Tips on Managing Remote and Hybrid Teams

In these post-COVID times many business owners and senior executives are still having to come to terms with dealing with remote / hybrid workers.

Managing a remote team comes with unique challenges, especially when it comes to ensuring their health and well-being. Here are 20 tips to help you support your remote team members:

Establish regular check-ins: Schedule weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one meetings to touch base with each team member and discuss their workload, challenges, and well-being.
Encourage work-life balance: Emphasise the importance of setting boundaries between work and personal life. Encourage your team to take breaks, disconnect after work hours, and use vacation days.
Provide ergonomic support: Offer guidance on setting up a comfortable and ergonomic workspace at home, including proper desk and chair height, monitor positioning, and keyboard/mouse placement.
Promote regular exercise: Encourage your team to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine. Share resources for at-home workouts or suggest taking short breaks for stretching or walking. If they have a dog suggest dog walking.
Offer mental health resources: Provide access to mental health resources such as employee assistance programs (EAPs), counselling services, or online support groups.
Foster social connections: Facilitate team bonding activities, virtual coffee breaks, or informal chat channels to help remote team members stay connected and combat feelings of isolation. For example, a weekly non-work team video call with no work discussed.
Support flexible schedules: Acknowledge that everyone has different peak productivity times and personal commitments. Allow for flexible work hours when possible to accommodate individual needs.
Encourage breaks and time off: Remind your team members to take regular breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge. Encourage them to use their vacation days and avoid burnout.
Provide clear expectations: Set clear goals, deadlines, and performance expectations for remote work. Regularly communicate priorities and provide feedback to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Foster open communication: Create a culture of open communication where team members feel comfortable sharing their concerns, asking for help, and providing feedback.
Offer professional development opportunities: Support your team members' growth and development by providing access to online courses, workshops, or certifications relevant to their roles.
Lead by example: Demonstrate healthy work habits by prioritising your own well-being, taking breaks, and setting boundaries. Your behaviour sets the tone for the team.
Celebrate achievements: Recognise and celebrate individual and team achievements, milestones, and successes to boost morale and motivation.
Provide necessary resources: Ensure that your team has access to the tools, technology, and resources they need to effectively perform their jobs from home.
Encourage mindfulness practices: Promote mindfulness techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or mindfulness apps to help reduce stress and increase focus.
Respect personal time: Avoid sending work-related emails or messages outside of regular work hours unless it's urgent. Respect your team members' personal time and boundaries.
Offer support for caregivers: Be understanding and accommodating towards team members who are caregivers, whether for children, elderly relatives, or others. Offer flexibility and support as needed.
Address conflicts promptly: If conflicts arise within the team, address them promptly and professionally to prevent escalation and maintain a positive work environment.
Provide regular updates: Keep your team informed about company news, changes, and developments to foster transparency and reduce uncertainty.
Solicit feedback: Regularly ask for feedback from your team on how you can better support their health and well-being while working remotely. Adjust your approach based on their input.

Communication is key. Keep in touch.

Author Bio | Keith Grinsted MBA FRSA

Born and bred in Essex (UK) and now living in Southend-on-Sea Keith has extensive experience across many sectors – private enterprise (startups, retail, and corporate), public sector (national and local govt), and third sector (Board Member and Trustee).

In the area of business turnarounds Keith has been referred to as a modern-day Sir John Harvey-Jones in the way he can look at a business and see opportunities the business owner has overlooked, or is simply unaware of

He is a freelance business writer having written eBooks under his own name for Business Expert Press in New York and a blog for Huffington Post UK, as well as ghost-writing for others.

For the past three years he has campaigned against loneliness and isolation through his Goodbye Lonely programme, having had a conversation on BBC TV with the late Captain Sir Tom Moore. He has been regularly interviewed on TV, Radio, and in national papers and magazines.

He is highlighting the wellbeing of remote / hybrid workers who are not being cared for by their employers to the level they require. He is a Mental health First Aider, a Wellbeing Champion, and has had suicide awareness training.

Through his life experiences Keith is passionate about the issues individuals face when they must start their careers over again and often, perhaps, reinvent who they are. Hence his award-winning LAUNCHPAD Programme helping those who are unemployed or facing redundancy get their career back on track.

Open University Business School Alumni Award for outstanding contribution to society
Investors in People Exceptional People Award for Community Engagement

The single most important thing he works on is uncovering what it is they are passionate about.

Keith believes that we are all capable of great things but we tend not to try new directions. Unless we release our emotions and uncover our passion, we will find setting a new course for the future very difficult. Keith strongly believes everyone should continue to learn and relate that learning to the work environment.

Keith is a great connector of people and has over 21,500 followers on LinkedIn and runs his Charity UK group with over 47,500 members. He is also Partnerships Director for Membership World.

March 2024

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