Tips For Managing A (Remote) Team During A Time Of Crisis
When you’ve managed a remote team for many years like me, it’s inevitable to have experienced times of great happiness and times of great sadness. Thinking of this always reminds me of the first line from Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
The same can be said about teams: the happy times are always uplifting, engaging and joyful. The unhappy times are completely based on situation and context. Being remote adds an extra layer of challenges for managers guiding teams through difficult situations. I’ve dealt with my share of managing difficult and tragic circumstances, all with a remote team. Here are some things that I’ve learned over the years to help you through this challenging time.
- Acknowledge the situation
The worst thing a manager can do in a time of crisis is pretend like nothing is wrong, or that no one is suffering. It’s very difficult to deal with crises both personally and professionally, and sometimes it’s easier to just pretend like nothing is wrong. This is unacceptable when you’re managing a team because it sets the example that any challenges the team is going through are not okay. Instead, be vocal that things are different, or that the status quo has been shattered and give your team the ability to process what’s going on. Doing so publicly will give people permission to process the situation instead of burying it. In a remote team, this is even more important since physical and behavioral cues all happen over digital tools.
Here are some things you can do:
- In a 1:1, make sure to ask every direct report, “Hey, I know this is a challenging time. Is there anything I can do to support you more?”
- During a team meeting say, “Thanks everyone for meeting given everything that’s going on. I know not everyone wants to talk about [insert crisis here] but I want to provide a forum for anyone to share their concerns or thoughts as they pertain to [this team/this project/today’s meeting].”
- In all digital communications, make sure to think about overall morale before surfacing issues you may have surfaced without thinking twice before. People are very emotionally fragile during a crisis and may not respond well, causing team morale to suffer more than you’d like.
2. Understand everyone’s context
Everyone handles grief, pain, and anxiety differently. As a manager, it’s your job to talk to direct reports about how they are doing and support their work. I care deeply about everyone on my team and want them to succeed (which I hope is true for all managers!) so I want to make sure to understand any nuances for individuals. For example, when there is a crisis, my default is to plunge into my work since it’s a place where things can be normal. Other people need more space and time to process events, regardless of where they are. Understanding how a direct report is dealing with a crisis will help you develop strategies for supporting their work and understanding what (if anything) needs to change as a result of the crisis.
If you’re managing managers, your job is to coach and support your managers. Especially for new managers, the crisis you’re dealing with may be the first time they’ve had to manage people during a difficult time. Give them the tools to ask the right questions and share the right information so the whole team feels supported and is on the same page.
3. Step up the communications
With remote teams, there is less gossip ahem organic information sharing since people are not physically together. The antidote is over communicating. I’ve shared the “Rule of Seven,” in other posts, but it’s the idea that for anyone to truly internalize a piece of information, it needs to be shared seven distinct times. Seven!
In a time of crisis, managers of remote teams should up the ante on whatever regular communication there is. Some examples:
- If there are biweekly team meetings or 1:1s, schedule them weekly.
- Use the digital tools you have (Slack, Confluence, Zoom, Trello, etc) to provide teammates timely and relevant information from a reputable source (you) so they feel supported and aware of any changes to protocol or processes. This also makes people feel supported and seen during a time of crisis.
- Consider daily updates as related to the crisis: this is a regular feature of crisis communications as a practice.
For example, last week we had an emergency Trello Town Hall to address the current climate. We have regular Town Halls monthly for all Trello personnel over Zoom where we go over business updates and welcome new hires. In this special Town Hall, we addressed everything from our NYC office closure to mental health awareness stemming from the current meta environment. I imagine we will be scheduling more of these as the current crisis escalates.
3. Be vulnerable
I’ll be honest, I’m a huge sucker for Brené Brown anything so I’m a big believer in managers being open and transparent. This is especially true in a time of crisis where everyone is feeling very confused and emotionally off balance. I will always tell my team exactly how I’m feeling, so they know I’m just as human as anyone else and don’t (always!) have all the answers. I know they appreciate this about me and are more likely to open up about their own worries. This helps me gauge both team morale and what I can be doing to support the team better. Transparency with the team during times of crisis also helps to make it clear that management isn’t hiding anything, which can be a frequent rumor in a time of unease.
What does this look like for a remote team?
Following the previous tip on upping communication, I’ll share how I’m dealing with the crisis and what things are helping me cope. If there’s something that’s bothering me, I’ll ask for support from my teammates and not present a facade of all knowingness. This happens both in video meetings as well as digital communication. Being vulnerable with my team allows me to build trust both in happy times, but especially in times of crisis.
4. Provide extra support
During a crisis, things that get taken for granted often can’t be taken from granted anymore. Whether that’s childcare or spousal support or health issues, it’s a manager’s job to both know (Tip #2) and to figure out ways to distribute work among teammates to make sure whatever needs to get done. This may mean working with an individual contributor to look at their workload and timelines and make adjustments, and this may also mean reprioritizing what is important for the team to get done in the new climate.
For example, last week we made a team decision to share all of Trello’s remote working knowledge with a public where many have never worked remotely before. This meant putting the pause on certain projects that weren’t as pressing in order to execute quickly on something we felt was more important. As a manager, I made sure to let the team know it’s ok to adjust the timeline for other projects. The last thing I want to do is double someone’s workload in a time of crisis. Not only did I advise on goal setting and strategy, but I also stepped in and contributed to the campaign effort with this (shameless plug) article on How To Be A Happy And Productive Remote Worker.
How does this happen remotely? Using the digital tools where the team has laid out projects (Trello and Confluence for us) I talked to the team about adjusting deadlines and understanding that productivity may not be as high in a difficult time. This happened in multiple Zoom meetings through the week.
Like Brené says:
“A brave leader is someone who says I see you. I hear you. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m going to keep listening and asking questions.”
5. Be a human and step up the empathy
During a crisis, people may feel discombobulated. They are probably not going to be as productive or on point or totally there. Neither are you most likely. Now is the time to be a human and step up the empathy.
Encourage the team to have more empathy for each other and for themselves. Tough times call for understanding and humanity in order to come out the other side stronger. In a remote setting this means thinking twice before responding in Slack. This means considering how much negative news you’re posting in a team channel and what effect that may have on the team morale. This means giving the team permission to take more frequent breaks. Encouraging the team to practice self care like meditation, yoga or whatever helps them feel better.
Understand that any crisis is (hopefully) temporary. However, whatever response managers have during that time of crisis will be remembered and internalized by teammates. Think about it yourself, do you remember more who is there to support you during the easy, happy times, or who you turn to when things aren’t going well. In a remote setting this means being more intentional about communication, being more supportive and open in team settings, and offering people the support they need to get through the crisis and thrive.
