Remote Work Isn’t the Problem—It’s How You Manage It: Unlocking Team Success
I started working 100% remotely in 2011 and I’ve led remote and hybrid teams since 2012. I wouldn’t necessarily say that it helped my work/life balance - if anything, I found myself working more. But one thing was clear: remote work maximized my productivity. I focused much better at home, got way more done, and was overall happier with my job. Today, it would take a pretty unbeatable opportunity to opt into a 100% in-person role again. Overall sentiment seems to agree: In 2024, 65% of employees preferred to work remotely 100% of the time, according to U.S. Career Institute. Paradoxically, 90% of companies in 2023 planned to implement a return-to-office policy by the end of 2024, according to Resume Builder. And by 2025, 90% of companies will have returned to office.
At the root of why many companies are not keen on remote is trust - the trust that employees are working when they are out of eyesight. For many, face-to-face interaction is seen as crucial for building relationships and ensuring productivity. However, remote work can work just as well (if not better) if companies take the right steps to foster trust and connection.
5 ways to build trust and master remote work:
Here are five strategies I’ve used- and seen work- time and again to strengthen trust, improve relationships, and keep teams high-performing:
Hire for intrinsic motivation: In remote work, self-starters thrive. The most successful remote employees are self-directed: they effectively manage their time, prioritize tasks, and show initiative. These individuals tend to be responsible, reliable, and resourceful. When hiring, look for candidates who: (1) demonstrate a history of following through, (2) have the ability to lead from within, without needing constant supervision, and (3) can problem-solve when they feel demotivated, stuck, or unproductive. Probe for values like honesty, accountability, work ethic, and transparency. This will set your team up for success because remote work requires a high level of trust from the get-go. I’ve found intrinsic motivation to be easier to find in candidates with more work experience, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t highly motivated self-starters coming straight out of school.
Calendar relationship-building: The key to maintaining strong relationships in remote work is intentionality. It’s easy to let social bonds slip when you don’t have “water cooler” chats or spontaneous lunches. But remote teams can- and should- schedule time to connect on a personal level. In partnership with your team, discuss relational needs and agree on what you will do to build relationships and team culture remotely. This will most likely result in time set apart to regularly prioritize relationship-building. For example, my last team met weekly for 30 minutes to talk about anything but work. What started as a required 60-minute meeting eventually became shorter and optional. Allow your team to evolve how it builds relationships as the composition and needs of your team evolve. Also, make the most of in-person opportunities like team and company offsites. And, encourage your team members to schedule 1:1s or small group chats with people they don’t normally interact with: this builds cross-functional relationships and supports company culture. All in all, remember that what gets scheduled gets done so prioritize relationship-building and put it on the calendar.
Create operating agreements that support trust. High-performing remote teams depend on clear expectations. Proactively creating clear operating agreements also reduces feelings of being reactively micromanaged. These agreements define how team members will communicate, stay accountable, and maintain visibility into each other’s work. By the way, you can align on operating agreements in the hiring process to make sure potential hires are okay with how the team works together remotely. Some examples of operating agreements include:
Have your video on for all meetings.
Use status on Slack to let people know when you are unavailable - e.g., in a meeting, on vacation, or handling a personal matter.
Make your calendar visible to everyone.
Complete all required pre-work on time for meetings.
Let everyone know in advance if you can’t make optional team-building time. (Note: For teams that need work on relationships, I recommend that team-building meetings be required.)
Hold team members accountable to outcomes. Monitor progress to goals and align on your team’s weekly priorities and roadmap, then hold team members accountable. In order to reduce meeting time, my last team landed on an hour-long Friday lookback and lookahead (aka retrospective and sprint). I had mid-week weekly or bi-weekly check-ins with direct reports as an accountability and support mechanism. This is where timely feedback is critical if team members are consistently off-track. It’s also a good time to get a sense of how full someone’s plate is.
Offer choice and flexibility. People want autonomy. The future of work is not one-size-fits-all. People appreciate the flexibility to decide where they work- whether it’s at home, in the office, or a blend of both. When people have options, they feel trusted to make the choice that works best for them and their team. Make it clear when in-person attendance is necessary and required and let people make decisions based on their individual needs and preferences. This empowers your team to be more engaged and productive, and ultimately contributes to a more trusting environment.
The bottom line: Remote teams can thrive
Remote working and remote leadership are skills that can be developed, and with the right approach, remote teams can be as - if not more - productive than in-person teams. According to U.S. Career Institute, 79% of managers in 2024 felt their team was more productive when working remotely. Ultimately, the key is to understand your team members’ needs and wants and explore the possibilities (“how might we”) rather than assuming that remote work just doesn’t work.
Coming next: Things to look out for with hybrid work. Stay tuned!