Best Practices for Leading Remote Teams: Part 2

This two-part series is designed to provide leaders and managers with strategies to aid their abrupt transition to working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic – read part one of the series here.

This piece includes ideas to navigate change, build teams and proactively manage team performance while working remotely. Best practices from this second part of the series include:

• Identify where you are in the change process and take the next step to proactively manage change.
• Be an inclusive leader, sharing decisions and ownership of work across your teams.
• Set clear performance goals with your team members to increase team engagement.
• Elevate team performance by offering each employee honest feedback based on facts, and then establish continued goals for growth.

On March 30, I had the pleasure of moderating an “encore” panel of experienced work-from-home team leaders from a variety of industries and experiences. (If you would like to view the “encore” webinar, click here. To view our first panel discussion, click here to watch the video.)

I lead a team of nine who recently transitioned from primarily in-office work to fully at-home work. Although there are many common challenges that face remote teams cited by studies, blogs and personal experiences, our conversation centered on solutions to navigate the massive changes — the shock — felt by co-located teams who suddenly initiated remote work in response to COVID-19, as well as strategies to build teams and enhance performance.

We began our panel with a discussion of Kotter’s Eight-Stage Theory of Change. Some of you might be familiar with this — so I’m only going to share highlights. John Kotter, emeritus professor of leadership at Harvard Business School, created an eight-step process based off common mistakes managers made while implementing change. Kotter’s theory is usually applied to intentional change processes, but it holds for this global pandemic, too. The change management framework includes the following:

Stage 1: Establish a sense of urgency

Stage 2: Form a powerful coalition

Stage 3: Create a vision for change

Stage 4: Communicate the vision

Stage 5: Empower others

Stage 6: Generate short-term wins

Stage 7: Consolidate improvements

Stage 8: Institute change

To help yourself and your teams adjust to the massive changes experienced by work-from-home orders in the wake of COVID-19, both our panel and the leadership literature recommend the following:

• Identify where you are in the change process: Those of us responding to massive changes may be leapfrogging around steps in the change process — moving from creating a vision for change (Step 3) while empowering others to engage initiate new processes (Step 5). Taking time for self-reflection will help you set a clear strategy for effectively leading change within your teams.
• Then, implement one strategy to take the next step in instituting change: Below are a few ideas to help you move your teams along the change process. As most of us are probably moving through changes now, I want to highlight the importance of rewarding your teams for making change happen (in Stages 5 and 6). Change is exhausting, at times, and stopping to say thanks and celebrate accomplishments goes a long way.
  • Increase frequency of communication (Stage 1)
  • Find effective leaders to support your proposed change (Stage 2)
  • Outline a clear vision for the end state (Stage 3)
  • Decrease ambiguity (Stage 4)
  • Remove obstacles (Stage 5)
  • Encourage risk taking and creativity (Stage 5)
  • Reward people for making change happen (Stage 5)
  • Celebrate small wins (Stage 6)
  • Analyze wins and make changes (Stage 7)
  • Offer training to support change (Stage 8)

Building teams and enhancing individual performance are difficult enough with co-located groups. Below are recommendations from our panel and the literature to foster a sense of team and positively engage individuals in their work:

• Be an inclusive leader: Studies demonstrate that leaders of remote teams who deploy “shared leadership” strategies are better off. To “share leadership” without losing total control, try to make your teams more aware of the decisions you’re facing, involve team members in the decision-making process and more fully delegate the resulting work.
• Set clear goals and expectations: A 2018 Gallup poll revealed that leaders who practice “shared ownership” — or involving their people in the planning process to accomplish critical objectives — are more engaged (more involved, enthusiastic and committed) than actively disengaged (those emotionally disconnected and who jeopardize team performance). Take time to set clear work priorities and performance goals with your team members to increase your team’s performance.
• Speak to the facts with compassion and candor: Base feedback-oriented comments on the real outcomes and metrics — comparing desired state (goals) to current state (what was actually delivered). Although it may feel uncomfortable, ask questions to understand why your team member has not met the goal. Be compassionate as you listen to your team member articulate what got in the way of achieving the goal. Then, candidly discuss how you can work together to get to the goal. Remember, as a leader, your job is to alleviate barriers for your team member!
• Continue to do your job: Lead the way by creating normalcy for your team. Continuing your strong performance and dependability will reinforce trust within your team.
• Trust your teams to do their jobs: Communicate that you trust your team to leverage their expertise in their work, and demonstrate your trust by avoiding tendencies to micromanage work patterns as your team adjusts to the new normal. Studies show that virtual teams who each have areas of expertise experience less conflict and higher trust.

I end here as I did in part one of this series: If you’re a team lead adjusting to this new remote work environment, you can do it. Identify where you are in the change process and take the next step to lead change. Share leadership across your teams to involve more team members within decision-making processes to increase engagement and ownership. Elevate team performance by delivering fact-based feedback with honesty and by working with them to set goals.

Your teams will thank you!

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References

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Dawson, K. (19 November 2019). Two things managers must do. Lead Read Today. https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/leadreadtoday/blog/two-things-managers-mus…

Li, M., & Prewett, M. (7 November 2019). On building trust in modern teams: The role of team and task design. Lead Read Today. https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/leadreadtoday/blog/building-trust-in-moder…

Lount, B. (2018). Those who trust their leaders follow their leaders: Part two. Lead Read Today. https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/leadreadtoday/blog/those-who-trust-their-l…

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(n.d.) Challenges to managing virtual teams and how to overcome them. https://www.extension.harvard.edu/professional-development/blog/challen…

(n.d.) Kotter. https://www.kotterinc.com/8-steps-process-for-leading-change/