1

Understanding remote team management

• Identifying unique features of remote work.
• Detecting distance-driven constraints and opportunities for the manager.
• Defining the characteristics of virtual teams and the challenges of distance.
• Understanding the needs of off-site employees.
• Evaluating the need for videoconferences and how frequent they should be.
• Identifying managerial challenges and key success factors.
• Finding areas to take action in.

2

Your position as a remote manager

• Identifying different roles of a remote manager: Motivating, guiding, encouraging, unifying, negotiating, overseeing, evaluating.
• Clarifying everyone’s role and tasks.
• Analyzing a remote employee's profile and adapting your management style.
• Practicing different styles based on context: From directive style to delegating style.
• Identifying the causes of motivation/demotivation due to remote work. Skills assessment.
• Setting realistic goals for remote employees that get them motivated.
• Delegating tasks: How to communicate, implement, track, and secure delegations despite the distance.
• Stimulating and developing the autonomy of remote employees: Reserved powers, delegated powers.
• Formalizing the action plan with the employee.
• Tactful management by setting goals.
• Conducting performance reviews.

3

Properly informing, communicating, and monitoring remotely

• Being present as a manager: Not too much, nor too little.
• Being double vigilant about the image conveyed by your written and verbal communication. Using constructive language.
• Making good use of the collaborative tools available: Instant messaging. Wikis, social media, etc.
• Adapting the means of communication to the type of message in order to streamline the flow of information.
• Benefits and limits of the various tools available.
• Leading a teleconference or videoconference. Helpful rules for writing emails.
• Field coaching with the employee.
• Creating a bond and avoiding the feeling of isolation. Getting news on a regular basis.
• Highlighting individual contributions. Giving regular, sincere signs of recognition.
• Maintaining an open-ended team climate conducive to dialog. Ensuring routine contact.
• Negotiating remotely: Using active listening and questioning techniques.
• Detecting and calming tensions. Defusing conflicts remotely.
• Refocusing with an employee.

4

Organizing your team’s work

• A team’s stages of development. Identifying your team’s stage of development.
• Setting specific operating rules.
• Contracting the rights and obligations of managers and their employees.
• Building the team. Acting like a leader to encourage others to commit.
• Organizing the team. Determining areas of responsibility. Highlighting individual skills.
• Developing expertise Promoting talents. Pooling best practices.
• Creating a formal and informal information network.
• Setting up suitable information-sharing and monitoring tools.
• Maintaining the feeling of belonging to a team. Developing and sustaining confidence over time.
• Remaining available and responsive when on the go.
• Implementing activity indicators.
• Agreeing on monitoring tools and dashboards for the employee, the team.
• Formalizing progress contracts.