Loud and clear

IN times of overlapping changes, a leader needs to ensure everyone is aligned with what is expected of the team. Moreso when your team is working remotely, and you do not get to spend so much time together and the only interaction you have is via e-mail, calls, regular team meetings, or the occasional web conference. Leaders need to be creative in communicating to ensure that their teams know what the deliverables are and when they are due.

In a previous organization, my leader asked me to meet with a new team which fell under his supervision. The only issue was that they were in Spain. What made it more difficult was that the only one who could speak English fluently was their manager. And since they were aligning themselves with the processes we followed, I had to walk them through the process we used. We had to set several meetings to get them aligned and for them to understand our processes; at the same time, we shared best practices and compared notes on production lead times and our creative processes. From that experience, I gained so many insights in communicating to others in a remote work setup.

One of the most important things I learned was setting clear expectations and directions. Since we were both managers, we both understood our final product and what needed to be accomplished. Our executive also made it clear several times what we needed to accomplish, and we had to put our heads together to come up with a better way of developing our product in the shortest time possible. As a leader, your team needs to understand clearly what the goal is and what is expected from them—as a team and as individuals.

You need to speak of your goal clearly that your team understands it as if it has already happened. This also means that each member of the team is clear on what they need to do and how they can contribute to achieving the team’s goals. Since I did not know her team members well, she was the one who identified what they were good at and what they could possibly offer to make the work faster and smoother. As a leader, you cannot do that unless you know your team. I think part of the reason why they were able to adapt to the new process quickly was because she knew her team members and she positioned them so they could take advantage of their strengths. It became easier for her also to explain what was needed of them and the goals of the team.

And when I was walking her through our processes, she was very receptive and she even gave several recommendations on improving the existing process. As a leader, we need to be open to team members, and allow them to speak and give their suggestions and recommendations. If the goal is clear, you can always manage and redirect the discussion into how to achieve that. And if their ideas help in achieving the goal, we must allow them the opportunity to try their idea. As leaders, we need to provide a safe space for team members to be creative in how they solve problems and even come up with new ways of achieving goals. And we always need to praise their effort because this will reinforce a growth mindset where they continue to push themselves to be better.

One thing I also learned is to give regular feedback. Since I could not see them personally, I tried to meet with the Spanish team’s manager regularly so I could see where she was struggling. Everyone struggles at the start of something new and this is when communication is most crucial. You need to give regular feedback so they can attune themselves to the changes and recalibrate when necessary. You need to be able to coach on demand. You do not need to wait for the annual evaluation for you to correct a mistake when you can do it now. It will also be easier for the team member to correct themselves because the mistake is recent and they could still do something about their mistake. And, again, praise the effort in correcting their mistake.

Remember to set aside time with team members individually so you can get to know them better. It does not always have to be in a regular setting, but do take the time to sit with them during lunch or even spend a few minutes catching up on their personal life. This will help you get to know them better and, at the same time, you will have a better understanding of their personal motivations. Spend time also with your team as a group so you can understand the team dynamics and how each one relates to others. This will give you an idea on who to tap for which projects.

One of the things which also helped me in dealing with a remote team is acknowledging their efforts in aligning themselves to the new process. It took a few tries but we were able to come up with a process where even if we did not meet face to face, we were able to review materials and give our feedback and suggestions. And by being receptive to feedback and maintaining open lines of communication with one another, it became easier for us to understand where each one was coming from and adjust our process to overcome difficulties and improve our product.

Most of all, you need to lead positively. You do not have to know everything but in times of change, your team will look to you as a beacon of where the team is headed. One of the concerns of the Spanish team was their job security since there were major reorganizations that happened in the company.

But our head was confident that they were needed by the whole organization and the work we did was vital to the growth of the company. That encouraged both teams. As a leader, you need to provide the hope and security people need so they can continue doing good work.

Leading and communicating with remote teams can be a bit of a challenge but making your team understand what needs to be done and providing feedback regularly will go a long way in ensuring they will get the work done even if you are not around. As John Maxwell said, “Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course. Leaders who are good navigators are capable of taking their people just about anywhere.”

Where are you taking your team?