Managing a distributed team - a new challenge nowadays

Remote work from home has recently become a part of everyday life for many of us. In every possible situation we meet the ethusiasts and those who would prefer to change something. Today, however, the best way is to accept the current state of affairs and, if it's possible, stay at home. Our team also recommends treating this new situation as a challenge! Managing it will raise our competences, for example in the field of self-discipline.

It's a fact that the world has slowed down a bit- however, it can't afford to stop completely. Students have to continue the core curriculum and adults keep earning money. Therefore, the right conditions must be created for our employee team to be able to carry out the tasks. A text about team management has already appeared on our blog, but in today's post we will focus on a new issue, namely, managing a distributed team.

The first and basic step in undertaking any projects should be a clear action plan, and in the case of managing a dispersed team, also a work plan. By setting priorities and delegating tasks, everyone will have clarity about the distribution of responsibilities. This will significantly improve the creative process and affect the productivity of the entire team.

Home office can be a challenge for some, so self-discipline, including self-organization, is essential here. Thanks to the outlined action plan, employees will have a broad view of what needs to be done- and this will help them plan their work days. There may also appear motivation problems at home. Therefore, the responsibilities of the management team include choosing the form of employee motivation and tools to monitor their work. However, for home work to take place at all, the right equipment is important. It is worth doing so-called research, checking if our employees have their own tools to perform the tasks ordered, or maybe you need to organize such equipment. Let's also not forget about setting access to necessary helpers, for example MS Office.

When planning your tasks, you should also focus on online meetings. Information flow, discussion of problems, feedback are inestimable in a team. Companies use various tools for communication, from phone, e-mail, to Zoom and Skype platforms. The market offers a lot of possibilities in this area, so it is worth checking this offers and decide what you need at the moment. Webinar systems are also great learning tools- that's where we can promote a culture of responsibility among our employees for our work and simply support each other. Today, when face-to-face contact has been significantly reduced, chatting and a good atmosphere in the company, even online, will have a positive impact on the quality of work.

Changing our current daily habits is a large dose of new challenges. Moving to a remote system could undoubtedly have added to many companies not only extra work, but also minor problems. But such situations allow us to remember how great things people can do. And who knows, maybe this attempt of remote work will make us discover many more convenient and practical ways to implement it?