LEADING REMOTELY:THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING REMOTE TEAMS

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 2

In 2008 LiquidPlanner launched as an innovative, supportive, and reliable project management solution designed to

work the way people work — a solution based on the belief that teams work best when they organize tasks by priority,

make best-case and worst-case estimates, and collaborate in one central location.

LiquidPlanner enhances your team’s collaboration and communication so everyone will spend less time giving updates

and more time doing the work that’s important to them. LiquidPlanner is the only project management software

that adapts to change automatically as your team logs progress, as priorities shift, and as resources change. Project

schedules in LiquidPlanner always reflect reality so you can focus on moving forward instead of reacting to fires.

Interested in learning more? We’re here to help. Schedule your live demo to learn more.

LEADING REMOTELY:THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING REMOTE TEAMS

Written By Kristin Crosier in Collaboration with LiquidPlanner

About LiquidPlanner

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

page 4Remote Work: Adjusting to the not so new normal.

Worksheet: How Do You Rank, Boss?

page 5Are your remote management skills up to par? Find out!

01 Set Expectations for Remote Work

page 8Establishing guidelines to operate efficiently.

02 Find The Right Balance of Communication

page 9A lesson in walking the fine line.

03 Avoid The Temptation to Micromanage

page 10Quick tips to sidestep common tendencies.

04 Keep Employees Motivated and Engaged

page 11How to boost team morale (and productivity!)

05 Trust Your Team to Accurately Measure Their Performance

page 12Finding the value in modern software.

06 Demonstrate a Good Work-Life Balance

page 13Recommended rules for maintaining critical balance.

07 Train Your Team on Security Protocols

page 14Managing the most-overlooked area of remote work.

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 4

Working from home or a non-office location is by no means revolutionary — our ancestors did it for thousands

of years. But we’re now seeing the popularity of working at home (or somewhere outside of a typical office

space) surge once again. Today, more than a third of workers are able to work remotely at least once per

week. That’s a 400 percent increase from just a decade ago.

Remote work benefits employees and businesses alike: employees can embrace a flexible schedule and

work from a location like their home that may be more convenient than an office, while businesses can utilize

talent from different time zones and save on the cost of running an office. Plus, the availability of technology

like virtual meeting tools and project management solutions has made remote work more widely accessible

and universally appealing. In a report on the state of remote work, 83 percent of workers said they would be

happier if given the ability to work remotely.

The growth of remote work brings new situations and challenges for the managers who oversee remote teams. As working remotely increases, managers must shift their approach and be more thoughtful

in their interactions. Unfortunately, many companies don’t offer training or preparation to help team leads

adjust to the realities of working from home. A lack of remote-specific policies or instruction can leave

managers unprepared to deal with the unique challenges of remote work.

Are You Leading Your Team Effectively?

We’ve even included a handy worksheet to help you assess your remote management abilities. You’ll acquire

the tools to avoid catastrophe before it occurs and maintain a happy and productive team.

INTRODUCTION

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 5

HOW DO YOU RANK, BOSS?

WORKSHEET

THIS SHORT QUIZ WILL HELP YOU SEE JUST WHAT TYPE OF

MANAGER YOU ARE — AND HELP YOU DETERMINE IF IT’S TIME

TO REFRESH YOUR REMOTE LEADERSHIP SKILLS.

Question 1: How often do you check in with your direct reports?

A. Rarely or never; I expect them to contact me

if they need something

B. I usually check in at least once a week

C. I check in with them most days or every day

Question 2: When leading a team meeting, you typically:

A. Let my team take the lead on giving updates for

each of their projects

B. Spend a few minutes discussing team priorities

and answering questions, then give my

employees the floor

C. I usually talk for a good portion of the meeting

to ensure everyone is clear on priorities and

directives

Question 3: When you find out a team project is behind its deadline, you:

A. Request an update from the project manager,

then wait and see how things go for a few weeks

B. Ask if the project manager needs help

coordinating tasks and offer to address any

obstacles

C. Step in and take over key tasks and project

oversight

Question 4: How do you evaluate employee performance?

A. I conduct annual reviews, but am more focused

on how the team is performing overall

B. I review quarterly reports that my employees put

together

C. I meet with my employees every month to review

the previous month’s activity report

Scoring

For each “A” answer you selected, give yourself one point. For each “B” answer, give yourself two points. For

each “C” answer, give yourself three points. Add the points for all four questions together and compare your

result to the categories on the next page.

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 6

HOW DO YOU RANK, BOSS?

RESULTS

You scored 4-6 points

You might be a little absent

You’re focused on the team’s performance, but that might be hurting your individual employees. It’s great that

you trust your employees to get stuff done. Just don’t forget that they may still want guidance from time to

time. Encourage them to communicate with you, and do the same on your end by setting up regular check-ins

with each employee. At the very least you want to make sure your team members are engaged and feel valued.

You scored 7-9 points

It sounds like you’re on the right track

You’re doing a good job of balancing oversight with freedom among your team. The right balance allows

your employees to excel in their own roles without feeling afraid to approach you should they need to.

Continue checking in and offering assistance, and keep an eye out for any signs that someone may be quietly

struggling. If you don’t already, find ways to keep morale up and show your appreciation for their work.

You scored 10-12 points

You might be a bit of a micromanager

You might think you’re being helpful, but you could be slowing down your team. Remember that your

employees are there so you can redistribute the workload and take the pressure off of yourself. Instead of

inserting yourself into projects or commandeering tasks from your employees, redirect your energy toward

making the team stronger. Wait until a team member requests your assistance before involving yourself.

Curious about just where you fall on the scale of managers from absent to micromanager. Tally your

score from the assessment on page 5, and compare your result to the categories below. Need a little boost? Refer to the seven techniques to help you excel at remotely managing a team in this guide.

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 7

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY OR TOO

LATE TO BRUSH UP ON YOUR

MANAGERIAL SKILLS

With the latest software and devices, your remote team can function in much the same way it would in an

office setting: you can schedule weekly check-ins, collaborate on projects, request progress updates, plan

and strategize, complete tasks, and more. However, as the manager, it’s up to you to ensure your team is

productive, communicative, engaged, and satisfied.

As with any management situation, there’s always the potential for issues to arise. You’ll undoubtedly

encounter challenges that are out of your control, but you can also do your part to prepare and learn how to

become the best manager you can be to your remote workers. Whether you’re new to managing a remote

team or have been doing it for years, it’s never too early or too late to brush up on your managerial skills.

Consider LiquidPlanner’s The Definitive Guide to Successfully Managing Remote Teams your one-

stop training manual (or a refresher course) for conquering any remote work challenges you encounter.

We’ve compiled tips to help you breeze past seven common problems that remote managers often face.

Quick Tip:

Knowledge is power. If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to take the assessment in the

worksheet on page five before reading The Definitive Guide to Managing Remote Teams. You may find

unique value in a section you would have missed otherwise.

7 TECHNIQUES TO HELP YOU EXCEL AT MANAGING

A REMOTE TEAM

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 8

01T E C H N I Q U E

SET EXPECTATIONS FOR REMOTE WORK

Employees love the flexibility that working remotely offers. In a 2019 survey, 40 percent of remote workers listed

having a flexible schedule as the biggest benefit of working from home. But flexibility also means that your

employees may choose to work outside of traditional work hours, be unreachable during certain periods, or feel

unclear about priorities. To deflect any of these potential issues, you’ll want to establish team rules or guidelines

that all of your team members can agree on.

When you’re thinking about team expectations, make sure to address all of the key components necessary

for your team to operate efficiently as a unit. These components can include work hours, access to team files/

documents, methods of communication, usage of project or task management tools, and contact information

for each team member. Ensuring your direct reports have all of the requisite information will allow them to focus

on projects instead of getting caught up in logistical issues.

Consider questions like these when establishing guidelines for remote work:

• Do you expect team members to be available for certain hours every workday?

• Do you have a project management tool or project tracking document that is accessible by all team

members? Do all team members know how to use it?

• Have you set guidelines for how often employees should be updating the project management tool or

document?

• Is there a clear process for communicating changes in team priorities should they arise?

Next: Find the Right Balance of Communication

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 9

02T E C H N I Q U E

FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE OF COMMUNICATION

Most managers have it drilled into their heads that

communication is essential. Yet finding the right

balance on when and how to communicate with your

remote team can be tricky if you’re used to an office

setting. It’s easy to stop by an employee’s desk for a

quick discussion when you work in the same building.

With a remote team, you lose some of that on-the-fly

communication. Of course it’s still possible to set up a

quick call, but it requires a bit more coordination.

With a remote team, virtual interactions represent the

sole method of engagement among your workers.

Remote managers must be able to walk the line

between engaging too little with their workers and

over-communicating to the point where team members

are constantly interrupted during work periods.

Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when communicating with your team members:

• Get to know what works for your team members. Take time to discover your team’s

communication preferences. Ask if they’re partial

to certain meetings and check-in times. (For

example, some employees may prefer to have

team communications in the morning to avoid

interrupting the rest of their workday.) You should

also agree to key methods of communication,

whether that’s Slack, your project management

tool, email, or otherwise.

• Don’t wait for employees to reach out to you. As a team lead, you should be proactively reaching

out to all of your direct reports. Don’t bother them

incessantly, but do carve out time to check in —

especially if they don’t engage with you often. In

addition, you should provide details about your

availability including when and how they can

reach you should they need to during the day.

• Schedule regular one-on-one conversations. When it comes to group meetings, every team is

likely to have a mixture of talkative and quieter

individuals. That’s why it’s critical to schedule one-

on-one check-ins with every member of your team

on at least a monthly basis. One-on-one meetings

give your employees an opportunity to discuss

matters they’d prefer not to share in front of the

group. They also ensure your quieter workers have

equal opportunity to talk about projects and raise

any questions or issues.

Discovering the right balance of communication will

likely require some experimentation on your part. And

remember: it’s never too late to make an adjustment

if you and your team members determine the current

frequency of communication isn’t working.

Next: Avoid The Temptation to Micromanage

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 10

03T E C H N I Q U E

AVOID THE TEMPTATION TO MICROMANAGE

Managing a team effectively is a delicate dance. You want to communicate regularly with your direct reports and

delegate tasks to ensure projects are moving forward, but you shouldn’t need to tell your employees how to do

their jobs. If you spend too much time having meetings about projects or interfering in tasks, your team will grow

to resent you for micromanaging.

Unfortunately, micromanaging can be a frequent occurrence among remote teams. It’s certainly understandable

that you want to check in on how your direct reports are doing and provide guidance on tasks. That being

said, you’re not helping anyone by commandeering control of the projects you’ve recruited others to work on.

Think of it this way: you hired qualified individuals to join your team and perform tasks that you don’t have the

bandwidth to complete. Trust that these individuals are competent and capable, until they give you reason to

believe otherwise.

If you find yourself veering into micromanagement territory, try the following techniques to stop those behaviors:

• Rely on project management tools and team/individual meetings for progress updates.

• If you’re feeling nervous about a team member’s performance, remind yourself of a time when this individual

proved themselves to be an asset to the team.

• Wait to engage until you have a specific question about a project or see signs an employee is having difficulty

finishing a task. Then go ahead and reach out for the answer or to offer assistance.

• Establish an open line of communication and invite your employees to connect with you. Make yourself

as accessible as possible and encourage your team to approach you rather than bombarding them with

meetings or requiring them to build activity reports.

Next: Keep Employees Motivated and Engaged

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 11

04T E C H N I Q U E

KEEP EMPLOYEES MOTIVATED AND ENGAGED

One of the biggest drawbacks of working remotely is

that you miss out on face-to-face engagement and the

organic culture of an on-site office. But don’t let that

deter you from engaging and motivating your team.

It’s still possible to build a fun company culture when

your team is remote — you just have to find new ways

to inspire, entertain, and interact.

When executed well, working remotely can actually

help team morale. Fifty-four percent of employees said

remote work has improved morale, while 57 percent

said it reduced stress. So how do you ensure your

employees are happy and motivated? By showing

them that they’re appreciated and giving them new

opportunities to grow and be successful.

Here are a few actions you can take:

• Support your employees’ desire for growth. Motivate your employees to learn new skills

through training programs, conferences, and

networking opportunities. Find out what areas of

the job or industry they’d like to explore more, and

offer to send them to a conference or pay for an

online course or certification.

• Leverage gamification. You don’t need to be in

the same room to play games like Bingo or trivia,

and you can easily put your own twist on a game to

make it more relevant to your company or industry

(if you want). At LiquidPlanner, we’ve come up

with our own versions of games to make working

from home more fun and interactive. One game we

play involves sharing pictures of an employee’s

at-home workstation, and team members have to

guess who it belongs to.

• Host lunch-and-learn virtual events. Remote

employees can feel like they have no idea what

other teammates are spending time on or where

company priorities fall. Plan monthly or bi-monthly

meetings where different roles or groups can

share the projects they’re working on and talk

about the day-to-day aspects of their job. Your

employees will gain a better understanding of one

another and feel more comfortable working with

their colleagues.

• Set up virtual happy hours. Schedule regular

happy hours where employees can hang out

and discuss non-work-related things. To get the

conversation rolling, you can ask interesting

questions that attendees take turns answering.

(A few examples: What’s the best place you’ve

traveled to and why? What’s a unique skill or talent

that you have?) These types of events give teams

the opportunity to create deeper bonds and learn

more about each other.

Next: Trust Your Team to Accurately

Measure Their Performance

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 12

05T E C H N I Q U E

TRUST YOUR TEAM TO ACCURATELY MEASURE THEIR PERFORMANCE

There’s a common misconception that remote employees are less productive and easily distracted by things like

video streaming services. But the reality is quite the opposite. In an International Workplace Group survey, 85

percent of employers said productivity increased as a result of flexible work policies. Managers should keep this

in perspective when monitoring the performance of their remote employees, and never assume that people are

getting less done because the boss isn’t around.

If you need peace of mind, a project management tool is a cost-effective investment that can help you keep track

of your team’s productivity. A tool like LiquidPlanner gives you an at-a-glance view of what your team is working

on and lets you monitor their productivity output for the week. What’s more, LiquidPlanner can also help you

manage resources such as staff availability and re-prioritize tasks based on project deadlines.

Alternatively, you can set up recurring meetings with team members to review workloads and project progress.

Just keep in mind that the more time your employees spend on tracking and measuring their performance, the

less time they’ll have to focus on completing tasks.

Next: Demonstrate a Good Work-Life Balance

Need Help Setting Manageable Goals?

These days, many business leaders are laser-focused on goals. Organizations don’t just want to have broad

goals that only top-level personnel are aware of — they want to set, track, and measure goals across the entire

company. That’s where the concept of Objectives and Key Results (or OKRs) comes into play.

Download OKRs: The Complete Guide to Setting (and Achieving) Business Goals for free to learn more!

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 13

06T E C H N I Q U E

DEMONSTRATE A GOOD WORK-LIFE BALANCE

In theory, the flexibility to work remotely should

promote a strong work-life balance because workers

are able to set their own hours. But for some it can be

difficult to disentangle your personal and work lives

when your office and your living quarters exist in the

same space. In fact, one survey found that 22 percent

of remote employees struggle with unplugging after

work.

Your job as team lead is to set a positive example

through your own behaviors and your interactions

with the team. One of the best ways to ensure a work-

life balance is by setting some rules for you (and your

team) to follow.

Here are some recommended rules to help your team maintain that balance:

• Standardize the team’s working hours. There’s no need to require your team to work the

exact same hours as you, but you can specify time

periods when everyone should be available. For

example, perhaps you want all employees online

and available for a few hours on certain weekday

mornings.

• Set an end to the workday. When working

remotely, the boundaries of work and personal

schedules become much more fluid. You lose the

awareness of other people’s work schedules and

can easily end up working later than you might

in an office. Try not to work outside the agreed-

upon time frame unless absolutely necessary, and

encourage your employees to do the same.

• Avoid sending late-night emails. Your team

may feel obligated to respond, and get in the habit

of checking email at all hours of the evening.

• Be conscientious about different time zones. If you have workers in different time zones, you

can still institute a common time frame for work.

But remember that the time zones for workers in

Europe, Asia, and Australia are ahead of time zones

in the United States.

• Set clear expectations about weekend work. Try to avoid sending emails or other

work correspondence on the weekend (unless

weekends are a regular part of your team’s work

schedule).

Next: Train Your Team on Security Protocols

For more content on leading remote teams, managing complex

projects, and maximizing productivity on your team, visit the

LiquidPlanner blog or follow us on LinkedIn.

LEARN MORE

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION AMONG REMOTE EMPLOYEES 14

07T E C H N I Q U E

TRAIN YOUR TEAM ON SECURITY PROTOCOLS

Data security is an often overlooked area of remote work. Only half of employees report receiving proper data

security training, and that number is likely lower when you factor in policies specific to remote work. When your

entire team is working remotely, sharing proper data security practices can fall on your plate. And since your

team is your responsibility, part of your job entails ensuring that everyone receives security training for remote

work and follows all of the necessary protocols.

At regular intervals, you should recruit the Chief Data Officer or a member of your IT/security team to go over

proper techniques for accessing company accounts while working remotely. Additionally, you should make

sure all members of your team have contact information for the security point person. If you work for a company

without a designated person to oversee security, take it upon yourself to help your team understand the

importance of proper data security. YouTube is a great free resource for security training videos, and channels

like Habitu8 offer fun videos that make data security more interesting and easily understandable.

Your Hassle-Free Guide for Managing Remote Workers

There you have it — your one-stop guide to help you evaluate your managerial abilities and better manage your

remote team. Now that you’ve finished reviewing our manual, have you identified any areas where you could

apply our advice toward your existing techniques? A critical part of being a successful manager is the ability to

identify and address your own weak points.