You Have the Tech, but do you Have the Spec? Our Guide to Building High-Performance Remote Teams

Here at The Colour Works, we rave about the benefits of team working and getting people on the same page to achieve outstanding results. In truth, and without help, structure and rigour, it can be a nightmare getting them there. Ask any team leader or manager who has tried to push the envelope and build a high-performing team. Now add to the mix the anxiety and stress of a global pandemic, a mutated virus and a third lockdown that has forced us back into the world of virtual working.Building new (and developing existing) teams in this environment can be even more challenging. Amongst other contributing factors, the only real experience we have of our teammates on a day-to-day basis is through a small screen on a video call, often leaving us wondering if they’ve even bothered to put trousers on…. or is that just me?!That said, it is far from impossible to accelerate the performance of your team during these challenging times. What we have learnt over the last year is that the fundamentals are the same. Your team needs to trust and to feel safe, to have a common purpose and aligned values. The fact they are potentially working from four discrete corners of the globe is irrelevant – especially with the accessibility and quality of virtual platforms. Sure, you won’t get the raw human connection that is founded upon post-meeting kitchen debates and happy hour stories, but what we may have lost there we can make up for in other ways if we get the process right.So now we are almost a year in, and your people not only have the tech but also the ability to use it, here are 8 crucial areas that you need to have covered when building remote teams.

1. Redefine roles and responsibilities

As teams evolve, expectations, roles and responsibilities change. Clarifying these helps the team focus on what is important and within their control.

Action:

• Review and publish remits 
• Encourage the team to discuss boundaries

2. Articulate a clear purpose and objectives

Articulating a clear purpose and objectives give the team direction and confidence through ambiguous times.

Action:

• Get involvement and be clear on the team’s purpose 
• Set both achievable and stretching goals

3. Structure and accountability

Structure and accountability generate rigour in times of instability, underpinning performance and ultimately producing team results.

Action:

• Be explicit about expectations, processes and timelines
• Build an appropriate check-in timeframe with each team member that they own

4. Communicate and be positive

During periods of uncertainty, teams need to communicate more frequently and more effectively with a positive mindset.

Action:

• Build this into your process and ensure equal time is given to the emotional connection as well as the task list
• Encourage a growth mindset and practices like mindfulness, mental toughness and resilience

5. Find the fun

Especially in uncertain times, a team that takes time out together builds a strong bond and creates psychological safety.

Action:

• Arrange team events virtually or if possible, gatherings in open spaces - COVID rules permitting
• Encourage a culture of openness and honesty by facilitating conversations that get people sharing

6. Support and play to strengths

Encouraging peer coaching and support groups help teams take ownership over their own development and ensures concerns and ideas get tabled.

Action:

• Set up structured mentoring and coaching groups where people can talk freely
• Run workshops that build self-awareness and help team members understand their colleagues better

7. Be compassionate and build trust

Although each of the above work interdependently, trust is the foundation of high-performance. Weave compassion and a focus on building trust through every interaction and you will set the foundations of an outstanding remote team. 

Action:

• Practice listening compassionately
• Show a genuine interest in your teammates and first ask, what is it that I can do for you?

8. Manage time effectively

When a team is working remotely, playing to strengths and leaning on the diversity of experience, skills and behaviours saves you time and money. 

Action:

• Set up skills matrix and encourage shadowing 
• Manage the team's time with a healthy balance of meetings or 121’s, work and don’t forget time to rest

Of course, all of this requires each team member to have a certain level of self-awareness, willingness and openness to change. However, by using the above as a framework you’ll go a long way to meeting everyone’s needs and creating a high-performing remote team.

Although each of the 8 areas above are equally important at different times in your team’s evolution, you can take our free team assessment survey to see which you might need to focus on first. Simply click on the link below.

Did you know…

that since the first lockdown in March 2020 The Colour Works has been hosting free-to-attend webinars on subjects that have helped people to get through these challenging times?

Please check out our Reboot Team Performance webinar, designed especially for leaders and managers that have previously experienced a Colour Works programme.