Keeping Remote Teams Motivated

Many leaders have crossed the first hurdles of ensuring that their remote team members have set up their tech tools and defined their processes. The next step is keeping everyone engaged and motivated. Though academic research on remote productivity is mixed, with some studies saying it declines while others promising it increases, Lindsay McGregor, co-author of The New York Times bestseller Primed to Perform and co-founder and CEO of Vega Factor, a technology and consulting firm, says success depends on how you do it:

Motivators that lead to increased productivity, says McGregor, include play (the joy of problem-solving with a colleague), purpose (visibility into one’s impact on clients or colleagues), and potential (access to colleagues that teach and mentor). What can leaders do to try to keep these elements present in remote work? McGregor suggests the following weekly rhythm:

• Monday: Hold a performance cycle meeting for the team that  covers the asks: 1) What impact did we have last week and what did we learn? 2) How can we help each other with this week’s commitments? 3) How can we experiment to improve performance this week?

 

• Tuesday-Thursday: Have at least one individual meeting with each team member, focusing on helping them tackle challenges. Coordinate small group meetings in which employees can collaborate on the week’s experiments and tackle problems together. (Tweet it!)

 

• Friday: Focus on reflection. Review and gather input on the experiments of the week. Have team members share metrics and insights. Check in on each other’s motivation and progress. How are people feeling, where did they struggle, and where did they thrive?

      
If you are suddenly working remotely, do you feel more or less motivated in your role, and why? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

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