Cathy Liska by Alisa Cabrini
Remote teams can be a godsend for organizations. The flexible arrangements allow organizations to save on the cost of maintaining a space while employees can save a lot by telecommuting and working at home. 
The challenge with remote teams is that managers are often at a loss when it comes to managing workers from a distance.  Whether you’re dealing with a partly- or fully remote team, the physical distance can make it hard to properly communicate expectations and gauge whether everyone is on the same page. This is where professionals with their coaching certification can help.
The following are tips to help managers make their remote teams more effective.
The Importance of Recognition
Recognition is a huge problem for many employees, and more so for remote workers. Gallup reports that lack of recognition is the main reason why workers leave their jobs, presenting a huge issue that can otherwise be easily addressed.  This issue holds especially true for companies who juggle both remote and in-house teams, as mobile workers are left to a disadvantage.
Managers will have to work doubly hard to ensure that all employees are being seen and recognized for their contributions. Â Scheduling regular check-ins, whether daily or weekly, gives managers that reminder to take care of all their employees.
Getting Valuable Face-time
No person is an island and at the end of the day, remote workers want to be reminded that they’re part of a team.  For companies with both in-house and remote teams, get-togethers can be as simple as inviting your mobile workers to visit the office every now and again.  In fact, some companies require mobile workers to visit their office at least once a week.
For companies who have fully remote teams, it’s important that the company invest in a meeting space for everyone to work together occasionally.  Industrious highlights the importance of building a community through working together, which is why co-working spaces are growing as accessible options for start-ups and remote teams alike.  Since co-working spaces typically offer flexible membership packages, managers can book these spaces as needed.  Overall, the benefits of physically working together sometimes adds value.
Use Video Chats to Your Advantage
Speaking of face time, for some remote teams that kind of physical meet-up isn’t an option.  This is why video chats are crucial to sustaining remote work operations. Sometimes people are afraid of video chats. Forbes even points out that video conferences are a chance to let your guard down and open lines of authentic communication.
Being prim and proper isn’t the point of video chatting; these digital meetings are all about getting to know who you’re working with and keeping communication lines open.
Here at the Center for Coaching Certification we understand that effective coaching takes into consideration the ever-evolving world of business.  Coaching managers of remote teams support them in keeping the lines of communication with their teams open, building connections, and recognizing their people.
