How to Build and Lead a Remote Team

This article covers some best practices for leading remote teams so you can succeed when working remotely!

If you’re leading a remote team, the first thing to do is align your team’s expectations. Everyone must understand what leadership looks like, how their role fits into the bigger picture, and how they will be measured. Team roles like leadership and team building need not be filled only by the team lead. These roles can be shared by all. In fact, if these “roles” are shared by all the members of the team, the cohesion of the team will grow over time.

As a leader, it is helpful to set clear goals for your team. If everyone is working remotely, it’s helpful to have a set of plans for each member. These might include specific KPIs (key performance indicators) or specific outcomes that need to happen before the end of the quarter or year. Defining deliverables with milestones and dates can keep work flowing clearly. Make sure that everyone knows what these are and how they can work toward them together as a team. Often, the role of the leader is to simply notice and amplify the work and dates to keep them moving and to hold their importance to the team.

Create accountability and transparency around key metrics. This is particularly important in remote teams where members may not be physically present together all the time. Make sure systems are in place for regular reporting on key metrics and ensure all team members know about them – including when they don’t meet expectations you’ve set for them! Eliyahu Goldratt was a well-known management consultant who said, “Management attention is the biggest bottleneck in North American business.” Where leaders hold their attention can help solidify the successful trajectory of a remote team.

Establish an effective communication model between members of your team who aren’t located in the exact location as you. This can mean setting up regular meetings, video calls, or other ways of staying connected while keeping costs low (ease of access through communication apps like Slack).

It’s important to remember that you act as a manager first and a programmer second. Leadership is ultimately more important than technical skills, which extends to remote leaders and local ones. The first step to becoming an effective leader is to define who you’re responsible for leading your team and why. Remote leadership and work expert Kevin Eikenberry says, “Create a space of openness and psychological safety for people.”

Remote teams offer incredible benefits to companies and the people who work on them. It seems they are here to stay. With care, they can provide high levels of contribution and convenience with clear intentions to the human factors of people on these teams.