10 tips to successfully manage and train your team while remote working, thanks to video conference

Remote work has forcefully entered the daily routine of all companies and organizations. For the smarter businesses, it has meant extending an already adopted approach, but – as we have already said here – for many companies it has been a sudden, necessary change. And like all changes, it must be welcomed, managed and governed in the right way.

Firstly, it’s a matter of mindset. Then, strategies and tactics to be adopted to successfully manage remote work, smart working.

Remote work and smart working are our current reality

Managing employees and teams remotely, involving people, can be difficult for even the best managers – without an adequate strategy and the right tools.

We find ourselves in a unique and exceptional scenario in many respects (also for the speed with which so many companies had to organize themselves). However, thanks to technology, we have many tools to support teams that work remotely, and to contribute to developing real leadership skills (delegating).

The transition to remote work can affect employees’ habits, and it is the responsibility of companies and team leaders to take care of the “people who work remotely”.

It’s therefore essential to support the remote team, through online communication, smart and easy. With effective video conferencing tools, which allow not only communication, but also operational fluidity and collaboration, remotely.

Below are 10 useful tips (best practices and very useful tools), for managing teams that work remotely successfully:

1) Provide the tools, services and work devices suitable for working remotely

It’s strategic to support people in the transition from office work to remote work, by providing the necessary tools to work comfortably and effectively.

What does your team need to work remotely?

• Modern laptops (with webcam, headphones with microphones…);

• A good, reliable and high-performance Internet connection (home connections may be used concurrently by the rest of the family, for example to watch Netflix or play online).

With a laptop and a good Internet connection, it’s therefore possible to hold video conferences, participate in webinars and attend e-learning courses on the company’s Online Academy.

• An effective and modern video conferencing service.

It’s essential to choose the right video conferencing service. Capable of offering excellent performance and operational fluidity.

It’s no secret (and our clients know it very well) that we love Zoom. Just because it allows you to organize and manage meetings and webinars accessible from any device, optimizing both the video and audio based on the Internet connection of the users. If you want to know our Zoom-based offer, contact us.

2. Establish clear communication channels

It’s important to organize the home environment, setting up a dedicated room (if not possible, a dedicated station) to work well and comfortably, with everything you need. And a touch of customization doesn’t hurt! Just like in the office. ?

A tip: try to stimulate the sharing on social media of the remote workstation, engagement is extremely important! ?

3. Training: make sure all your employees know how to use the video conferencing service

Zoom, for instance. It’s a truly intuitive and easy to use business video conferencing software. But it also has many advanced features that allow you to transform a video conferencing system into a powerful ally for teams working remotely (contact us for an advanced training course on Zoom).

Tip: organize online webinars and training sessions to transform your remote workers from basic users to true experts in the use of the company’s video conferencing software.

4. Organize training sessions and webinars dedicated to training on company tools for working remotely

To work remotely and in smart working, several tools are needed: for collaborative work (Slack, Trello, for example), for managing shared files and documents (Dropbox, Google Drive…), CRM, etc.

It’s therefore important to provide training for your remote workers on the tools and software, as you should already do for your on-site employees…right?

Advice: don’t take it for granted that everyone knows how to use the tools and software that the company makes available to the best of their ability. Design and deliver continuous and constant training, not only on software, but also on computer security.

5. Schedule short weekly video conference meetings

When switching to remote work, it’s important to be clear in communication and avoid confusion in project and activity management. Stay in touch by scheduling short video conference meetings to check in. 

This will help keep the team cohesive and always updated on the status of projects and ongoing activities. Since you will not be able to gather your team members in a meeting room, having a tool to hold video conference meetings anytime & anywhere is essential.

Tip: try to make your meetings and training sessions “live in video conference” less formal. “Nice and easy” should be the keyword.

Also, don’t forget to organize online meetings for simple and pure sharing among colleagues who work together, even from a distance. Taking a virtual “coffee” together in the morning – all together before starting the day – or taking a short afternoon break (at a distance, but together) are habits that can be maintained even when working remotely.

6. Video is the King. Set an example for your colleagues. Turn on the cam!

Social media teach us that video is the King of content. And this is also true when it comes to using video conferencing to organize meetings, live training sessions and training webinars.

Turn on the cam when you are in a video conference with your team, and encourage everyone to do the same. Showing yourself, seeing the faces of colleagues when working remotely promotes and increases the trust, engagement and productivity of people working remotely.

And speaking of engagement: contact us to find out how to increase the involvement of your remote workers, thanks to the advanced functions of Zoom.

7. If video is the King, audio is the Queen and a chat is your best ally

Voice is our first communication tool in remote meetings and training. It must always be valued.

Therefore, a video conferencing system must offer HD video quality, but also perfect audio (even in VOIP).

Remember to also provide your employees with microphones or headphones specifically designed for remote work.

And also…writing. We love writing! So don’t forget to keep communication always active also through messaging systems and chat. For example, if you use Zoom, you have the Chat function available, or integration with Slack (just to name one of the most popular tools).

8. Encourage your remote workers to create a routine 

Preparing for the work day means taking care of yourself and your appearance, even when working remotely. Just like connecting on time, taking scheduled breaks, respecting lunch breaks and not getting absorbed by work. All this contributes to managing the work day remotely, efficiently and productively.

9. Keep the mood of your remote team high. Let’s have fun!

Even if your team is not in the same office, it doesn’t mean they are not a team. Make sure your group is always cohesive and united, even by organizing moments of pure fun and relaxation… in video conference!

Tip: reduce the distance and potential loneliness that could arise. Cultivate empathy among the members of your remote team.

Contact us if you want to find out how you can maintain the morale of your remote employees with Zoom.

10. Take care of your remote workers

Encourage your remote employees to take care of their health. It is important to promote the psycho-physical well-being of your employees, especially when working remotely.

Tip: organize video conference training sessions, dedicated to the well-being and health of your employees (nutrition, physical activity, relaxation, safety, there are many topics you can address and tackle in video conference).

Don’t forget to provide e-learning training on the safety and health of workers.

Conclusion

Managing and training remote employees is now an integral part of the responsibilities of companies, leaders and L&D departments. Digital transformation can help us succeed in this change. The important thing is to use the right tools… and above all adopt the right mindset.

Oh, if you want to discover our Zoom-based offer. Contact us!

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