Whenever working with a remote team, you need to remember that communication is essential for success.
In between all that work and communication, you need to remember that the remote employees need your feedback as they don’t see you in the office daily but are working online with you.
The feedback is essential for everybody, but mostly for the remote workers and very often forgotten by the employers. There are numerous effective ways to manage remote workers.
6 Reminders For Providing Quality Feedback To Remote Employees
Here are 6 reminders to help you provide your feedback to the remote employees.
Casual, Everyday Conversation Is Essential
When you are in the office, you bump into your workers throughout the day. Those little chitchats you have are essential to boost their morale and to make them feel like they are a real part of the team. By working with a remote team that doesn’t apply to everyday communication.
You are the one that is supposed to make sure your communication flows without obstacles.
Never assume that no communication means that you are all good.
Not conversing can make your team members feel alone and isolated. That makes them doubt their work and it can never lead to a healthy relationship.
Your job, as their leader, is to make sure your team is always feeling appreciated and cared for.
You can achieve that by simply making it a rule for yourself that everyday communication is something you cannot skip. Check-in with your team members more often and make sure you remember something about everybody that will bring you closer to them.
Pick a Communicating Platform
When working with remote employees, have in mind that not all media are available and appropriate. Texting isn’t appropriate for dealing with some personal issues, for that same reason it isn’t appropriate for communicating with your remote workers.
Get personal with your staff and show them that they count.
Not only it will show your team that you care but also prove to them that they are doing great and are on the right track.
Remember Details When Praising
It never helps not remembering what your praise is about and giving random and not specific praise.
It never hurts to get a virtual pat on the back but being specific about the remote worker’s achievements will get you a far better score. Praise a specific report that has been done or a marketing campaign done just right.
Details about the job well done bring more meaning to the praise and motivate your employees to do even better than they already are.
Tread Carefully Around Negative Feedback
Whoever works will make mistakes. However, conveying the message that your workers, especially the remote ones have done something wrong should not be taken lightly.
If done the wrong way it can have an opposite effect and leave a worker feeling bad and being less productive.
When delivering negative feedback always start with good news or praise, followed by the negative feedback and finish with a positive one again.
That will soften the impact on the employee and it will leave an impression that there is yin yang into every situation. Forbes recommends having and working on building leadership traits to lead your team to success.
Make Sure the Communication Is Going Both Ways
Don’t allow your communication to fall into a pattern where you ask the questions, your employee answers and you provide feedback. Always keep the communication flowing both ways.
Always be interested to learn something new about them. What drives them, how they see themselves in 5 years, what personal goals they have can help you get the best of them and to challenge them to achieve new heights in their careers. Leave some space to get feedback from their side as well.
Ask for their opinion on a certain matter, include them in the decisive process, it all may surprise you in a good way and make them feel appreciated as a bonus to all that.
Healthy communication with your remote staff can make all the difference for you and it will keep them motivated, appreciated, included and productive.
Build Trust with Your Remote Team
Instead of hiring people you know and trust or people recommended by someone you know and trust, you need to evolve and go beyond that. Instead, trust your instincts to build your relationship and trust with your employees.
Keep your promises with your team and it will lead you to do the right things. Listen to what they must say and respect that. Finally, share personal experiences and make the most of it. It will not be futile for sure.
Trust among team members is a strong bond that can achieve a lot in every aspect.
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