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Five tips for motivating remote teams

Five tips for motivating remote teams
Published: May 4, 2022
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Managing a remote team can be challenging, with increased barriers to communication and understanding and therefore, motivation. 
But with the right approach and a different management style, leaders can build high-performing, motivated and connected teams, regardless of when and where its members work. 

Five top tips for managing dispersed teams

Impact’s Team Performance Model sets out dix key domains critical to any high-performing team: External alignment, Unified purpose, Agreed approach, High-performance mindset, Quality conversations, and Effective relationships.

In this article, we set out practical tips for motivating your remote team, based on this model. 

1. Understanding the ecosystem in which the team operates ­(External alignment)

Most teams have experienced not only internal changes but also external changes related to the ecosystem in which they operate. Understanding the impact that key stakeholders have on a team is crucial to enhancing its effectiveness. This is an often overlooked but very important aspect of team effectiveness, and it should be the starting point for any development plans and changes aimed at increasing motivation.

2. Focus on a common goal (Unified purpose)

Regardless of the place, time, and method of work, each team should still be unified by its goals. One of the ways to establish these goals is using the SMART framework, which ensures that goals are specific, measurable, attractive, realistic and timely. A team whose objectives do not have SMART parameters will encounter many difficulties in achieving them, which will consequently lower their motivation. Tailored project management software can help with this, but remember that goals must not come from the top down; the key is dialogue, and it must involve the entire team.

3. Harness the opportunity for positive change (Agreed approach)

If an organisation is new to remote working, then this change can be a great catalyst for innovation and development. It can be an opportunity for remote teams to start developing new and better collaborative practices. The involvement of all team members in this change is crucial so that everyone can align around an agreed approach – key to any change or transformation project. 

4. Strong leadership action (High-performing mindset)

When team members do not have decision-making autonomy, they can feel like cogs in a machine with no influence over the activities of the team or business. Therefore, each team member should be encouraged to take leadership action. At Impact, we believe leadership isn't a type of person but a special kind of action. And this action happens when a person notices that something is need, decides what to do about it, and then acts, taking responsibility for the result. Leadership action can emerge from anyone and anywhere in the organisation. A leadership culture based on this approach brings real business results, maintains motivation, increases ownership, and allows team members to hone their skills. By taking leadership action, introducing frequent feedback, and supporting each other to grow, remote teams build a high-performing mindset.

5. Quality communication (Effective relationships)

A reduction in face-to-face contact completely changes team communication. Existing procedures must adapt and new ones must be adopted. Communication within remote teams must still cover all aspects of the organisation's functioning, as anyone that does feel cut off from information will be willing to look for it themselves and this is how rumours arise, leading to an erosion in trust and misunderstandings. This is why frequent communication is so important to keep your team motivated ­and to eliminate any anxiety about a lack of transparency. In this way, employees can focus their energy solely on their work. Communication should always take into account the perspective of the other person; this is especially important in remote contexts. 

Get in touch to learn more about Impact's approach to high-performing teams