Managing remote teams: Tips for building a connected team

Published Wednesday 5 November 2025

Table of contents

• Challenges of managing remote teams
• Tips for managing your remote team
• Making remote team management work for your business
• FAQs on managing remote teams
• Start using Xero for free

Key takeaways

• Establish clear expectations by documenting team culture, roles, communication protocols, and workflows to prevent confusion and ensure consistent performance across your remote team.

• Focus on outcomes rather than micromanaging by measuring success through deliverables and deadlines instead of monitoring daily activities or hours worked.

• Prevent burnout and isolation by encouraging clear work-life boundaries, watching for warning signs like decreased participation, and creating optional informal connection opportunities.

• Implement the right combination of project management software, video conferencing tools, and shared calendars that integrate seamlessly to streamline communication and collaboration across different locations.

Challenges of managing remote teams

Remote team challenges affect productivity, communication, and employee wellbeing when team members work from different locations.

Common remote team structures include:

• Fully distributed teams: All employees work from different locations
• Hybrid teams: Mix of office-based and remote workers
• Project-based remote teams: Temporary teams assembled for specific tasks

Common challenges when managing remote teams include:

• Working across different locations can hinder teamwork
• Missing face-to-face interaction can cause misunderstandings
• Building trust remotely can be challenging
• Facing distractions and technical issues can reduce productivity
• Overworking at home can lead to burnout
• Monitoring employee wellbeing is harder from a distance
• Missing spontaneous conversations can limit idea sharing
• Managing technology requires time and skill

Tips for managing your remote team

Effective remote team management balances structure with flexibility to maintain productivity and team cohesion. These strategies help you establish clear processes while supporting individual work styles and needs.

Set the tone: define roles, expectations, and good practice

Setting clear expectations prevents confusion and ensures consistent performance across your remote team.

Essential elements to define:

• Team culture and values: Document your working principles and communication style
• Roles and responsibilities: Create detailed job descriptions and accountability structures
• Processes and workflows: Establish standard procedures for common tasks
• Communication protocols: Define which tools to use for different types of communication

Project planning considerations:

• Schedule coordination: Account for different time zones and working hours
• Technology delays: Build buffer time for technical issues
• Version control: Manage documents and files in shared systems
• : Assign mentors and provide comprehensive welcome packages

Check health and safety laws. Help your team set up healthy workspaces. See HSE remote work advice.

Focus on outcomes, not micromanagement

Productive remote management focuses on outcomes rather than constant monitoring. Measure success by results delivered, not hours worked or activity levels.

Strategies to avoid micromanaging:

• Status updates: Encourage team members to share their availability and current focus
• Regular check-ins: Schedule consistent one-on-ones instead of random interruptions
• Deep work respect: Protect focused work time and avoid unnecessary meetings
• Open communication: Create safe spaces for team members to discuss delays or challenges
• Outcome tracking: Focus on deliverables and deadlines rather than daily activities

Hold stand-up meetings where your team shares progress, achievements, and roadblocks. Schedule them according to team need rather than expecting them every day, and keep them concise.

Regardless of the communication tools you use, clarify their best use: emails for detailed information, chat/phone for conversation, video calls for collaboration. Many decisions happen in informal conversations. Use group chat channels to encourage spontaneous ideas. When you're remote managing it's harder to foster spontaneous ideas, but group chat channels can serve this purpose.

Set clear rules but allow flexibility where possible. Clearly define non-negotiable rules and procedures, while identifying areas where flexibility can be applied.

Communicate effectively across time zones

When your team works across time zones, clear communication is even more important. Start by establishing core hours when everyone overlaps, even if it's just for an hour or two. Use this time for essential meetings and real-time collaboration.

Document everything important in shared spaces where team members can catch up asynchronously. This means meeting notes, decisions, and project updates should all live in accessible places like shared drives or project management tools.

Be mindful of when you send messages. Just because you're working doesn't mean your team member in another time zone should feel pressured to respond immediately. Use scheduling features in your communication tools to send messages during their working hours.

Prevent remote work burnout and isolation

Remote work can blur work and personal time, so encourage your team to set clear boundaries. Encourage your team to set clear boundaries – like having a dedicated workspace and sticking to regular hours.

Watch for signs that someone might be struggling: decreased participation in meetings, delayed responses, or changes in work quality. When you notice these signs, reach out with genuine concern and practical support.

Combat isolation by creating opportunities for informal connection. You could hold virtual coffee breaks, play online team games, or start meetings with casual chat. The key is to make these interactions feel natural and relaxed.

Build team connections with low-pressure activities

Remote team building creates genuine connections through optional, low-pressure activities that respect individual preferences.

Effective team building approaches:

• Informal meeting time: Allow 5-10 minutes for casual chat before or after meetings
• Dedicated chat channels: Create spaces for sharing interests, memes, or casual conversation
• Optional social activities: Offer virtual coffee breaks, games, or drinks without mandatory participation
• Interest-based connections: Help team members discover shared hobbies or backgrounds
• In-person opportunities: Organise face-to-face meetings when possible and budget allows

Encourage optional participation in team activities and keep them informal.

Show your team you value them

Embrace individuality within your remote team – it's a source of strength. Support different working styles. Successful remote managing includes factoring in people's personalities, skills, and areas where they'll need support.

Celebrate victories, professional and personal, and recognise achievements. Offer opportunities for advancement to help your remote team grow personally and professionally.

Check in with your team regularly. Encourage your team members to support each other.

Give your team a voice. When you listen, your team feels more engaged and committed to your business. Create opportunities for honest feedback, through town hall or all-hands meetings, or anonymous feedback tools like TINYPulse.

Use the right tools

Remote team tools streamline communication, project tracking, and collaboration across distributed teams. Choose tools based on your team size, technical skills, and specific workflow needs.

Tool selection strategy:

• Assess current skills: Identify team members who can become tool champions
• Start simple: Begin with basic features before adding complexity
• Consider integration: Choose tools that work together seamlessly
• Budget for training: Factor in setup time and learning curves
• Expert help: Consider hiring specialists for complex implementations

Project management software

Project management software organises tasks, deadlines, and team responsibilities in visual formats.

Popular approaches:

• Kanban boards: Visual task management using cards that move through workflow stages (ideal for ongoing projects)
• Timeline-based tools: Gantt charts and calendar views for deadline-driven projects
• Analytical platforms: Reporting and performance tracking for data-driven teams

Popular tools include:

• Trello
• Asana
• ClickUp
• Monday.com

Try different systems to find what works best for you. Look for these features:

• ease of use
• collaborative tools
• integration with your other tools, for example, Dropbox, Slack, Google Docs, or a shared email system
• templates
• options to customise
• scalability
• native reporting and variety of charts and views
• task dependencies and task hierarchies
• role and permissions structures
• a good mobile app
• value

Calendars

Use a shared calendar for all meetings and integrate it with your communication and video conferencing tools. Choose Microsoft Outlook with Teams or Google Workspace.

Video conferencing

Choose video conferencing systems that integrate with your calendar and make it easy for your team to connect. Consider video quality and restrictions on meeting lengths and participants. The most popular options are Zoom video conferencing, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. Other options include Whereby and BlueJeans.

Xero integrated apps

Integration saves you time by automating document and report management. There are apps that integrate with Xero accounting software to help you manage expenses and payroll.

Try Expensify, to capture receipts and manage expenses, Hubdoc to extract information from invoices and receipts, or Xero Projects to track time and expenses against jobs. And Planday will streamline your staff management with rostering and time tracking that syncs with Xero Payroll. Explore a wealth of integrated apps in the Xero App Store.

Making remote team management work for your business

To manage your remote team well, set clear expectations, communicate openly, and use the right tools to support your team. When you get the foundation right, you build a team that's engaged, productive, and trusts you to lead.

This frees you up from day-to-day worries, so you can focus on the bigger picture – like growing your business. With a solid team structure in place, you'll have more time for strategy, serving your customers, and planning what's next.

Successful remote team management delivers measurable benefits when you balance structure with flexibility and maintain open communication.

You can achieve these benefits:

• Increased productivity: Teams often perform better with fewer office distractions
• Cost savings: Reduced office space and commuting expenses
• Talent access: Hire the best people regardless of location
• : Better work-life balance improves retention
• : Distributed teams adapt more easily to disruptions

Your next steps: Start with clear expectations, choose appropriate tools, and focus on outcomes rather than activity monitoring.

FAQs on managing remote teams

Here are answers to some common questions about managing remote teams.

What difficulties arise when managing a remote team?

The main challenges are often around communication, trust, and team spirit. Without face-to-face interaction, it can be harder to build rapport and ensure everyone feels connected. Other issues include managing different time zones, preventing employee burnout, and making sure everyone has the right tech to do their job.

How do you manage individual remote employees effectively?

Focus on trust and clear communication. Set clear goals and expectations, then give your employees the autonomy to get their work done. Schedule regular one-on-one check-ins to discuss progress, offer support, and listen to their feedback. It's about managing their output, not their hours.

What's the biggest mistake new remote managers make?

Instead of replicating the office online, focus on building trust and a culture of accountability. Instead, focus on outcomes and building a culture of accountability.

How do you measure productivity in remote teams?

Focus on results, not hours worked. Measure productivity by tracking completed tasks, project milestones, and progress against your business goals. This approach empowers your team and keeps them focused on what matters most.