Today’s rapidly developing technological world brings us closer to the concept of an agile work environment. If you ask why, the answer is simple; both employees and organizations demand greater productivity and efficiency.
This is where the agile work model, which can be adopted within remote working, stands out. It allows employees to do their job whenever and wherever they want. So, how can one manage a team that adopts the agile work model?
With this blog, we will take a look at how to manage the motivation, efficiency, and productivity of teams within the scope of remote working. We will examine the benefits of the flexibility that comes with Agile work for teams.
What is the Agile Working Model?
Before looking at how to better manage agile remote working teams, it is useful to take a look at what exactly this concept means.
The Agile working model involves employees deciding their workplace and time for maximum productivity. For this purpose, it is a new-generation working system that aims to increase the comfort and productivity of employees.
So, what are the benefits of the agile working system? Agile working systems can also be examined within the framework of the benefits of flexible working hours.
In this working system, which aims to carry out projects more effectively, employees involved in the project process are not limited to certain roles or tasks.
Agile teams determine their work systems and durations according to their own needs to complete project tasks quickly and effectively.
It allows for being flexible within the project, responding to project needs immediately, working as a team, and increasing the efficiency of the project.
Organizing work systems according to their own needs allows employees to avoid being limited to a specific role or department. It also encourages remote working, allowing for a better work-life balance.
When a company implements an agile working model for its employees, the goal is to remove constraints and enhance productivity.
Here are some of the advantages of the agile work model:
Eliminating Restrictions
The agile work model eliminates the restrictions required by specific roles or task details. In this system, employees create team collaboration by using digital tools and communication software.
Team members who can take on tasks according to the needs of the project are free from being confined to a specific mold. This allows them to discover a more flexible working environment.
Boosting Productivity
In the agile working system, a remote working model can be adopted. Thanks to the remote working, employees can save time commuting to work. This means allowing them to reflect the time and energy they will spend on their work.
With agile work, companies can connect with employees from around the world, thereby expanding their workforce and boosting productivity.
Increased Motivation
The Agile work system allows employees to adopt working hours in line with their own needs. At this point, employee motivation can also increase.
Allowing employees to work from any location and at flexible hours represents a strategic approach to management. The primary challenge lies in effectively managing remote teams operating from diverse locations.
So, how can agile remote teams be managed successfully? Innovation and digital collaboration tools undoubtedly provide benefits. However, there are many other elements that a manager must take care of;
- Are the employees motivated?
- Are the tasks assigned within the scope of project management completed on time and effectively?
- Can remote teams collaborate seamlessly?
- Can appropriate solutions be found to employee problems?
- Is action taken based on employee feedback in areas that restrict productivity?
The answers to all these questions can lead us to successful remote team management. So, let’s take a look at the tips for successfully managing agile remote work teams!
How to Successfully Manage Agile Remote Teams?
Managing agile remote teams involves ensuring productivity and collaboration, boosting motivation, and addressing team challenges effectively.
Remote work revolutions bring challenges for managers. But, with careful attention, remote work can be incorporated seamlessly.
Here are tips for effectively managing agile remote teams:
Creating Transparent Communication and Trust
It is very important to establish transparent communication and trust between teams and managers working remotely. Agile teams should share the difficulties they experience with their managers without hesitation and seek effective solutions.
When you communicate transparently and openly, teams can truly trust you as a manager. This not only allows them to have a smooth work process but also allows you, as the manager, to resolve issues in a short time.
So, how can communication and trust be boosted with agile teams?
- Incorporate video conferencing tools, chat software, and project management tools into your workflow to make communication seamless.
- Get feedback from teams by holding daily meetings.
- Show that you value teams’ opinions by evaluating feedback.
As seen here, interaction is necessary for transparent communication and trust. By checking your remote teams daily, you can make sure that business processes are under control.
Setting Clear Goals and Expectations
Remote work teams often work with a manager even though they complete tasks on their own. At this point, managers need to define the employee tasks well and set clear goals and expectations.
With clearly defined tasks and goals, employees can carry out their tasks more smoothly. This also means preventing potential problems that may arise in project management.
Digital transformation in project management tools will benefit you at this point. Managers can clearly define all employee tasks, plan deadlines, and access detailed reports on project progress.
Setting milestones before starting the project will also be useful to ensure team motivation. When teams see that the project is being carried out efficiently, they will want to contribute more and take more responsibility.
Balancing Teams’ Work Pace
We can say that the remote working system increases productivity and efficiency. However, at this point, there is something that managers misunderstand; Just because your teams are working from home doesn’t mean they’ll be able to complete projects super quickly.
Many managers think that if they give their teams what they want, their speed and productivity will skyrocket. Yes, we say it’s what they want because, according to a study, the Agile work system is quite rewarding.
So much so that 41% of employees want to leave their traditional office jobs and look for a job that can offer them a remote working system.
Employees can increase productivity and speed when they switch to a remote working system. However, this still does not mean that they complete projects beyond their capacity.
As a manager, you must ensure that all employees are adequately tasked daily. Assigning more tasks will both reduce employee productivity and harm the quality of work performed.
Choosing the Right Communication Techniques
As we mentioned before, the biggest challenge brought by the Agile work model is communication. How can you successfully manage a team distributed in different locations over different periods?
The answer is; choosing the right communication tool and techniques. As a manager, you can stay seamlessly connected with your team with the right tools and communication techniques.
It will be useful at this point to follow the working patterns of teams working in the Agile work model. Many people will choose different working hours based on their needs. You can divide your employees into groups by determining who is available at certain hours.
You can make offers to your employees who are willing to work overtime for additional work. You can designate a backup group in case teams are offline for critical tasks.
Effective leadership strategies include maintaining open communication with employees at all times. However, it may be necessary to have the right tools to maintain this open communication in a remote working environment.
So, what are the tools you can use in the agile work model?
Tools You Can Use in the Agile Work Model
When managing agile teams remotely, you can achieve convenience and efficiency thanks to the tools you have. At this point, the basic tools you will need will include project management and collaboration software.
Project management tools allow you to assign team tasks and track performance in real-time. Collaboration tools will be essential for every communication process, including daily meetings, and sprint planning.
So, let’s take a look at the best agile tools we’ve selected for you.
Project Management Tools
When it comes to agile project management tools, you’ll encounter a pretty wide range. Don’t forget to consider your own needs and demands to choose the one that suits you best.
Here are the prominent agile project management tools:
- JIRA: It is very successful in remote team management with its reporting, collaboration, and reporting features as well as Agile dashboards.
- Monday: Provides cloud-based project management, providing teams with advantages in task management and real-time performance tracking.
- Trello: Allows you to easily manage projects and team tasks with its Kanban-based visual interface.
- ClickUp: It stands out among cloud-based project management tools with its project management, collaboration, and task management features.
- Agile Manager: Designed especially for Agile teams, this software creates many features within the scope of project planning, tracking, and management.
Project management tools may have collaboration tools built into them. But remember that you need solid collaboration software when managing remote teams.
Collaboration Tools
Thanks to collaboration tools, you can instantly communicate with your team at the most critical moments and achieve a smooth process in daily meetings.
OctaMeet is a very effective video conferencing software for sprint planning and agile team meetings.
It prevents any technical disruptions that may occur in communication with high-definition video streaming and noise-canceling audio features.
Here are the advantages of managing agile teams with OctaMeet:
- Meeting Rooms: To have an easy process for daily meetings, it creates meeting rooms where you can join the meeting with a single click.
- Screen Sharing: Allows teams to discuss project details and make decisions.
- Whiteboard: Provides interactive collaboration, allowing teams to make it easier while brainstorming.
- Calendar Integration: It simplifies collaboration with iCalendar, Outlook, and Google Calendar integrations.
- File Sharing: Allows real-time sharing of links and other important documents.
- Webinar: Allows you to hold company meetings, launches, or training smoothly.
OctaMeet is gaining recognition as one of the most successful collaboration tools for managing agile teams. So, would you like to try OctaMeet right now? Then, sign up and start using your 30-day free trial.
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If you want more information about OctaMeet, you can contact us or book a demo meeting with our product team.
