What do teams need to do and what do leaders need to facilitate? The key is to share information, promote collaboration and offer assistance to each other. It's the same whether your desks are adjacent to each other or 1,000 km away. When you are about to work remotely, re-think how you do following things, urges the management-issues.com website. These topics are still good to think about if you want to really do the best work you can.
Keep the sense of shared vision and purpose
In other words, everyone should be pulling in the same direction for the same reasons. Working remotely allows people to become focused only on their own tasks. Don’t let your colleagues work at the expense of the whole team.
Team members must hold each other accountable - communicate proactively
Since you don’t see each other very often, there will be almost no accidental communication among your team. Remote workers often focus only on their work and on their relationship with their manager. If you are unwilling to confront a member of the team or ask for assistance, the fact that you are working virtually turns out to be a very convenient excuse for you.
Foster shared leadership
When someone has a real boss as well as their responsibilities as a member of the team, there is potential for conflicting priorities and confusion. You must deal with situations where you have no direct authority over an individual member of your team.
Team processes
Working virtually and remotely requires clear and explicit processes. How do you communicate? What technology will you use in which ways to share knowledge and allocate resources? When people are unsure, the default choice tends to be not to communicate or take action.
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