Productivity in Remote Teams

At MRC, we’ve operated using a distributed team model since long before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Over the last year, as companies were forced to join us in this remote-first world, many discovered the multitude of benefits that accompany distributed work.

At the outset of the pandemic, many employers saw a surge in productivity from their teams; with no commutes, employees found themselves more focused, willingly working longer hours and getting more things done. The large-scale shift in ways of working quickly proved that productivity doesn’t have to be a casualty of remote work.

As we approach the one-year mark of social distancing, however, employees have started to report higher levels of depression, frustration and burnout. Those high levels of productivity that companies experienced initially have dropped, leaving employers to question why.

There are likely some “temporary” contributing issues – e.g., a year of isolation and having to be an employee, parent and part-time teacher at the same time – that will eventually shift. Managers shouldn’t be quick to assume the problem is remote work, especially because high percentages of employees report that they want to continue working from home at least part of the time permanently. Moving forward, it’s important that employers understand not only where to loosen control and oversight of their remote teams but also what performance factors matter most.

Loosen your grip: Avoid the temptation of micromanagement

For remote workers to thrive, trust is absolutely vital. As a manager, it can be difficult to balance taking a step back where needed while still making sure your team is supported and getting things done. This is especially true if you moved to remote work by necessity rather than by choice. However, if you find yourself micromanaging everyone’s workload and deliverables, you’ll quickly see productivity take a nosedive. Employees don’t have room to spread their wings and grow when someone is constantly looking over their shoulders; this is a recipe for resentment. Focus on getting a good understanding of your team members’ unique approaches and styles, and then let go of worrying how the work gets done. Trust goes both ways, and managers can lead by modeling strong communication and letting team members work in a way that suits them best.

Set your team up for success: Focus on what really matters

With your attention on the work itself rather than how it’s getting done, you’ll have more space to view projects holistically and catch problems before they get worse. The communication piece is key here: As a manager, there’s no such thing as over communication, but that doesn’t mean more frequent and longer meetings. Keep meetings short and to the point, and consider which ones truly need to be on video. “Zoom fatigue” is real, and drained employees on video for yet another meeting are not being productive. Keep meetings on the books when absolutely necessary, and build in other communication channels daily. It’s possible to check in without being a micromanager; model this by keeping everyone up to speed on where your own action items are throughout the process.