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Remote work existed before the 2020 global pandemic, but it has remained post-pandemic for many businesses due to minimal overhead costs and unlimited access to a global talent pool. However, remote work especially across regions does not come without its challenges, one of which is building synergy across remote teams. As you know, creating a strong sense of unity between your different teams is vital to productivity and business success.
Therefore, finding the right remote team collaboration strategies, and fostering a culture that encourages connection despite the distance becomes highly integral for businesses adopting this work model. The article below explores strategies on how to build synergy across remote teams by implementing remote work best practices that improve communication, productivity, and teamwork.
Here are the effective strategies for remote team synergy and productivity to help overcome remote team challenges and effectively transform your business culture.
1. Set Clear Goals and Expectations
One of the biggest challenges of remote work is keeping everyone on the same page. When teams lack alignment, it can disrupt the progress of your projects and tasks. To prevent this from happening, you need to set clear goals so teams don’t feel disconnected. Every staff member must understand the general company vision, business goals, specific project objectives and acceptable company culture. Ensure they are all familiar with the objectives, deadlines, and individual responsibilities so everyone is aligned and updated. Use project management tools like Trello or Asana to keep tasks organised and visible to all team members. You should also encourage open communication to avoid misunderstandings. When everyone understands their role and the bigger picture of the business, it makes collaboration smoother and more effective.
2. Leverage the Right Communication Tools
Remote team collaboration will not work without effective communication; you need a strong communication process to prevent potential problems. Initially, email communication may work when you have two or three remote staff, but with a larger team, you need a more robust system with tools for different purposes. For instance, you can use tools such as Slack for quick chats, Zoom for meetings, and Notion for knowledge sharing. You also need project management and automation tools as mentioned earlier. This way, you will reduce any miscommunication, keep conversations organised, and avoid information overload.
3. Automate Work Processes
Automating your work process is one of the best practices for virtual team collaboration. Nothing hinders synergy like repetitive, time-consuming tasks that could easily be automated. It can delay important work and potentially cause tasks to slip through the cracks. Remember, since the teams are not physically available to update one another, you need an automated process that can fast-track work and keep everyone aligned. Use automation tools such as Monday.com to handle routine work and keep everything else on collaborative software so your team can work like a well-oiled machine without unnecessary delays or problems.
4. Reduce Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy slows down any team - remote or not. Productivity suffers when employees have to jump through hoops just to get approvals or access resources. For effective global workforce management, it is better to streamline the processes. Instead of waiting for approvals at every step, allow your team to make decisions within their scope. You must trust your employees to take ownership and make the right decisions. As long as you hired the right people, all you need to do is set up self-service systems for routine requests and settle into your supervisory role. The less time spent navigating inessential bureaucracy, the more time available to spend actually working and delivering results.
5. Use World Clocks to Coordinate Across Regions
Remote teams sometimes span multiple time zones, which can cause scheduling mishaps. Luckily, you can combat that with clock tools like World Time Buddy or Google Calendar’s time zone feature. Rather than endless back-and-forth messages, leverage these tools to find the best time to schedule meetings or set deadlines. In cases where time zones conflict significantly, consider rotating scheduling times so everyone feels respected and acknowledged.
6. Implement Virtual Team Engagement Strategies
Team building activities have been found to boost staff morale because people need to feel connected to produce their best work. This applies to both physical and remote teams, particularly with remote teams as you are working independently. Fortunately, there are several virtual team-building activities to help build strong relationships in your teams. Some examples are online game nights, online quizzes, virtual coffee chats, or even monthly meetings where team members can have an hour to chat and chill together online. These types of virtual experiences will create a sense of camaraderie and bring teams closer professionally and personally which essentially will bring you better results.
7. Embrace Diversity
Remote teams offer you diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds that can lead to innovative solutions. Having talents from different parts of the world is not enough, you must encourage inclusivity by making sure all voices are heard, regardless of location. One way to improve cross-cultural collaboration in remote teams is to be mindful of different work styles and cultural differences in communication. You should also celebrate diverse holidays and encourage knowledge-sharing across cultures. The more you create an environment where everyone feels valued and respected, the stronger your team will be. Building synergy across teams doesn't have to be a challenge - even with remote teams. By implementing the right strategies, you can create a company culture where everyone feels valued and collaboration flows naturally.
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