Virtually Awesome
The benefits of remote work
Once you’ve assembled a talented team you trust, the world is your oyster. For more details on how to do that successfully, head over here to get started.
Hooray, you’ve got your people. Congrats -- that takes a lot of time, dedication and patience. And now you can reap the benefits of having an amazing virtual team. What are some of these benefits you ask? Well I’m happy to share some of my favorites. Working virtually is something I’ve done almost exclusively with This Sales Life, our team is spread over several time zones and even across international waters, which is extremely beneficial for us as a company. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Here’s why:
Encourages Independence - Remote working environments force team members to work independently. When you can’t walk into your boss’ office to ask a question, or vice-versa, your boss can’t pop by your cubicle to see “how it’s going”, everyone becomes more responsible for the work they produce and the timelines they work on. Team members begin to make more decisions on their own and build that confidence muscle. For me this is a huge plus, I’m always looking for people who are independently motivated so I don’t have to hand-hold every little step of the way. I want independent thinkers and problem solvers, people who come to me with a problem AND several options for a solution instead of just handing me a problem to solve. Granted, this isn’t easy for everyone, especially if you’re used to a more traditional working environment with constant oversight and lots of “checking in” with your boss and other teammates. Working remotely creates space for those who aren’t naturally independent workers to strengthen this skill and work on their own.
Flexible Hours - And once you’ve got a team of independent workers and creative problem solvers, you’re headed towards gold my friend. The flexible hours offered through remote work mean that your team can work when they’re most successful. As long as your team has regular scheduled check-ins so everyone can get on the same page, other hours are open season for each to work when they’re able. This can be a game-changer right now with so many folks at home juggling a lot more than they usually would be. To make flexible work hours work for your team, you need to be clear about expectations, assign tasks to specific people and communicate well along the way.
Diversity - Without being limited by geography, you can connect with people across the country and across the planet to create a diverse team that will ultimately benefit you personally and your business. The talent pool you have to draw from is bottomless because you can work with anyone, even people who may be physically unable to leave their homes can still become a valued member of your team. Hiring and working remotely includes more people across the globe, which is better for the global economy and for YOU!
Here’s a recent example of how my team benefited from diversity. A while back, I created a rough draft of a document full of inspirational quotes from different leaders for my team to draw from when creating blog posts, newsletters and other projects. In a weekly meeting, one of my team members pointed out that all the quotes were from men. I’m a man, I relate to other men and see them as inspirational role models. Of course I wasn’t doing this maliciously or to exclude women at ALL. But I might not have noticed if someone hadn’t pointed it out to me. And without women on my team to help me see my own blind spots, I could have easily accidentally alienated my female clients. I’m so grateful to have a team full of diverse voices who are invested in what we’re creating and, because of the camaraderie we’ve created across time zones and crazy schedules, aren’t afraid to speak up and say, “let’s include some female leaders here”. Putting together a team that’s diverse will help you reach more clients, building your business and your outlook.
Environment - Working remotely involves far less travel, and the world has recently seen how quickly that can have a huge impact. Smog has decreased worldwide and nature is healthier than it’s been in decades. Working from home means we’re using less petroleum and taking better care of our planet. It’s a win for everyone.
And there are COUNTLESS additional benefits to working remotely and building a virtual team, many of which are explored here, if you’re interested in a bit of further reading. I find it fascinating how benefits vary from industry to industry, career to career, job to job. What about you? How have you benefited from working remotely recently? What are the reasons you enjoy being part of a virtual team?
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Once you’ve assembled a talented team you trust, the world is your oyster. For more details on how to do that successfully, head over here to get started.