Tips for Leading Remote Teams
We don’t know about you, but so much of the project work we see is now carried out remotely. Project scheduling, after all, is something you can do on a computer and that means you can be based anywhere. There are huge benefits to being co-located with the rest of your team, but many teams now have the flexibility for at least a couple of days based from a location of their choice, often home.
That means project leaders need to be expert in leading remote and virtual teams, just as much as they are skilled in collaborating in a face-to-face environment. And there’s one skill we thing really helps manage performance when you aren’t all in the same room.
We won’t keep you in suspense any longer: it’s emotional intelligence (EI). It has long been recognized as an important skill for project managers, but in the context of remote and hybrid teams, its significance has grown more than many leaders expected. As a project manager, you should build your EI skills to lead effectively and keep teams motivated, cohesive, and productive.
We’ll look at how you can do that, but first, let’s get clear on what EI is and how it impacts virtual team management and leading remote teams.
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and influence emotions, both your own and other people’s. The key components of EI are self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills.
Typically, these are things that project leaders already have, because so much of the project management job is getting things done through other people. Many project managers don’t have line management responsibility for their team members, so they’ve developed excellent collaboration and interpersonal skills as they help navigate the complexities of modern workplaces.
EI and virtual teams
EI plays a huge role in being able to successfully lead a remote team through a project. For example, being adaptable helps you manage different communication styles, time zones and cultural differences. It provides the flexibility to adjust leadership styles based on individual team members’ emotional needs.
Being an empathetic leader helps you understand team members’ feelings, challenges, and personal circumstances. You would do this naturally in person, but it can be a lot harder when all you see of your colleagues is a headshot in a tiny square on your screen – and that’s assuming they turn their cameras on. Without non-verbal cues, you have to work a lot harder.
EI helps project managers communicate in ways that are sensitive to the emotions and needs of remote team members. In virtual settings, this can prevent misunderstandings and foster clearer, more productive conversations. Project managers with strong EI skills can bridge the gaps between diverse groups, encouraging collaboration and minimizing conflict.
Practical tips for building emotional intelligence skills
The four aspects of EI that we mentioned above are things that you can work at. If you feel you’re not naturally brilliant at reading the emotions of others, don’t worry – it is something you can get better at. Here are some suggestions for doing exactly that.
Self-awareness
Reflect on your emotional responses in different situations, particularly in stressful scenarios. How do you react when someone questions the project status, or puts forward a change that you know is going to be difficult? Knowing how you react in certain situations can help you identify triggers and develop strategies for managing emotions effectively.
Journaling isn’t for everyone but writing down emotional reactions and thoughts can help build a deeper understanding of how your emotions influence your decision-making and leadership style.
Self-regulation
Emotional regulation techniques are things like mindfulness, deep breathing, or taking a brief walk to manage stress and avoid overreacting in challenging situations. If you’ve just read that and thought those techniques aren’t for you, think about what you could do to manage your stress in difficult times. Gardening, yoga, reading, playing music, stroking the cat: anything that works for you is fair game.
Building resilience will help project leaders and their teams remain calm and composed when there’s a problem. Given the fast-paced nature of many projects, resilience can be a good skill to build!
Empathy
Practice active listening in all team interactions. You know what this means, but it’s still hard to do it, right? Fully focus on the speaker (put your phone down), ask clarifying questions, and reflect back what you’re hearing as well as on their feelings and viewpoints.
Training in cultural sensitivity can improve empathy and help project managers understand how team members’ diverse backgrounds influence their communication styles and emotional needs. If your project involves international teams or working overseas that is new to some team members, consider organizing some training to help them settle into the new environment and work effectively with their colleagues.
Social Skills
Practice giving constructive, positive feedback, helping team members grow and stay motivated. Ask for feedback on your leadership style so you can develop too.
Think about whether conflict resolution training would be useful, or maybe a course on negotiation skills. When you’re equipped with strategies that focus on addressing issues constructively, maintaining respect for all parties involved, and ensuring that emotions do not escalate the situation, you can get everyone back to work faster and with less stress.
Network with other leaders. Share strategies for managing remote teams, and seek out mentorship with a specific view to asking for feedback on developing your social skills.
The indispensable secret skill
Emotional intelligence is an indispensable skill for project managers, especially in the remote and hybrid work environments that have become so common. While it might look like some of your colleagues are naturally good at the people part of the job, we guarantee they have consciously honed their skills over time – and you can too.
Think about how you can build your self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy and social skills to build relationships and stronger, more motivated and cohesive teams. You’ll soon see the positive impact EI skills can have on leading remote teams, team dynamics and project success.