Project management training – Let’s begin with the most obvious tip of them all, and this is project management training. There are many project management courses available today and you will find that managing remote teams and communicating effectively is one of the main themes throughout. It does not matter how long you have been in the industry or if you have taken a training course before, there is always something new to learn.

Respect cultural differences – It is important to value the cultural traditions of your overseas workers. For example, if they have a religious holiday and cannot attend work on a certain day, you cannot demand them to work because the holiday is not observed in the UK. Moreover, working cultures will be very different. The way we work here in the UK is going to be different compared to the likes of the Philippines or Hong Kong, so keep this in mind.

Communicate effectively – Effective communication is of paramount importance when managing a remote team. This is made difficult when there are language barriers and time differences. However, it is not impossible! You should put a communication plan together, which should cover the following: what the team needs to communication, when and how they will communicate, who requires certain information, and what to do when a breakdown in communication takes place. Holding a weekly video conference is advised. This will make sure that all members of your team are held accountable and that they put in the required hours during the week. Aside from this, you need to schedule a daily check-in. This does not need to be done via video conference – instant messenger or email will suffice. If your overseas team finish work just as you are beginning work in the UK, get them to leave you a message before they leave each day, stating what they have achieved that day and what they are working on tomorrow. Having a core messaging app in place is a good idea, as it makes communicate easy and seamless.

Track productivity – Tracking productivity can be challenging when you cannot physically see your team members and what they are working on. As mentioned, holding weekly video conferences can help. However, it is worth investing in tools that give you the ability to measure the likes of hours worked and attendance. This will ensure that your employees don’t get tempted to slack off work.

Be transparent – Maintaining high levels of transparency is important, and it needs to come from both sides. You cannot expect your remote workers to be transparent if you are not doing the same thing. Make sure your team members are kept in the loop when it comes to making decisions on the project. This will encourage them to be more active in their role, as they will be more engaged. They will also be able to anticipate your expectations and needs better, enabling them to do a more thorough job.

Establish roles and responsibilities – Establishing roles and responsibilities is a vital job of any project manager, but it becomes even more important when you are dealing with remote teams. All team members need to know what their role is and how it is going to impact others. It is easy for lines to get blurred when all of your team are not in the same place, which is why clear communication is vital.

Encourage members of your team to get to know one and other – When you have a team that is geographically dispersed, getting to know one and other can be a challenge. However, you will likely have a centralised software solution in place and use an instant messenger of some sort. With regards to the latter, you can encourage small talk between your team members. You may think that a small five-minute chat is a waste of time, but it helps to strengthen bonds in your team, which will lead to improved productivity and efficiency in the long run. You should also encourage all team members to make a profile on the software application that you use, including their name and a photo. This helps people put a face to the name, which can result in a connection being forged.

Deal with different time zones – There is no denying that dealing with different time zones can be difficult, especially if your working day does not overlap. This will often mean that their needs to be occasions when a team is available after work hours. You should vary the team that has to finish work late or go to work early. It is advisable to have a dashboard time zone clock; so that you can easily see what time it is across the different locations of your team members.

Select strong team members – Last but not least, the importance of choosing strong team members to begin with cannot be ignored. You will experience problems every step of the way if your employees are disengaged or unmotivated. You need people that are proactive and enthusiastic in nature. You need to avoid employees that need guidance on a constant basis, as you cannot babysit remote team members.

There is no denying that managing remote teams can be difficult. However, with the tips provided above, you should, hopefully, find it a lot easier. It is all about effective communication and respecting cultural differences. If you can find a way to communicate efficiently and successfully, you are already half way there.