I’ve been managing remote teams for almost two decades, and the first of my biggest lessons (that will probably disappoint you) is that there’s no secret formula.
Yes, setting clear expectations, having the right tools, and building communication processes are all part of the strategies, but these are just a small part of it. To become a remote manager, the first rule is to forget everything you know about management.
Don’t get me wrong. The role of managers, regardless if they are remote or not is still the same. But what changes is the “how.”
Here are my best tips on how to manage remote employees without becoming either a micromanager or a ghost.
1. Be Resourceful
When you manage a remote team, your role goes beyond assigning and controlling performance. I’ve noticed that many leaders think “it’s employees’ job to solve things” when, in fact, it’s not.
While you can’t do your employees’ jobs, you can help them excel. By being resourceful and adopting a problem-solving mindset, you can prevent issues before they escalate. This involves scanning situations to identify vulnerabilities and obstacles, allowing you to address them proactively.
I always tell my team that the first step is for them to try to figure out the solution on their own, but if they hit a roadblock, then let’s have a quick meeting and establish a process to figure it out.
2. Don’t Be an Asshole
When I wrote my book, Surviving Remote Work, one of the first tips that came into my mind was this one: Don’t be an asshole.
Gone are the days when being an asshole took you places. If you treat your people badly, they won’t respect you more or become more productive; they’ll actually leave for a better job where they’ll feel valued.
Remember that most of the time, people don’t quit their jobs; they quit their bosses. The single best way to increase your turnover rate is to create an environment of terror where no one can get 100% focused because of stress and fear.
3. Find the Perfect Management Balance
How does blending micro with a macro management approach look like? It’s as simple as being involved without being too controlling.
It’s great to trust employees by giving them the autonomy and independence to perform their tasks without requiring constant reviews, checklists, and permission for everything. However, not being present also has its drawbacks, like the potential for miscommunication or misunderstandings.
The other opposite, as a micromanager, always leads to burnout and damage to trust. The balance between both is getting involved in your team’s work, guiding them through a distance, and being there if something comes up without making the work for them. The idea with this is that you can easily spot the direction of how things are going, being supportive and having the “higher” vision.
4. Prioritize Company Culture
Everyone talks about culture, but what exactly is culture? And how do you build it remotely?
I think the definition of culture varies. Forbes defines it as “The living, breathing persona of your company, capturing the norms, values and behaviors of the business.” I think it’s a bit more simple than that.
Of course, having a set of values and an employee handbook is important, but at the end of the day, culture is truly about connection.
Remote workers are the most disconnected people, so you need to figure out the best ways to create moments where you can simply hang out and form deeper bonds than just regular meetings. By prioritizing connection, you develop a greater sense of purpose and belonging among your team.
A few simple ways to do this remotely are casual meetings, virtual coffees or lunches, and celebrating holidays and birthdays.
5. Show You Care
When you’re in the office, it’s easy to pop into someone’s office to check if everything is okay or have a quick chat while drinking coffee. Remotely, this never happens, so it’s on you to be as intentional as possible.
While it’s easy to get distracted and wrapped up in daily tasks and meetings, make sure to schedule regular check-in meetings to ensure that everything is going smoothly. I always avoid trying to make them just about work, but also ask them if they are okay or if there’s something I can do to help.
Celebrating milestones as a team, whether it’s a work anniversary or a project completion, is an excellent way to show your team that you support them every step of the way.
6. Don’t Avoid Conflict
This sounds like a hot take, but let me explain. Part of being a remote manager is about having tough conversations.
When mistakes happen, besides accountability, you need to take a moment to understand what happened in order to avoid it in the future. This is what I call as constructive conflict, which builds a safe space for you and your team to state your opinions on a specific situation or challenge without getting personal or attacking someone subjectively.
This remote employee management strategy encourages employees to think outside the box and view mistakes as opportunities for improvement.
7. Change Your Meeting Dynamics
We all hate those meetings that could’ve been easily an email. However, this doesn’t mean that you should always schedule asynchronous meetings or communications. The key is identifying what topics are necessary to bring to a meeting and creating an agenda based on that. By starting to do this, everyone will start taking meetings more seriously.
In my experience, creating a detailed agenda that outlines the meeting’s purpose allows everyone to prepare and make the most of it. Additionally, if your team has different time zones, it’s necessary to set a fixed time when everyone will be available for meetings.
8. Be Approachable
For me, being a remote manager means being approachable. I don’t want my team to feel they can’t ever reach out to me because I don’t have time or because they can solve things on their own.
It’s not about saying to them, “Hey, let me know if you need something from me,” but actually sharing your availability clearly, whether through a shared calendar or status, so members can know when you’re available.
In the same vein, being approachable involves listening actively and showing interest in what others say. This encourages team members to feel comfortable sharing issues, ideas or feedback.
9. Watch Out for Mental Health
Unfortunately, years ago, mental health wasn’t on leaders’ radar. However, it’s shocking to see how many times some of your biggest performers are the first ones to be burned out.
One of the first changes I started to make as a remote manager to promote work-life balance was in terms of boundaries. Everyone needs to respect time off, and with this, when someone’s on holiday or on time off, I never send emails or messages, and I expect everyone on the team not to do that as well.
Additionally, it is hard to build casual moments in remote teams, but not impossible. At DistantJob, we have Donut Tuesdays, where we catch up with each other through the Donut plugin in Slack, which aleatorily pairs team members for a call. We also celebrate birthdays and special occasions (believe it or not, we’ve even had Zoom parties dancing “La Macarena.”
All this to say, if you want, you can do it; it’s just a matter of putting intention and genuinely caring for every person on the team.
Setting Strong Foundations on Your Team
There’s no easy formula for automatically becoming a successful remote manager. With more than 15 years of experience in this field, I know it’s all about experimenting and focusing on what matters: having a productive and happy team.
Fostering an environment of open communication, active engagement, and mutual respect can help build strong, cohesive, and motivated remote teams.
Implementing these strategies not only enhances team productivity but also creates a supportive and inclusive work culture that drives long-term success.
