Accelerated by the advent of the pandemic, an unprecedented number of companies across the globe now operate with a largely remote workforce. As business leaders pivot their skills from managing in-house to a remote team, strategies for regular communication that provides support and monitors performance are now a prerequisite.
Establish clear policies
Having consistent work processes is important for keeping those who work remotely in the loop. Wade Foster, CEO of Zapier, a workflow automation app developer, said in an interview with Chief Executive, “You have to talk about: here’s how we debate things, here’s how we communicate things, here’s how we raise issues. And that can be a bit different from how you do it in an office, so that’s a skill set that we had to hone over time.”
The lack of face-to-face communication can have an effect on a CEO’s relationship with their managers, and it remains important to hold informal sessions and updates with teams. Video calls will help leaders pick up on non-verbal cues, enabling better interaction and building rapport with colleagues.
Get ahead of the curve
Remote working requires investment in state-of-the-art technology and solutions that embrace flexible work styles. Applications such as Zoom, Slack, Google Hangouts, and CRM software including Salesforce and Freshworks help keep remote teams connected and organised, preventing siloed workloads and improving task management.
“Operate as if everyone works from different time zones, because one day they might,” says Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, on his blog. “This means more communication – likely written – that is accessible to people even if they can’t attend a specific meeting or be in a specific place. If you can minimise the number of real-time meetings, do so. Embrace asynchronous communication.”
Shift the mindset
A sense of purpose is key for leading a remote company, says Gabriel Engel, founder and CEO of enterprise communication and collaboration platform Rocket.Chat, which has 46 team members across 10 countries. “People shouldn’t work hard because someone is watching,” he says. “They should because they feel empowered and connected to their work. It’s our duty as CEOs to ensure people work purposefully. This shift of mindset guarantees dedicated employees and exterminates the necessity of micromanagement.”
Flexibility is key
The most important thing to remember when managing a remote company is flexibility. The flexspace movement has been boosted by advances in technology such as cloud computing and smartphones, which enable people to work remotely. Offering employees a choice about where and when they work allows for a better work-life balance, which almost always results in increased productivity.
“Give people the freedom to work where they want and they will excel,” says Richard Branson, founder and chairman of Virgin, in a blog post. “We like to give people the freedom to work where they want, safe in the knowledge that they have the drive and expertise to perform excellently, whether they [are] at their desk or in their kitchen. Yours truly has never worked out of an office, and never will.”
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