Improve Remote Team Efficiency During COVID-19 Quarantines

Times are changing, and if your company hasn’t been struck by the COVID-19 quarantines yet, it likely will.

It might seem difficult at first to try and tackle team meetings when you have to work from home. Differences in time zones, communication with remote team members via text or video chats, project management, and lot more can get a bit difficult with a distributed team with employees working from their homes. But, there are some great ways to improve your remote team efficiency during the times of COVID-19; even when you are not sitting next to each other in your relaxed office space.

For your convenience, here are the five most effective ways to improve your remote team efficiency. Working with virtual teams in virtual environments is not that difficult if you have these 5 strategies in place.

#1. Coaching

Whether you are a small business or a huge enterprise, your team might benefit from some coaching. And while internal coaching is always great, you might need to turn outside and seek out advice and workable strategies. You can consult experts to examine the needs of your team.

You should identify the areas of improvement and plan out effective strategies that can prove very useful for your team. Your remote employees can take up lessons on effective problem solving and better coordination to carry out remote work diligently.

Different types of coaches with various types of specialties can be utilized to improve the efficiency of your team. Agile coaching and other modern approaches make getting high-quality expertise for your remote workers easier than ever for you. Some online coaching websites are also offering special discounts on account of COVID-19 quarantines.

#2. Clear Roles

When the roles of each team member are clearly communicated, your team will be more efficient. Any time there is confusion and uncertainty toward roles, that lack of clarity impacts your team in a negative way. Your team members are not as productive. They might end up spending a lot of time on tasks that could have been completed in some hours.

Using message boards such as Slack and other ways of communication when you and your team are at home will definitely help to improve productivity. You will be able to communicate effectively which will, in turn, boost the team’s productivity.

Remember if you have someone who is not sure of their role, they might end up being a negative influencer for your team. When someone is not sure of their role, they can feel under-valued. And when someone on your team feels under-valued, their attitude can take a turn for the worse. Before you know it, their attitude has influenced other team members.

You now have a needless distraction, and you now have a team that is not efficient. Spend some time to let your employees know their roles and what you expect from them while working remotely. Have a face to face meeting with each member of your team.

#3. Clear Procedures

Clear procedures are very important for your team, too. When you set clear procedures for how things will be done, those carrying out your process will get into a routine. And when people get into a routine, you can expect efficiency to improve.

Routines and standard protocols are backbones of success for companies and organizations, and they should be a cornerstone for your team, too. Consider having a team meeting each morning to make sure everyone has a gameplan for the day. You can use Google Meets or Zoom as online ways of communication.

When you have clear procedures, you also mitigate your chances of excuses. If team members know things like timeliness and expectations and the way to achieve the desired outcomes, you will improve your likelihood of minimizing potential setbacks. Team efficiency will automatically improve for you in these times of COVID-19 quarantines.

#4. Accurate Reporting

If you do not have accurate reporting, then your team will not be as efficient as it can be. You need to always be able to produce reports that accurately highlight your team’s efforts. You must be certain that each member is able to see on paper how their work makes a difference.

Show your team where they are excelling, and where they are struggling. Areas for improvement are easier to identify for you, and you also can build on and protect what is working.

If you do not have accurate reporting, you are missing out on a sure-fire way to improve your team efficiency.

#5. Awards and Recognition

The last and one of the most effective ways you can improve your remote team efficiency is by appreciating your team for their efforts. Your team members will likely want to be more efficient when they know there are awards that they could receive. Acknowledging the team members for the work they do will make them feel a little more motivated and focused. It will also help to lighten the mood in this stressful situation.

You have all kinds of ideas that you can turn to for awards that recognize efficiency. Gift cards, money, gift baskets, free meals, concert tickets, and travel are among the many ideas you can consider.

And you should always remember; you do not have to give a physical gift to recognize someone. Kind words and vocalizing appreciation can work wonders for you. You also can create leader boards that display how team members are doing.

Improved Efficiency Is Obtainable

Through the strategies covered above, you can get the most out of your team even during the times of COVID-19 quarantines. While we are all stuck at home, there are ways to still achieve maximum productivity for your business. Find ways to adapt and set clear lines of communication and you are sure to come out on top.