Close Menu
FarAwayJobs
    What's Hot
    Study Abroad

    More Singaporeans choosing the road less travelled when studying abroad

    Study Abroad

    5 Common Mistakes You Should Avoid While Applying for Study Abroad

    Study Abroad

    Three Types of Short-Term Study Abroad Programs

    Important Pages:
    • Free AI Resume
    • About Us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Free AI Resume
    • About Us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    FarAwayJobs
    Free AI Resume Builder
    • Remote Work

      Best B2B GEO Agencies In 2025

      VP of Growth’s Guide To B2B Demand Generation in 2025

      B2B LinkedIn Social Selling Strategy Guide

      Leveraging an Ideal Customer Profile in B2B Sales – RevenueZen

      Top 18 SEO Myths: Avoid These Traps

    • Remote Teams

      9 Remote 9 Interview Questions Every Interviewer Should Ask

      7 Ways to Build a Resilient Remote Team

      7 Reasons to Plan a Virtual Team Retreat

      7 Signs a Candidate Is a Good Fit for Your Team

      Top Recruiting Tips for Remote Companies

    • Management

      Report: 80% Say Salary Isn’t Keeping Up With Inflation

      Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication for Remote Teams| Remote.co

      Getting to Know Your Virtual Team: 10 Strategies

      10 Tips to Succeed as a Fully Remote Company

      How to Hire Contractors for Your Remote Team

    • Business

      Remote Work Predictions for 2018

      Remote Work: More Than a Perk for Pros with Chronic Conditions

      10 Tips for Running a Remote Business

      Starting a Company? Why You Should Go Remote

      How Remote Work Leads to More Loyal Employees

    • Offshoring

      7 ways an accounts payable BPO can benefit your company

      The complete guide to hiring a virtual phone assistant

      What is an IVR call center? (workflows, benefits, tools)

      The 2024 guide to omnichannel contact centers

      24 virtual assistant websites to find skilled VAs in 2024

    • Productivity

      Build a productivity improvement plan in 9 simple steps

      How employee insights improve workforce productivity

      What it is and how you can avoid it

      5 project time management processes to boost productivity

      Are your remote workers overemployed? Here are the red flags

    • Abroad

      Can You Study Abroad and Intern Abroad at the Same Time? 

      Brett’s Spring Semester in Granada

      Top Global Destinations to See the Magic of Spring Come Alive

      Best Places To Study Abroad this January Term

      Can College Student Athletes Study or Intern Abroad?

    • Job Search

      Job Hopping: Benefits And Disadvantages

      Remote Job Search Tips from Deb Haas

      Andrew Gobran (Doist) on Career Values and Remote Job Search Strategy

      24 Remote Jobs for Pregnant Women To Work-From-Home

      Make Your Remote Job Application Stand Out in 2025

    • Job Board
    FarAwayJobs
    Home » 6 Ways to Improve Remote Team Workflow
    Management

    6 Ways to Improve Remote Team Workflow

    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp
    6 Ways to Improve Remote Team Workflow
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest WhatsApp

    Remote work means a lot of autonomy and freedom in how you work. You’re often free to choose what hours you work, sometimes where you work, and how you get your work done. But remote work doesn’t necessarily mean you work alone. You’re most likely part of a team, which means you contribute to the company’s overall goals.

    And if you’re a manager, it’s up to you to make sure that each team member does the part to achieve these goals. When someone isn’t accomplishing their tasks on time, your team’s workflow will slow down—maybe even stop. And it’s up to you to help get things “unstuck.”


    So on a remote team, what can people do to improve team workflow and remove bottlenecks?

    6 Ways to Improve Remote Team Workflow

    1. Identify Bottlenecks

    A bottleneck can broadly be defined as anything that slows down a task or process, diverts time and resources into less-than-useful pursuits, or holds up a task or project from moving forward or being completed.

    There are some common bottlenecks whether you work in an office or are 100% remote. These include:

    • Having inadequate, out-of-date, or less-than-useful tools or software
    • Temporary, unexpected technology issues, such as a power outage, slow or down internet service, broken or wonky web conferencing software, etc.
    • Miscommunicating expectations or not being clear on the goal of a project or task
    • Not having access to needed information
    • Having one person be responsible for too much
    • Too many meetings where the goal isn’t to help move along tasks and projects

    2. Figure Out What’s Blocking Your Team

    The best way to figure out the disruption(s) in your remote team’s workflow is to ask them!

    On a given day, what throws them off course? Where do they get hung up? What are their biggest questions about how things “work” around the “office”? What information do they wish they had access to? What technology do they use that is outdated or unreliable? What tools do they constantly wish they had?

    When do they feel like the bottleneck holding something up? What do they see as the biggest blockers to their productivity?

    There are a lot of ways to phrase these questions, and some questions that are even more pointed or specific to your team may help you pinpoint the root causes of your workflow bottlenecks.

    3. Clear the Blocks

    Start with a brainstorming session to ask team members to discuss what’s stopping them (or the whole team) from finishing a task or project. Giving people a safe space to discuss their challenges can help them bond with the team and invite other team members to offer solutions that have worked for them.

    Some coworkers may have experienced the same challenges and can share how they overcame them. Others have a random bit of knowledge that they didn’t know would be helpful to share. That piece of information could save the blocked person countless hours and frustration.

    And sometimes, it helps us pinpoint when a person is actually the bottleneck, which lets you examine their responsibilities and either shift things around to free up their time or hire new talent to help lessen responsibilities.

    If technology is to blame for some of your blockers, start investigating other options for software, apps, or programs to replace those that aren’t working well for your team. Consider testing several options before deciding which ones work best for your team.

    4. Prevent New Bottlenecks From Forming

    With the old bottlenecks cleared, your next task is to ensure new ones don’t form.

    Start by establishing clear expectations about staff performance. How will you measure productivity or effectiveness? Stating what, when, and how you’re measuring performance will help staff improve their processes to make sure they aren’t causing a workflow bottleneck. And it helps you identify when the workflow is off and gives you a chance to find solutions. 

    Then, create a centralized location to communicate processes and procedures. This helps people get the information they need to solve problems on their own and keep the work flowing. Likewise, invest in a project management and collaboration tool so the team knows where every project stands and who is working on what.

    5. Embrace Asynchronous Communication

    One of the hallmarks of working on a remote team is that communications often aren’t instantaneous. Staff can’t just pop into your office to ask a question, and random encounters in the break room never happen. 

    Communications often take place over email and instant messaging, which requires planning, and it can take “a while” to have a conversation. But that’s OK—even expected—in a remote work setting, and embracing asynchronous communications can actually speed workflow up.

    When staff know it will take some time to get an answer, they know they are free to work on a different task. This stops bottlenecks from forming on other projects. And it empowers the message recipient not to drop everything to answer one email, giving them the time they need to do deep work and continue being productive.

    6. Schedule Live Check-Ins

    Though asynchronous communications are essential in a remote work setting, another way to improve workflow is through synchronous check-ins with staff. Whether it’s once a week or once a month, face-to-face (or live but cameras off) meetings can keep things running smoothly. Furthermore, check-ins give employees a chance to ask questions and get clarification. It also gives you an opportunity to ask how things are going, ensure they aren’t facing any challenges, and implement any changes if they are.

    Also, schedule a regular meeting with your entire team so everyone has a chance to check in, ask questions, and update each other on where things stand. This can help prevent bottlenecks before they form. For example, if someone is going on vacation, alerting the team lets coworkers adjust their process so tasks are not held up for a week or more.

    Keep Things Flowing

    While an individual’s performance can cause bottlenecks for your team, often it’s the processes, procedures, or technology that slow things down. Taking the time to poll your team about their challenges and giving them the tools to overcome them will help ensure your team keeps producing their best work and doesn’t fall behind.

    To learn more about leading a remote team, check out our Q and A’s.

    Learn More

    By Brie Weiler Reynolds | Categories: Remote Management


    Source link

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp

    Related Posts

    Management

    Report: 80% Say Salary Isn’t Keeping Up With Inflation

    Management

    Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication for Remote Teams| Remote.co

    Management

    Getting to Know Your Virtual Team: 10 Strategies

    Management

    10 Tips to Succeed as a Fully Remote Company

    Management

    How to Hire Contractors for Your Remote Team

    Management

    Remote Management Tips for Top-Level Managers

    Management

    How to Inspire Innovation on Remote Teams

    Management

    How to Drive Employee Motivation with Company Culture

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    Study Abroad

    The First Cohort Of The Asia Scholarship Programme

    Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Dr. Natalio Wheatley is featured as he congratulates recipients…

    Andrew Gobran (Doist) on Career Values and Remote Job Search Strategy

    ‘All is well, but skip summer intake’: Experts tell Indian students travelling to Canada | Education News

    Career Change Checklist for Job Seekers At Any Age

    Top Insights
    Study Abroad

    OPINION: Studying abroad enriches your education

    Job Board

    Why You Need an Immigration Lawyer for a NIW

    Study Abroad

    25 Study Abroad Program Locations that Offer Economics Classes

    Study Abroad

    How to Prioritize Sustainability When Studying Abroad

    Business

    12 Companies Hiring for Remote Accounting Jobs

    Most Popular
    Study Abroad

    Study Abroad: Role of parents in an education loan taken for child’s foreign studies – Investing Abroad News

    Productivity

    ​​How workplace play unlocks the door to AI adaptation

    Study Abroad

    Navigating the application process for higher education abroad: Key steps and advice

    Categories
    • Business (61)
    • Job Board (263)
    • Job Search (62)
    • Management (55)
    • Offshoring (57)
    • Productivity (127)
    • Remote Teams (59)
    • Remote Work (271)
    • Study Abroad (1,967)
    Our Picks

    9 common collaboration mistakes to avoid when managing virtual teams

    Remote Teams

    Chinese international students reflect on Wake Forest’s drop in U.S. News ranking – Old Gold & Black

    Study Abroad

    STRAUS | What You Should Know About Studying Abroad At Oxford and Cambridge

    Study Abroad
    FarAwayJobs
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
    • Home
    • Job Board
    • About Us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    © 2025 FarAwayJobs.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.