In a previous column I talked about the war for talent and how to win it. Businesses have shifted their software to the cloud, as well as their files and their communications—so why not talent? Talent is the next wave, and it’s already here in the form of distributed teams working together online.
For the uninitiated, managing multiple workers across different locations and time zones may appear daunting. However, once the skill is mastered big results can follow: scalability, flexibility and project life-cycle can all improve dramatically when remote teams are effectively utilized. Just like management in the offline world, for the best results you do need to put some effort in. Want to perfect the art of remote management? Here are my Ten Commandments.
1. You Shall Hire the Best Talent Not the Cheapest. Remember you get what you pay for – this is as true online as it is offline. The lowest priced freelancer will seldom be the most skilled
2. You Shall Communicate and Collaborate. Managers and their teams need to do this with diligence, honesty and regularity.
3. You Shall Not Be the Sole Hub. In the beginning you were the hub but as your distributed team grows, this will slow work down and puts a stupid amount of stress on you. Empower other members to make some decisions.
4. You Shall Persevere and Expect a Learning Curve. Be persistent. There may be mistakes and teething problems. Talk about these and learn from them.
5. You Shall Create Overlapping Availability. Make sure your distributed teams can ‘meet’ online. This will help teams to synchronise communication and collaboration. Align schedules to maximise the overlap of availability between globally distributed workers. An overlap of at least two hours is desirable.
6. You Shall Use The Appropriate Technology or Collaborative Tool. For real time communication: Google Hangouts, Slack, and Skype chat. When schedules don’t overlap, use collaborative tools designed for asynchronous communication: Google Docs; JIRA; Confluence; and even good old email.
7. You Shall Value Remote Team Members As You Do Those On-Site. Accord all team members equal respect. Ensure remote workers have all relevant information. Share your successes and failures – don’t cut them out of the loop. At Elance-oDesk, all our meetings with distributed teams are done via videoconference. This engenders a “watercooler” vibe. Oddly, we’ve found that meetings in which all or most members are remote via videoconference are the most productive.
8. You Shall Not Reinvent the Wheel Nor Diverge Too Far This is one big risk decentralised teams face. Working in too great an isolation can lead to the duplication of work or the creation of a product that is already ‘out there’. This wastes time and money.
9. You Shall Meet in the Real World Do organise occasional in-person get-togethers. Send all members of a team to a single location for a few weeks at a time. Bring individual team members to your HQ once a year or so. This fosters collaboration and improves team dynamics.
10. You Shall Treat People Well Good management (‘remote’ or otherwise) relies on fair dealing and good manners. So, mentor your workers and make them happy. Best practice makes for better business, too. This is how you build relationships, build trust, and build things.