Team Management Skills for Remote-First Businesses
October 1, 2024
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic changed many facets of life. Healthcare, education and social spaces were altered in unexpected ways. But of all the upheavals that came along with the pandemic, the shift to remote work seems to have stuck, even as much of life has returned to normal.
As of 2024, about 14% of Americans work entirely from home, and that’s expected to rise to 22% by 2025.1 In this context, the development of team management skills for remote jobs has become increasingly more important. In fact, management occupations are among the most likely to work remotely, with 72% of managers reporting that they work from home either full- or part-time,1 making remote team management a necessity rather than a bonus.
Which team management skills are most essential for leaders of remote-first businesses? Below, learn more about various approaches to remote management and explore the top challenges reported by work-from-home employees.
Types of Team Management in a Remote Setting
When contemplating the management skills that may serve you well in your current position, it’s often useful to reflect on your own experiences being managed throughout your career. Think back to two people you’ve worked with who demonstrated management skills you admired. Answer the following questions about each person, either on paper or quickly in your head:
- What made this person a good manager?
- Why was this person effective as a member of the management team?
- What actions did this person take to earn the respect of their coworkers?
- How did this person support the success of their team members?
- How did this person handle failure?
It’s likely that you answered each of these questions differently for each of the two individuals you identified. That’s because each individual manager develops a management style that works well for them and for the team they manage. This is true for all business leaders, from middle managers to business owners and even CEOs. Below, learn more about five styles of team management that are common in virtual work.
The Coach
The coach makes it their goal to help the employees on their team grow as professionals. This manager’s superpower is knowing how to help their team members reach their goals. Leaders who fit this management style excel in the following areas2:
- Celebrating the achievements of others
- Helping teammates identify their strengths and areas for growth
- Encouraging employees to take advantage of networking opportunities
- Locating and recommending professional learning resources
- Offering effective feedback to help teammates improve
- Seeing the bigger picture and bringing the team together as a cohesive whole
The Confidant
The confidant prioritizes trust and honesty in their professional relationships. Relationship-building can be challenging in a remote environment, but these leaders make it a priority. Managers who adhere to the confidant team management style tend to2:
- Create a safe environment for open communication
- Demonstrate compassion and understanding in their leadership duties
- Encourage coworkers to feel comfortable confiding in them about both successes and challenges in the workplace
- Prioritize honesty in their professional relationships
- Take the time to meaningfully engage with all teammates
The Over-Achiever
The over-achiever often works long hours and goes above and beyond to do their job well. Remote leaders practicing this management style may do so out of necessity – if your team is stretched over multiple time zones, communicating with all of them can mean putting in a few extra hours. The over-achiever may also2:
- Demonstrate high levels of energy
- Have trouble protecting their personal time
- Pace themselves in order to work long hours
- Volunteer to take on additional responsibilities
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The Team Builder
The team builder excels at bringing people together. On remote teams, it’s easy for employees to become disconnected from each other as well as from the organization they work for. Managers who fit into the team builder category work hard to2:
- Build a strong team culture
- Communicate effectively with their teammates
- Connect their teams to the larger company
- Demonstrate that they value both productivity and mutual respect
- Help individuals understand their role within the larger business
- Passing along important company messaging, including company values
The Type-A
The type-A manager is highly involved in the ins and outs of their team’s activities. This management style is sometimes compared to micro-management and may include2:
- Close attention to detail
- Creating and maintaining the schedules for projects and individual team members
- Feelings of discomfort when control over a project is limited
- Placing a heavy emphasis on organization
- Regularly checking in on progress
Do any of these team management styles stand out as particularly well-suited for your remote team? Keep in mind that your unique style could be a combination of two or more of the models described above. Additionally, you may find yourself adjusting your management techniques to respond to specific challenges that arise in the process of leading a remote team. Learn more about these challenges in the next section.
Challenges of Managing a Remote Team
The task of managing a remote team presents a unique set of challenges – one that many business leaders are currently facing for the first time as more companies move to virtual work. Some of the most common challenges for managers of work-from-home employees include:
- Balancing trust and accountability: As a manager, it’s your responsibility to ensure that everyone on your team upholds their responsibilities. However, it’s important to balance this responsibility with the ability to build trust with your employees. Finding the right balance between trust and accountability is a major challenge for many remote teams.
- Conducting effective meetings: Many remote-first companies struggle to conduct effective virtual meetings. As a remote manager, you’ll need to consider how to structure virtual meetings to meet the needs of your team and ensure that all perspectives are represented.
- Coordinating projects: It can be more difficult to coordinate large projects when employees are spread across multiple cities, states and countries instead of together in one office building. Consider which project management and virtual communication tools may best support your team members.
- Information Security: Working remotely increases the challenge of maintaining information security. In response, many employers require security training and other measures to increase employee awareness of this threat. How might this work for your team?
- Work-Life Balance: Better work-life balance was the top benefit of virtual work as reported by employees in a 2024 survey conducted by USA Today.2 However, it’s also easy for the lines between work and home to become blurred when working remotely. As a team manager, it’s important to consider how you can protect work-life balance for your teammates and encourage them to set healthy professional boundaries.
Skills for Managing Virtual Teams
Managing remote teams can certainly be challenging, but learning to do so effectively can help you become a more effective leader and stronger professional. Many team management skills translate directly from in-person to remote work, while others need to be developed over time. The most recommended skills for remote-first managers include3:
- Ability to organize projects, people, schedules and processes
- Clear written and oral communication
- Flexibility and adaptability to unforeseen changes
- Relationship-building skills that emphasize honesty and trust
A quality degree program can help you develop the skills you need to excel as the manager of a remote team. Below, learn how can help you prepare for advancement to leadership and management roles in your industry.
Begin Leading Remote Teams
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At OHIO, you’ll join a diverse online community of students and study an AACSB-accredited curriculum designed to help you develop advanced skills for the modern business world. Graduate in as little as 12 months ready for the next step in your career.
Sources
- Campbell, Sierra and Punjwani, Mehdi. “Remote work statistics and trends in 2024.” April 3, 2024. USA Today. Retrieved July 24, 2024, from .
- ClickTime. “5 Types of Leaders for Remote Employees.” Retrieve July 24, 2024, from .
- Perry, Elizabeth. “Essential remote management skills and tips for success.” February 23, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2024, from .
Infographic Transcript
On a dark-green background, five management styles are represented in graphics and explained in white text.
The Coach: Helps teammates identify their strengths and areas for growth.
The Over-Achiever: Volunteers to take on additional responsibilities.
The Type-A: Creates and maintains the schedules for projects and individual team members.
The Confidant: Creates a safe environment for open communication.
The Team Builder: Builds strong team culture.
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