initiative when needed and exercise autonomy over their tasks and projects.

Useful Tools for Remote Management

Remote management is a trend that’s here to stay. The remote project manager’s salary shows that remote teams are common these days and are expected to continue growing. This means businesses need more tools to manage their workforces, regardless of location. If you’re a remote worker, don’t miss out on these useful tools remote workers. There are also some great remote project manager jobs worldwide. Don’t worry if you have no experience as many of these remote job opportunities hire those with limited experience or knowledge of remote projects. Remote companies want fresh perspectives and lots of potentials to grow within their company culture—and they can see that by hiring inexperienced people who bring new ideas to their organization. 

All it takes is your desire to succeed and hard work ethic, so don’t be afraid! Remote work offers flexibility and independence while still providing an opportunity to build a career at home. Remote work has become quite popular because it allows employees to avoid long commutes and live where they choose. Working from home also provides privacy, which is important for anyone working from home. It’s easy to get distracted when working from home, but with remote project management software like TeamViewer, Slack, Zoom, and Skype, remote teamwork can be maintained and you can manage any distractions without ever leaving your house! To make sure you get things done even when you aren’t working, these tools let you schedule meetings with co-workers during the day or night. 

Remote project managers will find remote project management software helpful, especially when they’re managing a team that works. Remote Project Manager Jobs Worldwide: For those interested in becoming remote project managers, there are plenty of remote project manager jobs worldwide. Since remote work is becoming popular, there will be plenty of opportunities available for years to come! These positions offer flexible hours and great pay packages.

Tips for Managing from afar

Enhancing Communication

Constant communication is critical when leading remote teams. It’s the best way of tracking progress, addressing challenges, and boosting productivity. Because there’s minimal face-to-face contact with remote employees, develop communication goals that your team members can adhere to. Using a project management tool like Asana is a great way to communicate on projects, along with regular email communication and even conference calls.

Clear communication channels improve your feedback cycle and provide more opportunities to keep everyone on the right path. Consider daily “stand-up” checking chats via video conferencing tools like Zoom or Google Hangout. Add to that weekly status video conference times and use a chat tool like Slack or Google Hangouts for more immediate back-and-forth team communication and collaboration.

Setting expectations

Another significant challenge with managing remote workers is setting expectations. Proper leadership involves informing each team member of what’s expected of them. Because contact is limited, you may have fewer opportunities to emphasize employee expectations daily. Therefore, having a detailed plan for setting expectations is critical when leading remote teams.

You can set expectations. Showing examples of specific workflows, developing a calendar of tasks, establishing a routine for reporting progress, and providing timely feedback are all effective strategies for setting expectations for remote workers.

Building trust

The productivity of remote teams will be affected by the trust. As a leader, remember that workers have a sense of independence when working. Instead of micromanaging to cover up for limited contact with a remote worker, a better leadership strategy is to develop trust. Give your remote teams the freedom to decide when handling critical tasks.

You should also seek their feedback when designing schedules, setting expectations, and developing outcomes. When remote teams feel they have significant input, they’re more likely to have personal accountability and buy into your message.

Provide opportunities to collaborate in real-time

Another important goal of leading remote teams is collaboration. Leadership is all about bringing out the best in people as they work towards a common goal. Therefore, leaders play a critical role in building collaboration among team members even when they’re not present.

There are many tools available for collaborating in real-time. Maximize interactive contact by using video conferencing. Keep such conference calls to small teams and make them short and sweet. In this way, you’ll be able to foster team building and identify the strengths/weaknesses of every team member.

Keep employees focused on outcomes

Another challenge with remote employees can keep them focused on your company’s goals/objectives. Because they’re not present at an office location, they may find your company’s mission and values harder to adhere to.

Leaders of remote teams should strive to keep employees focused on the outcomes of their business. Setting deadlines and following up can help keep them focused on the aim. This means that you should remind remote workers of the critical role they play in their daily tasks. When such employees feel like part of a larger goal, they’re more likely to perform at a high level. 

Leadership in any context is challenging, let alone for remote workers. A recent study revealed that 80% of employees prefer to work remotely for at least part of their time. With an increase every year in remote work across industries, managers across all organizations will need to adapt to the needs of remote teams, making sure they can lead such workers towards meeting specific goals. Whether you’re managing employees in different time zones, offices, or departments, here is why leadership is important to your remote teams' success.

The best way is to empathise and grow together

Software companies and IT outsourcing firms are the best examples to relate to the fact that a remote workforce can be maintained, and businesses can grow. BJIT has been working with a diverse team management style for the last 20 years. The company specializes in software development and ICT outsourcing. It is commendable that growing with a team of 750+ engineers working for top-level global companies has been possible with sheer dedication and efficient remote project management. 

There are many factors to consider when handling remote teams. Because verbal communication and physical interaction can be limited, managers often feel as if they don’t have adequate control over the situation, but there are ways to help improve communication and productivity through good leadership implementation.

Using an effective leadership strategy will help you overcome these challenges and get the best out of your teams that are working offsite. Here are some keys to help managers adapt and thrive in this new leadership role.