Articles
Collaboration
Navigating time zones: strategies for effective remote team collaboration
When your remote team are not just working from home but working around the world, it’s important to agree on ways you can stay connected and collaborate effectively.
Why it matters
In distributed teams it can be hard to coordinate meetings that work for everyone. It may be necessary to schedule meetings outside regular work hours, which can affect the work-life balance of your team. When team members are not online simultaneously, questions and tasks may take longer to address. This can slow …
When people feel valued, they commit.
When organisational goals support individual goals, employees feel valued. People who feel valued are more likely to engage with the goals of the organisation and work harder to achieve them.
Why It Matters
Employee engagement can be challenging in remote teams. Without face-to-face interaction it’s hard to build trust which is an important stepping stone to engagement.
Take Action
To build engagement in your remote team, focus on communication and collaboration through:
Regular check-ins a…
Create the perfect remote work plan: A leader's guide
Teams need to collaborate and compromise on remote work arrangements to come up with a plan that works for everyone.
Why it matters
Remote work is no longer a temporary solution. Without a thoughtful operations plan, distributed teams can quickly become disjointed, leading to miscommunication, unmet deadlines, and ultimately, dissatisfied employees. Effective remote work planning isn't just a logistical necessity; it's a strategic imperative that ensures the work gets done and people remain ha…
Convince the introverts: organising in-office time for your remote workers
The thought of remote workers returning to a traditional office setting, even for a single day, often meets with scepticism and reluctance. However, a well-planned and purpose-driven office day can offer surprising benefits that enhance team dynamics, boost productivity, and rejuvenate company culture.
Why it matters
By balancing remote work with occasional in-person collaboration, you can leverage the strengths of both approaches, fostering a more cohesive, productive, and engaged team.
Take…
You can't trust people you don't know
In an office trust builds organically. In a remote team you need to intentionally schedule activities that build trust.
Why It Matters
Trust is the cornerstone of any successful team, but it's especially crucial for remote teams. Without face-to-face interactions, misunderstandings can easily arise, leading to frustration and decreased productivity.
Building trust in your team helps to create an environment where individuals feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions, and seeking feedba…
Keep lines of communication open for your remote team
Miss a few updates when your team is in the office, no big deal. Miss a few updates in a remote environment and things can go downhill fast.
Why It Matters
Failing to consider and address communication issues with a remote team can lead to misunderstandings, reduced collaboration and decreased morale.
Take Action
Establish a culture of openness and inclusivity by encouraging team members to voice their concerns and provide feedback regularly. Set up regular check-ins and virtual meetings to …
Managing outcomes rather than actions
The shift to remote work requires a rethink of management style. Traditionally, managers might have focused on the specific process employees follow to complete tasks. However, this can lead to micromanagement and distrust, particularly in remote settings where direct oversight is difficult. Instead, by clearly communicating desired outcomes to their teams, leaders can empower team members to use their expertise to determine the best ways to achieve those outcomes. This approach fosters trust, e…
The agile standup is still relevant in a remote work environment.
We spoke with agile expert Rita Tattersall about stand-ups and agile in the context of remote, hybrid and distributed workplaces.
Why It Matters
Agile stand-up meetings remain highly effective for team communication in a remote environment. While there is media debate about strictly adhering to agile principles versus adapting them, this discussion is sometimes superficial and can hinder effective teamwork. Context is crucial, and both pure agile and customised approaches have their place. IT …
Power up innovation in your remote team
You might think that virtual brainstorming sessions are less effective than in-person ones, but that's not necessarily true. In fact, when done correctly, virtual brainstorming can be more productive, inclusive, and efficient than traditional face-to-face sessions.
Why it matters
Remote work doesn’t have to be a barrier to innovation, it can enhance it. Teams that intentionally redesign their idea generation process for the remote environment can:
- Harness diverse perspectives: With virtual …
Collaboration doesn't happen naturally in remote teams.
Unlocking the true power of remote work means mastering the art of virtual teamwork – and it's a skill that can make or break your success.
Why It Matters
The collective intelligence of a team is far greater than the sum of its individual parts. This intelligence can elevate every phase of a project, from initial brainstorming to final review.
But here's the catch: the communication challenges introduced by remote work can undermine your team's collaborative efforts. That's why it's crucial t…