How to manage well from afar

23 May 2007 16:13  [Source: ICIS news]

Remote managing

Chemical companies are increasingly demanding that employees based across a wide geographical area work collaboratively in virtual terms. Scott Beagrie looks at the management challenges thrown up by home working across many industries and the shift to a global economy.

Managing a remote or virtual team is a challenge that managers are increasingly likely to face. But it calls for an adjustment of traditional management practices. Managers need to get the hang of leading teams across distance and time zones and must be aware of technology and multicultural sensibilities.

Where do I start

Team leaders should:

• make personal contact to share information and get to know each other
• understand individual roles
• establish clear objectives
• decide who does what
• agree on methods and levels of communication. Initial meetings will help to develop a sense of belonging and build rapport. Thought should be given to the technology infrastructure and the support required.

Broaden your skills set

Good communication skills are important, since you will have to work harder at keeping in touch with people who regularly see one another.

Show your team and your senior manager that you can still listen, even though you are miles apart. It is likely that you will be dealing with a mixture of people, so you may need to adapt your style of communication and leadership for certain individuals. Consider how you will resolve disputes and misunderstandings. As you will not have the physical presence of a team to support you, you will also need to be self-sufficient and motivated.

Trust individuals

It is essential for remote team leaders to move away from the idea that just because they cannot see their colleagues, they will not be exerting themselves. You must learn to leave individuals to get on with their tasks and assignments, but remain on-hand to provide guidance. Ensure strong support mechanisms are in place and maintain visibility and connection with regular visits to all sites.

Measure outputs, not processes

The performance of individual team members should be evaluated on the basis of meeting the set objectives of a work plan against a time allocation. As a result, each member needs to know what their responsibilities are and what they are expected to achieve. These objectives should be regularly restated and reinforced. Get team members to report against them to each other as well as you and ensure regular performance feedback is provided.

Maximise communications

Remote teams need to communicate frequently, so ensure that there are processes in place that will encourage the team to keep in touch with each other and share experiences. Make use of instant messaging, virtual meetings and conference-call technology and set up Internet/ Intranet forums to promote knowledge sharing.

Conference calls can be rather sterile, especially if you have not seen each other for weeks, so make sure you have an ice-breaker. It also makes sense to vary the times that meetings are held, so it is not always the same members who have to take part outside of regular hours. Encourage the team to phone each other to promote more informal contact. At the end of each communication, tell them when you'll next be in touch, but make sure you remain accessible.

Arrange regular team get-togethers and workshops to maintain a sense of being part of a team and its common purpose. Do this at least once a quarter and schedule in team social events around them.

What are the essentials

Biggest challenges in managing remote teams

One survey identified poor communication between team members, poor management/leadership and lack of support and direction as the top three reasons for the failure of remote teams.

• Have face-to-face meetings at key times, such as when a team forms, or when there are new members
• Communicate regularly and give regular performance feedback to both individuals and the team as a whole
• Ensure that virtual meetings are well prepared, have a clear agenda, document actions and include room for social chat
• Focus on similarities between individual team members to build cohesion
• Encourage social interaction - for example at the start of conference calls

If you only do five things ...

1. Set clear goals for the team and for individuals
2. Frequently restate and reinforce goals
3. Quickly resolve disputes and misunderstandings
4. Measure results, not processes
5. Provide regular performance feedback

• This article is taken from a feature, previously published in ICIS Chemical Business. The author, Scott Beagrie, is a careers correspondent for Personnel Today, a sister title to ICIS Chemical Business.

ICIS jobs is the job site for the global chemical industry. For more information about chemical jobs look no further than www.icis.com/jobs.

< previous article(ICIS Chemical Business podcast November 2, 2009)

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