As more people in the life sciences industry work remotely, managers need to be thoughtful and creative to keep their remote workers feeling engaged and less isolated. Here are some ways to do that:
With the right leadership, your virtual team members can be productive and just as engaged and motivated as those working in your office.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate—use technology to keep everyone connected. Video conference meetings are great ways to connect the team.
- Set clear expectations and make everyone accountable for their part of the project.
- Have one on one meetings with each person on a regular basis to build and keep the relationships going.
- Encourage your team members to reach out to each other for discussions and decision making. When possible, assign collaborative tasks with different team members so they get to know each other.
- Have weekly team meetings where everyone participates with business and personal accomplishments, updates, or new ideas, etc. Sharing of the personal successes is another way for the team to bond.
- Have at least one annual meeting where the entire team is together. This is a great time to recognize the successes and efforts of the team.
With the right leadership, your virtual team members can be productive and just as engaged and motivated as those working in your office.