How To Effectively Manage Communication In Dispersed Teams [2023]

According to the latest news from the UN trade agency, apart from the tragic human consequences of the COVID-19 epidemic, the virus have costed the global economy $1 trillion during 2021, with Europe almost certainly going into recession over the coming months. 

However, the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has stressed that ‘the world is not at the mercy of the virus’ and that this could be ‘the first pandemic in history that could be controlled.’ 

Of course one major way of controlling the pandemic has been the move to remote work and companies across the world have been doing this with mixed success. One major hurdle is project Management and Communication in dispersed teams. Below, 10Clouds, a central European software house, which has been working remotely in some capacity for the past decade, share their thoughts on what works.  

Initial task assignments: 

Give your team clear tasks : Worried that operating remotely will result in chaos, with nobody knowing how to progress with projects? Don’t be. All you need is a defined plan: 

1. Arrange scheduled, regular meetings with the team to check in on progress. Agile structures are helpful (we have been using them at 10Clouds), as they enable you to check in on what has been delivered and to set short term goals.
   
   If you would like to read a bit more about the Agile process and how we work here at 10Clouds, you can do so.

2. In the first weeks in particular, after each team has set up their work plan on the company’s chosen platform, ask team leaders to do a daily check in to map progress against targets and flag up any blockers to their manager or head of department. These can then be resolved at the next remote team meeting, or via a separate call. 

Three Tips for ongoing effective communication when outsourcing 

Methods of communication will change when your team moves to a remote work set-up. The tips below may be helpful for ensuring you continue to communicate effectively with all members of your team:  

1. Define Rules and Assess workflows

Following on from your initial set-up, it’s important to establish at the start of every new project who is responsible for what. All your team members need to understand the ultimate goal and vision of the project, and the steps involved in getting there. The best way to do this is to document task ‘owners’ on your workload management tool, and to clearly go through each task on a video conferencing call. 

Project managers should be made responsible for ensuring that individual tasks are completed on time and on budget. They may also act as a point of contact or a sounding board to share ideas and to provide feedback.

2. Set clear meeting times and regular check ins

This depends on what work methodology you’re using. If you’re working in Sprints, you might set a regular daily catch-up which works across different time zones, and a longer weekly or bi-weekly web meeting. 

Continue your one-to-one team meetings, albeit remotely. Ensure that these are done over video conferencing rather than just a call, as it’s important to maintain as much human and emotional contact as possible, and to reassure your staff more than ever that you care about their wellbeing and career progress. 

3. Establish an effective remote work culture

A successful and effective remote work culture should be formed around the pillars of trust, openness, and responsiveness. The idea is that although your team is dispersed, they work together in a commonly agreed way. 

Some team leaders still have a tendency towards being concerned that their colleagues aren’t working hard enough, or well enough, because of the fact that they don’t see them in person in the office. Therefore, regular check-ins are fine, but trust is paramount. 

Finally, remote work shouldn’t be all about ‘work’. Because people are no longer working face to face in the office, there’s an element of sociability that is removed. Why not set aside some time at the end of remote team meetings to talk about what you’re doing outside of work or what your weekend plans are? It’s always important to remember the person behind the face on the screen.