With remote work becoming a long-term reality for many organizations, it is important to keep your team motivated and moving forward. Here are some practical ways to keep your team engaged and productive, no matter where they may be working.

1. Resist the Urge to Micromanage

While it is always a good idea to have a handle on what each employee is working on and the deadlines for those activities, you do not want to overwhelm them with too much questioning. They’re your team, and you hired them because you trust them. Give that trust a chance to be their motivation to perform for you.

2. Regularly Challenge Your Team

Establish what the goals are for each individual and give them work assignments that fall outside of their normal wheelhouse. This will allow them to grow and see past their current limitations. You can also foster growth by encouraging learning opportunities through online courses or conferences in their areas of interest.

3. Establish Open Communication Channels

Remote workers often feel disconnected from their coworkers. Make sure you utilize technology to keep everyone connected to you and each other, including easy-to-use collaboration software, chat applications and video conferencing.

4. Optimize Your Workflow

With a remote team, it is important for each person to understand their job function, and how they fit into the larger goals of the organization. People who understand the “why” behind their work and understand how important they are to the success of the company, as a whole, are more likely to be motivated to do their part – and do it well! As things change in your organization, be sure to update workflows and communicate them to your remote team. It is also important for remote employees to understand the team structures across your organization, so they know who needs what information.

5. Cultivate Remote Work Culture

Make sure you provide an outlet for some fun. Since remote workers are missing out on office conversations and relationship building, you can mimic these activities with a virtual water cooler hour (or happy hour) where the only topic is anything but work. This allows team members to get to know one another on a more personal level and feel invested in the success of the team.

By establishing trust up front, engaging employees in the organizaton’s workflow, and keeping people connected on a personal level, you can sustain a productive remote workforce over the long term.

Let’s talk about getting the most from your remote or hybrid workforce. Contact CTS today: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.