Remote work or “work from home” as it is popularly referred to is a concept that was slowly being integrated into the corporate scene. However, the pandemic has accelerated the timeline. Presently, the ability to work from home has become a key influence in employment decisions. 

According to Statista, 17% of employees in the United States worked remotely 5 days or more every week before the pandemic. This number has now increased to 44% and is still on the rise. 

There is no doubt that remote work is here to stay. A study revealed that 74% of professionals expect remote work to become the standard. 

This accelerated and forced transition from physical offices to working completely (or partially in some cases) remotely has necessitated quick adaptation. The situation presented unique challenges to managers and employees alike. Managers, especially, now have to learn to manage their teams remotely. 

Managing employees remotely is similar and different in a lot of ways to managing them physically. Remote management requires some special characteristics and leadership skills. This article explains some characteristics of a great remote team manager. 

Nine characteristics of a great remote team manager

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While a lot of characteristics that define a ‘great’ manager vary based on the company, this article will explore some general characteristics every remote team manager should have. These features will help improve the engagement and productivity of remote employees. 

Great communication skills

Lack of communication in a work environment leads to low productivity. Communication is a vital aspect of any business relationship but it is more important now. Remote team managers should be able to communicate their messages clearly to the remote employees. 

The first step is to have a general messaging software such as Slack, Airtable, Zoom, etc to ease communication. It is advisable to have a unified platform for communication that can combine text messaging, cloud, and video conferencing. Conduct frequent check-ins to discuss any issues the employees may have. 

Organize happy hours for them to unplug and catch up with their colleagues. During audio or video calls, take timely understanding checks, speak clearly and concisely, and summarize and repeat every important information. Try to reduce assumptions as much as possible. 

Trust your employees

A lot of companies are skeptical about going fully remote because they don’t trust their employees. This thought process is born along the line that when the employees are off-site, they’re slacking off. This is untrue as studies have shown that remote workers can be more productive than those who work physically. 

Some remote managers keep a close eye on their employees because they don’t trust them. They even resort to surveillance tactics to track the workers’ output. They are however oblivious to the fact that not everyone likes to be micromanaged and some even crumble under micromanagement. 

Great remote managers trust their teams to get the job done once they communicate their expectations. Once tasks have been assigned, leave the employees to do their jobs and only step in once productivity is declining. 

Interpersonal skills

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The fact that a company now operates remotely doesn’t mean the end of one-on-one meetings. The primary purpose of one-on-one meetings is to coach employees and explore ways to help them do their jobs better. 

These meetings make a lot of difference to the working lives of the remote manager and his employees. They present an opportunity for regular, meaningful exchange between the manager and their subordinates. 

One-on-one meetings create an avenue for employees to share feedback, analyze their performance and identify the issues that can reduce productivity. It can also be a safe space for employees to open up about matters they would normally not bring up in a general meeting. 

Great remote managers need to set aside time every week to have one-on-one conversations with every employee under them. This helps to foster a stronger relationship which would ultimately improve performance and productivity. 

Result-focused 

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As the manager of a remote team, it’s important to stay focused on the big picture. Manage expectations by putting productivity in context. This means focusing on the goals of the task assigned and not the road that leads to it. 

After clearly communicating the goals of an assignment, endeavor to worry less about what goes on in the background. Rather, remain focused on what’s to be accomplished. 

A great remote team manager values performance rather than attendance. The beauty of working remotely is working when you’re most productive. 

If your employees are meeting the goals set and producing positive results, good. If not, step in, have one-on-ones, and try to arrive at a solution to improve performance. 

 Organizational skills

Both physical and remote team managers have to be organized. But now that the job is remote, there’s, even more, to keep track of. 

Remote managers must create a balance between their workload and that of the team. This includes one-on-ones, project meetings, employee feedback, and performance reviews. 

Great remote team leaders must have excellent organizational skills. This ensures they stay on top of all their responsibilities in real-time. Remote team leaders may consider using an outlook sync calendar to make the scheduling process more organized

Use productivity tools to your advantage. There are loads of software available in the market to help stay organized. Remote team managers can also consider hiring a virtual assistant if they feel overwhelmed. 

Empathy

A manager that lacks empathy is a recipe for resentful and disloyal employees. A lot of employees are still adjusting to the sudden and forced switch to remote life. A good manager should listen to his employees’ problems, acknowledge their concerns, and empathize with their struggles. 

Understand that every team member has a different scenario at home. While some live alone, others are married or with children or both. Understand the situation of each member and proffer ways to help them better fit into the team and improve their productivity. 

When managers show empathy, team members feel heard and understood. This act of kindness shown to your employees will birth a more loyal and passionate workforce. 

Leadership 

For a remote team to succeed, the team manager has to lead by example. In a physical office, employees are encouraged by looking at colleagues and picking a thing or two from them. 

This isn’t the case in remote jobs. It becomes the burden of the manager to represent the company’s culture and values. Remote employees can experience fatigue, loneliness, and reduced productivity if they don’t take care of themselves. 

As a manager, it is essential to demonstrate that taking time away from work is acceptable. Take regular breaks, vacations, and strike a good work-life balance. 

Leading by example should go hand in hand with good communication. Employees would better follow a leader that communicates properly and is approachable. This leads to a better remote work connection and teamwork. 

Community-oriented

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Just like one-on-one, the need for a general online community where team members can freely chat and relate with each other cannot be overstated. Though a company operates remotely, the face-to-face conversations that create a thriving and welcoming company culture should become a thing of the past. Companies that successfully migrated to the remote mode appreciate the importance of creating a community to bring team members together. 

Remote managers should make conscious efforts to celebrate milestones, anniversaries, birthdays, and any other important days for employees. This makes them feel included and appreciated, even when done virtually. 

A positive and encouraging attitude 

As with every business setting, remote employees can encounter problems at certain points. This creates the need for a solution-focused team manager with a positive demeanor. Great remote team managers encourage their team members via positive energy and optimism. 

Give praise when due with positive words of affirmation. Don’t mix positive messages with criticism. There’s a time for positive reinforcement and another for constructive criticism. 

Take a step further and reward good work. This encourages the team members to keep up the great work they’re doing. Let your team members know that it’s okay to fail and try again. 

Another attitude that makes a team manager encouraging is being approachable. Approachability means that your remote employees feel comfortable delivering news to you whether it’s good or bad. 

You need not create a full open door policy for your workers to deem you approachable and easy to converse with. However, set clear guidelines on when and how you want to be contacted. 

Conclusion 

Any organization going fully or partially remote should understand how essential remote managers are to develop a successful remote team. Managing a remote team requires special leadership traits. It is important to let managers develop these qualities before implementing remote work plans. 

These qualities don’t appear overnight. They require a level of dedication and practice to fully develop. Don’t rush yourself into learning all the characteristics at once. Pick one and focus solely on it. Then, pick the next after mastering the former. 

These characteristics help you to become a better manager. The better the manager, the better the team members. This article explored some characteristics a great remote manager should have to ensure success.

Author Bio:
Lydia Iseh is a writer with years of experience in writing SEO content that provides value to the reader. As someone who believes in the power of SEO to transform businesses, she enjoys being part of the process that helps websites rank high on search engines.