Managing remote teams: myth vs. reality

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been encouraging to see the speed at which many organizations across the world transitioned to remote work. According to this report, 55% of global businesses today offer remote working options. This stands to prove how technology helps ensure business continuity, even when a crisis strikes. However, working remotely is still not universally welcome owing to long-standing concerns about productivity and collaboration. In this blog, we’ll try to debunk some of the common remote working myths to show how effective adopting a remote work policy can be.

Myth 1: Working from home leads to loss of productivity
The stereotypical image of working from home is an employee sitting in their pajamas and wasting their time on the clock. Many managers fear their staff will be more distracted when at home.
It is true that many may find the transition to working outside the traditional office setting difficult at first. As they adjust to working remotely, however, many employees realize working in a private and familiar space helps them focus better. Moreover, project management and productivity tools help individuals track their efficiency and progress on a daily basis, whether they’re working at a desk or out of their own backyard.

Myth 2: Collaborating with a remote team is a challenge
Lack of teamwork in a remote setup is a misconception. Gone are the days when long, tedious email chains were the only form of communication. With team-centric file storage solutions and collaboration tools, you and your colleagues can now work on the same document or presentation in real time. Whether you’re having a financial discussion on a spreadsheet or co-designing a sales presentation, teammates in different locations can huddle up as if they were sitting right next to each other.

Myth 3: Remote work reduces employee engagement
If your organization has offices in multiple locations, your leadership should understand your company already had a remote workforce. Therefore, switching to company-wide telecommuting will not affect employee engagement significantly. Even in a remote working model, you can build an inclusive environment and ensure your staff do not feel disconnected from their coworkers. Web-conferencing options, a company intranet, and virtual training apps come handy in fostering employee engagement.

Myth 4: Work from home means increased office hours
It is natural that many of your employees struggle with their schedules in the initial days of working from home. They fear the lines between work and personal life begin to blur. However, most can dismiss those fears as the survey on remote work by Polycom Inc. reveals two out ofrespondents found better work life balance working from their place of choice. Telecommuting also gives your team the flexibility to manage everyday tasks and balancing their household chores.

Besides the points mentioned above, remote work also brings multiple benefits to your organization, such as reduced operational costs, shorter office commutes, and the convenience of working from one’s own home town. While many companies have adopted remote work as necessary for employee safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope this blog has been helpful in demystifying lingering concerns about the other benefits remote work brings to the table.