Author: Nicole

 As the pandemic changed the world, many organizations must adapt to remote work. It can be hard to manage a remote team, but you can do it well with the right tools and methods. Microsoft 365 has a range of effective and flexible remote team management tools, including Microsoft Teams, that can help you work together, talk, and automate your processes with your remote team. This blog post looks at the top 10 key tools for Microsoft 365 users in 2024 and how they can increase productivity, involvement, and creativity. 

Our Top Picks for Remote Team Management Tools in Microsoft 365, including Microsoft Teams

1. Trovve  
2. Microsoft Teams 
3. SharePoint 
4. Microsoft Planner  
5. Miro 
6. Polly  
7. Smartsheet 
8. AttendanceBot 
9. Leaveforce 
10. Remind 

Trovve

Trovve is a team management tool that helps you tame the hybrid work chaos and keep your team in sync. It works seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and gives you a bird’s eye view of what everyone is doing, when they are working, and how they are feeling. Whether your team is remote, hybrid, or co-located, Trovve helps you plan, communicate, and collaborate effectively. 

With Trovve, you can: 

• See your team’s status at a glance with the Status Hub. Know who’s working, taking a break, or done for the day, as well as their tasks, meetings, and progress. 
• Manage tasks and workload with ease with the Planning Board. Drag and drop tasks to assign, prioritize, or reschedule them, and get a clear overview of the team’s capacity and availability. 
• Understand and improve team dynamics with the User Profiles. Access essential information about each team member, such as their work hours, location, skills, and experience, and connect with them via Teams or email. 
• Get insights and reports on your team’s productivity and performance with the Reports View. Track how much time they spend on tasks and meetings and identify areas for improvement. 

Trovve is the ultimate team management tool for Microsoft 365 users who want to make the most of their hybrid work environment. Ready to see it in action? Book a demo today and discover how Trovve can transform your teamwork. 

To learn more about Trovve and its features, visit here.

Pricing 

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a cloud-based communication and collaboration platform that integrates with Microsoft 365 applications and services. Teams enables remote teams to chat, meet, call, and collaborate in real time, across devices and locations. Teams also offers advanced features such as live events, webinars, breakout rooms, whiteboard, polls, surveys, and more. Teams can be customized with apps, bots, and workflows to enhance productivity and efficiency. As one of the most popular team management tools, Teams is available for desktop, web, and mobile devices, and supports various operating systems and browsers. Teams is essential for Microsoft 365 users who want to manage their remote teams effectively and securely. To learn more about Teams, visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/small-medium-business.

Pricing 

1. Microsoft Teams Essentials ($4.00 user/month) 
2. Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6.00 user/month) 
3. Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($12.50 user/month) 

SharePoint

SharePoint is a cloud-based collaboration platform that allows you to create, share, and manage content, data, and applications with your team. As one of the most popular team management tools, SharePoint integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive, and Outlook, as well as other third-party tools and services.

With SharePoint, you can: 

• Build intranet sites and portals for your organization, department, or project, with customizable templates, web parts, and themes. 
• Store, sync, and access files from any device, with version history, offline access, and co-authoring capabilities. 
• Manage workflows, forms, and business processes with Power Automate and Power Apps. 
• Search and discover information across your organization with AI-powered insights and recommendations. 
• Protect your data and comply with security and privacy standards, with encryption, auditing, and governance features. 

SharePoint is available in different plans and editions, depending on your needs and budget. You can also try SharePoint for free for 30 days. To learn more about SharePoint, visit the official website here.

Pricing 

1. SharePoint (Plan 1) $5.00 user/month 
2. Microsoft 365 Business Standard $12.50 user/month 

Microsoft Planner

Microsoft Planner is a task management app that helps teams collaborate on projects, track progress, and assign tasks. As one of the most popular team management tools, with Microsoft Planner, you can create plans, organize tasks into buckets, add due dates, labels, and attachments, and chat with your team members. You can also view your tasks on a board, a chart, or a calendar, and sync them with Outlook. Microsoft Planner is integrated with Microsoft 365, so you can access it from any device and work seamlessly with other apps like Teams, SharePoint, and OneNote. Whether you are managing a remote team, a personal project, or a complex workflow, Microsoft Planner can help you stay organized and productive. Learn more about Microsoft Planner here.

Pricing 

1. Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6.00 user/month) 
2. Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($12.50 user/month) 
3. Microsoft 365 Business Premium $22.00 user/month) 
4. Microsoft 365 Apps for business ($8.25 user/month) 

Miro   

Miro is a collaborative online whiteboard platform that allows remote teams to work together visually. As one of the most popular team management tools, Miro offers a variety of features to help teams brainstorm, design, plan, and execute their projects, such as: 

• Over 250 templates and frameworks for different use cases, such as user journey mapping, agile workflows, customer personas, and SWOT analysis.
   
• A rich set of tools and integrations for drawing, writing, annotating, and presenting on the whiteboard.
   
• The ability to import and export files from Microsoft 365, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
   
• Real-time collaboration and communication features, such as video conferencing, chat, comments, and voting.
   
• The option to create multiple boards and organize them into projects and teams.
   
• The possibility to share and embed boards with anyone, even if they don’t have a Miro account, and control their access and permissions.
   
• A cloud-based platform that works on any device and browser, with offline mode and mobile apps available.
   
• A secure and compliant environment, with encryption, backup, and GDPR and SOC 2 compliance. 

Miro is a versatile and powerful tool that can help remote teams manage their work more efficiently and creatively. To learn more about Miro and sign up for a free trial, visit here. 

Pricing 

1. Sign up free ($0) 
2. Starter ($8 user/month) 
3. Business ($16 user/month) 
4. Enterprise (contact sales for pricing) 

Polly

• Create and send surveys in minutes using a simple and intuitive interface. 
• Choose from a variety of question types, including multiple choice, rating, open-ended, and matrix. 
• Customize the look and feel of your surveys with themes, colors, emojis, and images. 
• Schedule surveys to run automatically at a specific time or frequency or trigger them based on events or actions. 
• Collect responses in real-time and view the results in interactive dashboards and reports. 
• Apply filters, segments, and cross-tabs to slice and dice the data and gain deeper insights. 
• Export and share the data with your team or stakeholders in various formats, such as PDF, CSV, Excel, or PowerPoint. 
• Polly with other tools and platforms, such as Power BI, Zapier, Google Sheets, and more. 
• Use AI-powered sentiment analysis and text analytics to understand the emotions and opinions of your respondents. 
• Access a library of ready-made templates and best practices for various use cases, such as employee satisfaction, pulse surveys, customer feedback, and more. 

Polly is a powerful and flexible tool that can help you create engaging and meaningful surveys for your remote team.  To learn more about Polly, visit here.

Pricing 

You can try Polly for free for up to 25 responses per month, or upgrade to one of the paid plans for more features and unlimited responses as seen below: 

1. Standard ($49/month) 
2. Pro ($24/month) 
3. Enterprise (Custom) 

Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a cloud-based platform that empowers teams and organizations to plan, manage, automate, and report on work. As one of the most popular team management tools, Smartsheet offers a variety of features that help remote teams collaborate effectively and efficiently, such as: 

• Sheets: Create and share spreadsheets that can store data, track tasks, assign owners, set deadlines, and visualize progress. 
• Forms: Collect and update information from anyone with customizable forms that can be embedded on websites or sent via email or chat. 
• Dashboards: Build and publish interactive dashboards that display key metrics, charts, summaries, and alerts from multiple sources. 
• Workflows: Automate repetitive processes and workflows with rules, approvals, alerts, and reminders. 
• Reports: Generate and share reports that combine data from multiple sheets and sources, and filter and sort by various criteria. 
• Calendar: View and manage tasks and events across multiple sheets and projects in a calendar view. 
• Gantt: Create and update project timelines and dependencies with a Gantt chart view. 
• Card: Organize and prioritize tasks and ideas with a card view that supports agile methodologies like Kanban and Scrum. 
• Grid: Edit and format data with a grid view that supports formulas, conditional formatting, cell linking, and more. 
• Integration: Connect Smartsheet with other popular tools and apps, such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Slack, Zoom, and more. 

Smartsheet is compatible with any device and browser and offers mobile apps for iOS and Android. Smartsheet also provides security, compliance, and governance features that meet the highest industry standards. 

To learn more about Smartsheet and its features, visit here.

Pricing 

1. One user, up to 2 editors ($0 user/month) 
2. Pro ($7 user/month) 
3. Business ($25 user/month) 
4. Enterprise (Custom pricing) 

AttendanceBot

One of the most popular tools for remote team management is AttendanceBot, an app that integrates with Microsoft Teams and other platforms to track time, attendance, productivity, and leave requests. With AttendanceBot, you can easily manage your remote team’s work hours, breaks, overtime, and vacations. You can also generate reports and invoices based on the tracked data and set up workflows and approvals for leave requests. AttendanceBot helps you streamline your HR processes, reduce errors, and ensure compliance with labor laws and company policies. 

AttendanceBot is designed to be simple and intuitive, with natural language commands and interactive messages. You can use AttendanceBot to clock in and out, report sick leaves, request vacations, or check your team’s availability. AttendanceBot also supports multiple time zones, currencies, and languages, making it ideal for global teams. To learn more about AttendanceBot and how it can help you manage your remote team, visit them here. 

Pricing 

AttendanceBot has a free plan for up to five users, and paid plans starting from $1.5 per user per month. You can also get a custom plan for enterprise-level features and support. 

1. Standard ($4 user/month) 
2. Pro $6 user/month) 
3. Premium user/month) 

Leaveforce

Leaveforce is a smart leave management app for Microsoft 365 users that automates the entire process of requesting, approving, and tracking employee absences. With Leaveforce, you can: 

• Create custom leave policies and workflows that suit your team’s needs and preferences. 
• Sync your leave requests and approvals with Outlook calendar, Teams, and SharePoint. 
• Get real-time insights into your team’s availability, leave balance, and utilization. 
• Reduce manual work and errors by using AI-powered chatbots and notifications. 
• Integrate with other Microsoft 365 apps and third-party tools to streamline your workflows. 

Leaveforce helps you manage your remote team’s leaves more efficiently and transparently, while ensuring compliance and productivity. Visit them here to learn more and get started. 

Pricing 

1. Small Business ($499 one-time payment) 
2. Midsize Business ($799 one-time payment) 
3. Enterprise (Request a quote) 

Remind

Remind is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that helps remote teams stay connected, organized, and productive. Remind integrates with Microsoft 365 and allows you to create and manage tasks, reminders, and notifications for yourself and your team members. You can also send messages, files, polls, and emojis to your teammates, and use voice and video calls to communicate in real time. Remind lets you customize your settings, preferences, and permissions, and syncs across all your devices. Whether you need to remind your team about an upcoming deadline, assign a task to a colleague, or check the status of a project, Remind can help you get things done without leaving your Microsoft 365 apps. Remind is trusted by thousands of remote teams around the world, and has been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, and The Wall Street Journal. To learn more, visit them here and see how Remind can transform your remote team management. 

Pricing 

1. Up to 5 users ($0/user/month) 
2. Up to 2 ($3 month) 
3. Up to 2 active recurring public reminders per user ($3 month) 

Conclusion

The article provides an overview of the top 10 essential remote team management tools for Microsoft 365 users in 2024. These tools include Trovve, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Microsoft Planner, Miro, Polly, Smartsheet, AttendanceBot, Leaveforce, and Remind. Each tool is briefly described, with its features and pricing information provided. These tools can help remote teams collaborate, communicate, and automate their workflows, boosting productivity, engagement, and innovation.

Frequently Asked Questions:

(1) What are the top 10 essential remote team management tools for Microsoft 365 users in 2024?

The top 10 essential remote team management tools for Microsoft 365 users in 2024 are Trovve, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Microsoft Planner, Miro, Polly, Smartsheet, AttendanceBot, Leaveforce, and Remind. 

(2) What is Trovve? 

 Trovve is a team management tool that helps you tame the hybrid work chaos and keep your team in sync. It works seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and gives you a bird’s eye view of what everyone is doing, when they are working, and how they are feeling. Whether your team is remote, hybrid, or co-located, Trovve helps you plan, communicate, and collaborate effectively. 

(3) What is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a cloud-based communication and collaboration platform that integrates with Microsoft 365 applications and services. Teams enable remote teams to chat, meet, call, and collaborate in real time, across devices and locations. Teams also offer advanced features such as live events, webinars, breakout rooms, whiteboard, polls, surveys, and more. Teams can be customized with apps, bots, and workflows to enhance productivity and efficiency. 

(4) What is SharePoint?

SharePoint is a cloud-based collaboration platform that allows you to create, share, and manage content, data, and applications with your team. SharePoint integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive, and Outlook, as well as other third-party tools and services. 

(5) What is Microsoft Planner?

Microsoft Planner is a task management app that helps teams collaborate on projects, track progress, and assign tasks. With Microsoft Planner, you can create plans, organize tasks into buckets, add due dates, labels, and attachments, and chat with your team members. You can also view your tasks on a board, a chart, or a calendar, and sync them with Outlook. 

(6) What is Miro?

Miro is a collaborative online whiteboard platform that allows remote teams to work together visually. Miro offers a variety of features to help teams brainstorm, design, plan, and execute their projects, such as over 250 templates and frameworks for different use cases, a rich set of tools and integrations for drawing, writing, annotating, and presenting on the whiteboard, the ability to import and export files from Microsoft 365, real-time collaboration and communication features, and more. 

Being an exceptional team member transcends mindset; it demands a distinct set of capabilities. In our journey towards mastering team collaboration, we delve into refining communication methods to maximize team potential, fostering relationships that transform conflicts into avenues for growth, and deploying strategic problem-solving techniques. This guide equips you with the tools to not only enhance your team’s performance but also leverage your unique strengths, making you an instrumental part of your team’s success. 

Our focus is on practical strategies that have propelled leadership and teamwork within the world’s leading corporations to new heights. By joining us, you gain access to invaluable insights that sharpen your clarity, boost your confidence, and arm you with the skills needed to stand out as a vital and inspiring team player. Elevate your role in your team by embracing collaborative excellence and become the catalyst for transformative teamwork and communication. 

Understanding Your Engagement Style for Enhanced Team Performance & Collaboration 

Have you ever pondered why you mesh well with some colleagues but clash with others? The answer lies in the science of our brains. Our brain behavior preferences, which affect our strengths, communication styles, and stress triggers, are key to understanding these dynamics. Recognizing whether you are goal-driven, task-driven, vision-driven, or people-driven can significantly improve how you contribute to your team, enhancing team performance.  

• Goal-driven individuals are analytical, focusing on facts and efficiency. 
• Task-driven people excel in planning and process adherence, reveling in the details of the present. 
• Vision-driven teammates are the changemakers, always thinking about future possibilities and creative solutions. 
• People-driven members prioritize relationships and communication, ensuring everyone feels valued.   

Identifying your primary engagement styles not only clarifies why certain interactions flow more smoothly but also guides you in leveraging your inherent strengths. 

Enhancing Team Engagement Through Social Perceptiveness

Unlocking the key to effective team engagement—and thereby boosting team performance—lies in understanding not just your own engagement style, but also that of your teammates. This skill, known as social perceptiveness, involves recognizing and adapting to the preferred communication and work styles of others to build trust, foster rapport, and cultivate a positive team culture. 

Identifying your team members’ styles can dramatically improve how you interact and collaborate. Whether your colleague is goal-oriented, task-driven, vision-driven, or people-oriented, tailoring your communication to match their preferences can enhance your connections. For example, presenting facts and objectives to a goal-driven person, providing detailed action plans to someone who is task-driven, encouraging visionary thinking for the vision-driven, and prioritizing emotional connections and team impact for the people-oriented can lead to more meaningful and productive interactions. 

But what if you’re addressing the entire team or department, where multiple engagement styles are present? The strategy here is to craft your message to appeal to all preferences—combine factual data, detailed plans, visionary ideas, and personal stories to ensure everyone feels included and valued. 

Mastering social perceptiveness not only makes you a more cooperative and desirable team member but also empowers you to influence your team positively. By adjusting your behavior and communication to align with others’ styles, you pave the way for deeper trust and more effective collaboration. 

Boosting Team Performance: Maximizing Engagement with the LOVE Framework

In the realm of teamwork, where maximizing team performance is paramount, full engagement with your colleagues isn’t just beneficial; it’s essential. Imagine the disconnect you’d feel if, during a conversation, someone kept checking their phone. Such small actions can inadvertently erode trust and diminish the sense of value within the team. The key to bolstering relationships, trust, and collaboration lies in mastering the art of engagement. Enter the LOVE framework, a simple yet powerful approach to ensure you’re fully present and positively influencing your team interactions: 

• L (Lean in and listen): Give your full attention. Lean slightly forward to show interest, and truly listen, putting aside all distractions. In virtual settings, maintain “eye contact” with the camera, ensuring you’re both seen and heard clearly. 
• O (Open Posture): Your body language speaks volumes. Maintain an open posture with arms and palms visible and uncrossed to avoid appearing defensive or disinterested. This openness fosters a more inviting communication environment. 
• V (Validate): Actively validate what your teammates are saying by asking clarifying questions and reflecting their words back to them. This ensures they feel heard and understood, strengthening the connection. 
• E (Elevate): Your mood and attitude can significantly affect those around you, thanks to emotional contagion. Strive to maintain a positive and encouraging demeanor, uplifting the team’s overall spirit. 

Trovve is a team management tool that helps you apply the LOVE framework and boost your team engagement. With Trovve, you can see and communicate with your team easily, organize and visualize tasks, track, and assign work, view productivity insights, and schedule meetings without conflicts. Trovve also integrates with Microsoft 365, so you can access everything you need from one place. Try Trovve today and create a positive and productive team culture. 

Enhancing Team Trust via Expectation Management

In the complex interactions of teamwork, where improving team performance is vital, managing expectations is the key to building trust—a basic factor that, once damaged, requires a lot of work to recover. Trust within teams splits into two crucial types: integrity-based and competency-based. Integrity-based trust depends on belief in your intentions, while competency-based trust relates to your skills and ability to fulfill promises. 

The distinction between being perceived as a dependable team player versus one who undermines team trust can often hinge on how well you manage expectations. For instance, surpassing a given deadline displays both forms of trust, highlighting your reliability. Conversely, failing to meet an overly ambitious commitment, even if the result falls within an acceptable range, can inadvertently signal a breach of integrity-based trust. 

Here are three pivotal strategies to safeguard your trustworthiness: 

• Commit and Deliver: Honor your commitments. If unforeseen circumstances arise, communicate these at the earliest opportunity, providing obvious reasons and potential solutions. 
• Document Everything: In today’s fast-paced work environments, verbal agreements can easily be forgotten or misconstrued. To avoid misunderstandings, make it a practice to document agreements and expectations, ensuring clarity on what needs to be done, by when, and by whom. 
• Set Clear Boundaries: It’s crucial to communicate your capacity realistically. If additional tasks are assigned to you, engage in a dialogue to reprioritize responsibilities, ensuring that urgent and important tasks are addressed promptly without compromising quality. 

A study highlighted in the “Harvard Business Review” underscores a common disconnect in managers’ awareness of their teams’ workload, suggesting that a transparent dialogue about your tasks can lead to better delegation and support. 

Boosting Team Performance Through Psychological Safety

Google’s extensive research unearthed psychological safety as the linchpin of enhancing team performance. This concept centers on creating an environment where team members can voice their thoughts without fear of judgment or rejection. In a workplace where psychological safety thrives, individuals feel empowered to share ideas, express concerns, and admit mistakes openly, fostering a culture of trust and mutual respect. 

Here’s how you can nurture psychological safety within your team:

• Admit Errors Openly: Lead by example in admitting mistakes, thus normalizing vulnerability, and encouraging others to do the same. This reduces the fear of judgment and promotes a culture where learning from errors is valued.
• Cultivate Curiosity About Mistakes: Instead of assigning blame, encourage a mindset of curiosity. Ask, “What can we learn from this?” This approach helps cultivate a growth mindset, making team members feel more involved and responsible for continuous improvement.
• Organize a ‘Concern Party’: Inspired by Google Ventures, this exercise involves team members writing down their anxieties, ranking them, and sharing with the group. This practice not only surfaces hidden concerns but also fosters a supportive environment where solutions and empathy emerge organically.
• Encourage Seeking Help: Make it clear that asking for assistance is not only accepted but encouraged. This practice enhances collaboration and leverages the diverse skills within the team, enriching the problem-solving process.
• Validate Through Expressions: Non-verbal cues play a crucial role in communication. Ensure your facial expressions and body language convey engagement and validation, especially when listening to team members who might be hesitant to speak up.

Establishing psychological safety is a collective endeavor that transcends hierarchical boundaries. Every team member, regardless of their role, contributes to fostering an atmosphere where everyone feels safe to express themselves authentically. By implementing these practices, you’ll lay the groundwork for a more cohesive, innovative, and resilient team. 

Enhancing Team Performance with Effective Collaboration

Collaboration isn’t just a component of teamwork; it’s the essence that elevates team performance, transforms a group of individuals into a unified force. Achieving this constructive collaboration requires more than just cooperation; it demands a strategic approach to building and maintaining a collaborative culture. Here are three practices that can significantly elevate your team’s collaborative efforts: 

• Continually Clarify Context: In a landscape marked by constant change, maintaining a clear understanding of the team’s purpose within the larger organizational goals is crucial. Regularly revisiting and reinforcing the team’s objectives, and how individual and collective efforts contribute to the wider mission, prevents fragmentation, and keeps everyone aligned and focused.
• Cultivate the Art of Consultation: True collaboration flourishes in environments where diverse perspectives are not just tolerated but valued. By practicing non-personalization of ideas, your team can create a space where every opinion is considered on its merits, fostering a culture of candor and mutual respect. Encouraging open dialogue and collective decision-making reinforces unity and psychological safety, enabling the team to navigate challenges and innovate with confidence.
• Embrace Generalized Reciprocity: The concept of “paying it forward” within teams builds a solid foundation of mutual support and cooperation. When team members actively look out for each other without the immediate expectation of something in return, it cultivates a sense of belonging and encourages a more cohesive and resilient team dynamic. This practice not only enhances the team’s overall effectiveness but also enriches the individual experience of work, making collaboration not just a strategy for success but a rewarding aspect of day-to-day interactions.

  By integrating these practices into your team’s workflow, you can unlock the full potential of collaboration, where the collective effort is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. This approach not only leads to better outcomes but also fosters a workplace culture that values openness, trust, and mutual support. 

 Navigating Conflict and Offering Feedback with Confidence

Diversity within teams brings many perspectives and enhances team performance through a broader range of ideas and solutions. However, it also introduces a higher likelihood of conflict. Effectively managing these situations is crucial to preserving team harmony and the integrity of professional relationships, which are key components of sustained team performance. Here’s how to approach conflict and feedback constructively: 

Communicate Assertively: Start by maintaining your composure to de-escalate tension. Use “I-statements” to express your feelings and needs without placing blame, such as “I’m frustrated because this is important to me.” Whenever possible, address conflicts face-to-face to reduce misunderstandings that can arise in virtual communications. Emphasize shared interests over positions to find common ground and solutions that meet everyone’s needs.

Cultivate Curiosity: Adopt a curious mindset in high-stakes conversations. Asking open-ended questions like, “What makes you say that?” helps gather more context and reduces the chance of misinterpretation or emotional escalation. This approach promotes understanding and can transform potential confrontations into opportunities for growth.

Offer Feedback Constructively: Providing feedback is an art that, when done correctly, can foster personal and team development. Use a structured approach:

•    Prime with a positive opening to set the tone. 
•    Praise genuinely to acknowledge efforts and achievements. 
•    Point out specifics by citing clear examples of what occurred. 
•    Discuss the impact of actions to highlight their significance. 
•    Engage in dialogue by asking open questions and offering support, encouraging a two-way conversation about observations and potential improvements. 

Effective conflict resolution and feedback are not just about addressing the immediate issue but about contributing to an environment where open communication, mutual respect, and continuous improvement are the norms. By adopting these strategies, you’ll not only resolve conflicts more effectively but also enhance the overall dynamics and productivity of your team. 

Harnessing Your Strengths for Team Success

The traditional view of strengths often leads us to list skills we’re competent in, like multitasking or detail orientation. However, the insights from Marcus Buckingham, a leading figure in leadership research, challenge this perspective. Buckingham argues that true strengths are activities that not only you’re good at but also invigorate you and make you look forward to engaging in them. This approach transforms how we perceive strengths, emphasizing the importance of activities that energize us rather than those that simply highlight our competence. 

A notable Gallup study supports this view, indicating that focusing on strengths can significantly boost performance by nearly 20% and reduce employee turnover by up to 73%. the reason? Focusing on strengths makes individuals happier, more confident, and more productive. 

To discover and leverage your true strengths, consider the following steps: 

 Identify Your Strengths: Reflect on what activities energize you. These are tasks you not only excel at but also enjoy doing—those that leave you feeling more charged than drained.

Analyze and Plot Your Strengths: Use tools like the Strenergy Matrix to evaluate how each identified strength makes you feel and your proficiency in it. This will help you determine which strengths to focus on and develop further.
Strategically Apply Your Strengths: Once you’ve identified your true strengths, think about how you can apply them more frequently in your work. Aim to engage in tasks that align with these strengths, as this will not only enhance your performance but also your job satisfaction.
Encourage Strengths in Others: Recognizing and fostering strengths isn’t just a personal endeavor; it’s a team effort. By understanding and leveraging each other’s unique strengths, teams can operate more harmoniously and efficiently. This collective focus on strengths cultivates a supportive and dynamic work environment where everyone is positioned to contribute their best.
Become a Culture Creator: Emphasizing strengths within your team can transform the workplace culture. It encourages a positive, strengths-based approach to work, where every member is appreciated for their unique contributions. This not only enhances individual performance but also fosters a strong, cohesive team dynamic.

By shifting focus from merely what you’re good at to what truly energizes you, you not only set the stage for personal fulfillment but also contribute to a thriving, productive team environment. 

Elevating Team Performance with Strategic Thinking

In the busy and complicated world of team dynamics, the skill of strategic thinking distinguishes the best teams from the others in terms of team performance. Strategic thinking is more than just planning; it’s about imagining the future, expecting difficulties, and creating novel solutions. Here’s how you can improve your strategic thinking skills, making you a great resource for enhancing your team’s performance:

1. Ask Strategic Questions: Challenge the status quo by asking questions that probe deeper into the essence of your team’s mission and its competitive edge. Questions like “How are we differentiating ourselves from our competitors?” or “What are our growth drivers for the next five years?” prompt critical thinking and encourage a forward-looking approach.
2. Embrace the ‘Why’: Regularly questioning the purpose behind your actions and decisions helps maintain alignment with your team’s and organization’s broader objectives. This habit ensures that every task undertaken is strategically aimed at achieving overarching goals.
3. Consider Alternatives through Inversion: Thinking about what could go wrong, or considering the worst-case scenario, might seem pessimistic but is a powerful strategy to preemptively address potential challenges. By identifying pitfalls in advance, you can devise strategies to mitigate these risks before they become problematic. 
4. Identify Gaps Across Four Key Areas: Strategic thinking also involves a thorough analysis of four critical aspects: Vision, Goal, People, and Task. Evaluating how your current projects fit into the bigger picture, understanding the immediate objectives, considering the impact on stakeholders, and delineating the necessary steps for execution can reveal gaps in strategy and opportunities for improvement.
5. Conduct Post-mortems: Reflection is a crucial component of strategic thinking. After the completion of a project, take the time to analyze what worked, what didn’t, and how things can be improved moving forward. Engaging in these reflective sessions as a team encourages collective strategic thinking and continuous improvement.

Enhancing Team Performance Through Cultivating a Solution-Oriented Mindset

Embracing a solution-oriented mindset is transformative, shifting the team’s focus from merely identifying problems to actively seeking solutions. This approach not only enhances productivity but also fosters a culture of innovation and cooperation. Here are three strategies to develop and strengthen your solution orientation: 

1. Language Reframing: The power of words cannot be overstated. By reframing how we describe problems, we can shift our perspective towards opportunities. For instance, viewing financial challenges as a chance to innovate and improve the business model encourages a more positive and proactive response. Similarly, seeing a failed client pitch not as a defeat but as a learning opportunity motivates preparation and improvement. Such reframing fosters resilience and opens the door to creative solutions.
2. Collective Curiosity: Cultivating curiosity within the team encourages a deeper exploration of issues and the discovery of novel solutions. Asking “how” questions drives the team to think beyond conventional solutions and explore various avenues for overcoming challenges. This collective curiosity leads to a richer array of potential solutions, from cost-saving measures to more efficient resource allocation.
3. Offering Solutions: Rather than dwelling on the problem, take the initiative to propose multiple solutions, weighing their pros and cons. This practice not only demonstrates cognitive flexibility but also propels the team towards action, facilitating quicker and more effective decision-making.

By integrating these practices into your daily interactions, you contribute to creating a team environment where challenges are met with enthusiasm and creativity. A solution-oriented mindset not only positions you as a valuable team member but also elevates the entire team’s ability to navigate obstacles and achieve goals collaboratively. 

Conclusion

To sum up, the path to outstanding team performance is complex, requiring a mix of individual self-awareness, strategic collaboration, and a dedication to creating a positive and inclusive team culture. By following the principles presented—from knowing engagement styles and using social perceptiveness to applying the LOVE framework and managing expectations—teams can reach their full potential. Adding strategic thinking and psychological safety to the basis of team operations further improves this dynamic, making sure that every team member feels valued, understood, and able to contribute. The key to improving team performance lies in acknowledging and utilizing the diversity of strengths, perspectives, and capabilities within the team. Through intentional efforts to build trust, communication, and collaboration, teams can achieve not just success, but excellence, setting new benchmarks for what it means to work together effectively. 

FAQs

What is the focus of this article? 

The focus of the article is on practical strategies that have propelled leadership and teamwork within the world’s leading corporations to new heights. It equips readers with the tools to enhance their team’s performance and leverage their unique strengths, making them an instrumental part of their team’s success.   

What is an engagement style and how can it enhance team collaboration?  

An engagement style refers to an individual’s brain behavior preferences, which affect their strengths, communication styles, and stress triggers. Recognizing whether you’re goal-driven, task-driven, vision-driven, or people-driven can significantly improve how you contribute to your team. Identifying your primary engagement styles not only clarifies why certain interactions flow more smoothly but also guides you in leveraging your inherent strengths.  

What is social perceptiveness and how can it enhance team engagement?  

 Social perceptiveness involves recognizing and adapting to the preferred communication and work styles of others to build trust, foster rapport, and cultivate a positive team culture. Identifying your team members’ styles can dramatically improve how you interact and collaborate. Tailoring your communication to match their preferences can enhance your connections.  

What is the LOVE framework and how can it maximize engagement?  

The LOVE framework is a simple yet powerful approach to ensure you’re fully present and positively influencing your team interactions. It stands for Lean in and Listen, Open Posture, Validate, and Elevate. By applying the LOVE framework, you not only ensure that your teammates feel valued and listened to, but you also cultivate an environment where encouragement and optimism thrive, enhancing team performance and cohesion.   

How can expectation management help build and maintain trust within a team? 

Managing expectations stands as the cornerstone of fostering trust within a team. Trust within teams bifurcates into two essential types: integrity-based and competency-based. The distinction between being perceived as a dependable team player versus one who undermines team trust can often hinge on how well you manage expectations. Strategies to safeguard your trustworthiness include committing and delivering on your promises, documenting everything, and setting clear boundaries.   

What is psychological safety and how can it be cultivated within a team? 

Psychological safety is the concept of creating an environment where team members can voice their thoughts without fear of judgment or rejection. In a workplace where psychological safety thrives, individuals feel empowered to share ideas, express concerns, and admit mistakes openly, fostering a culture of trust and mutual respect. It can be nurtured within a team by admitting errors openly, cultivating curiosity about mistakes, organizing a ‘concern party’, encouraging seeking help, and validating through expressions.  

With more people working remotely in the digital age, leaders and managers must find new ways to keep their teams cohesive and motivated. The shift from conventional office spaces to online settings has brought new challenges, especially in creating team dynamics and personal relationships among staff members who work from different places. Knowing how crucial team spirit and teamwork are for organizational success, the idea of team building activities for remote teams has become a key strategy in developing a connected and efficient workforce. These activities are not just for fun and entertainment; they are an essential part in creating a solid base for creativity, productivity, and employee satisfaction. As companies deal with the difficulties of remote work, carrying out effective team building exercises becomes necessary to foster an interactive and helpful virtual work culture.  At Trovve, we faced the same challenges. Being a remote team for over seven years, we experienced a roller-coaster ride with remote work. A tactic that has helped our team cope is incorporating weekly or monthly team-building activities into our schedule. This article explores the importance of such activities, providing realistic and engaging options for remote teams to improve their cooperation, morale, and overall performance. 

Guess Who?

There are various ways to get people to work together on a project, but one fundamental truth remains: communication is key. Communication issues arise when teammates do not have adequate opportunities to interact. Hence, many remote team-building exercises exist to create a dialogue among members of a distributed workforce. 

One way to facilitate communication among employees, especially in remote teams, is to play a guessing game, which is also a good way for employees to get to know each other better. During your scheduled team-building activity session, have employees take a survey answering things like “What was the last song you listened to?” Then let your facilitator read aloud group responses from the survey and have employees guess who wrote what. Such team building activities are crucial for creating a solid base for creativity, productivity, and employee satisfaction in remote team

Rebus/Bust

Rebus or Bust is a game that serves as one of the engaging team building activities, where your team will solve rebuses (words, illustrations, and symbols that stand for words or phrases) as quickly as possible to make the most correct guesses by the end of the game. To play Rebus or Bust, a key component in team building activities, you will need to split your team into groups and give each group adequate time to list down 10 rebuses, or you can look for rebuses online. Each team will take turns guessing the answers, and points will be awarded for every correct answer. 

Have Fun with Logos Games

A logos game is a fun way to build team spirit and friendship among your team members. We’ve all realized at some point that there are hidden meanings in logos and felt that satisfying “Aha!” moment. Logos games are part of team building activities that challenge your team to look closely at famous logos (symbols or signs) and reveal their hidden messages. This activity helps team members connect and improves their attention to detail and creativity. 

This activity can be played individually or as a team. Logos games are intellectually stimulating because they give logos you see every day a new context and prompt you to think beyond the obvious. You can check online for the famous logos you can use for this activity, and do not forget to have fun! 

 Seven degrees of Kevin Bacon

If your virtual workspace is experiencing a slow day, consider incorporating team building activities like playing Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon to stimulate activity. This group activity is an effortless way to get your team members to interact. As a team building exercise, Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon challenges your team to exercise their minds to find links between objects that may not be apparent at first. It is usually done using scraps of paper, but you can also do this with MS Teams. 

 How it works: Requires Video/Camera on 

1. 1. Divide your team into two groups. 
   2. List objects or ideas that are unrelated to each other. 
   3. Write them down on bits of colored paper and place them in separate jars. 
   4. As the facilitator, share your screen and show the jars with colored paper. 
   5. Ask either group which jar they want you to choose from and show them what is written down on the bit of paper selected using your camera. 
   6. Give each group 60 seconds to create a link between unrelated objects or ideas. 
   7. The group that gets the correct answer will win a score. 

 Online Bingo

Working from home can be stressful, so building connections with co-workers is a challenge. Virtual bingo can help your teams build relationships and find common ground; it is known by most people, and we always play this fun game at Trovve. An easy way to play bingo online is to personalize it according to your company’s culture or products so everyone can understand it better. 

You may schedule these online bingo games with Microsoft Teams—all you need to do is schedule a meeting and have a host engage everyone with a shared screen and their camera on. Since this is a virtual activity, you can host a Bingo bonanza and create personalized bingo cards. 

Team Building Activities: Who is that Baby?

Sharing childhood photographs with colleagues can be a great icebreaker and one of the enjoyable team building activities. Collect photos of all staff members and display them via video conference using MS Teams, allowing people to guess which pictures are their co-workers’. The team member who guesses correctly wins that round. 

Playing this game is an excellent way to spark curiosity and creativity in teammates by encouraging them to recognize facial features they may observe in those they are unfamiliar with. 

 Mobile Tournament Games/Esports

Host mobile game competitions, such as Call of Duty, Mobile Legends, or Players Unknown Battleground, as engaging team building activities. This is a fun way to see the playful, competitive sides of your team. These games are played in squads, so your team members will have to form groups, and the group that wins should receive a prize. These mobile games are available on Android and iOS devices. 

Team Building Activities: Online Lunch Date

Trovve has been doing remote work for the past few years, but we still manage to have lunch together like a family. One excellent way to get to know your team members and improve positive behavior is to sit with them and have a little chit-chat while eating. 

Sharing what they plan to eat for lunch is a way for everyone to show their creativity, whether they choose to go to a café they love, get a delivery of their favorite food from their favorite restaurant, or make a dish they enjoy. This is a fun team building activity that can be done with Teams, and it is easy to join a video conference with the mobile app. 

Team Building Activities: Forensic Sketch Artist

Forensic Sketch Artist is a uniquely enjoyable party game, engaging office workers and team-building groups in an interactive exercise of skill. Microsoft 365 has the perfect tools for this activity: Microsoft Teams for video meetings and Whiteboard for drawing or sketching. 

Put each player in groups of two or three and encourage them to invent a story about a robbery. Choose a player from each team to take on the role of a forensic sketch artist. The rest of the group members should describe the robber, who will try to sketch their descriptions. The sketch artist should be warned that it is likely that no one will be able to perfectly recreate their descriptions perfectly, however, the objective is to have fun nevertheless! 

Messy-Desk Photo Contest

You can simply walk to your co-workers’ desks for help if you have questions about a project or task when working on-site. If you work remotely, you can send your co-workers quick messages and hope that they will respond as soon as possible. 

But have you ever wondered what your co-workers’ work desks at home look like? Messy Desk Photo Contest gives everyone a chance to brag about their tiny office spaces at home by sending pictures in group chats. Microsoft Teams is a perfect tool for this activity because you can have a channel for everyone and the chat features allow you to react or send/reply with an emoji, a GIF, or attach a picture. 

Team-building activities can help eliminate the boundary that often hinders employees from communicating more effectively and freely. Engagement activities such as these fosters community among your staff, resulting in more willingness to engage with each other. When your staff can feel and act as a unit, productivity, morale, and trust will automatically ensue. 

In the evolving landscape of work, the skill of managing remote teams has transitioned from a niche capability to a crucial competency for leaders across the globe. With organizations embracing remote work at an unprecedented scale, the need for effective remote team management strategies has become more pronounced than ever. This article serves as a comprehensive guide for those at the helm of remote teams, offering insights from over a decade of hands-on experience in remote work environments. Whether leading teams for large corporations or small startups, in the US or internationally, the principles outlined here, alongside the introduction of the innovative Trovve tool, aim to enhance the efficiency, cohesion, and productivity of remote teams. Designed to seamlessly integrate with Microsoft 365, Trovve offers a solution for organizing, executing, and monitoring task-based work, making it an invaluable asset for Project Managers, Team Leads, and Operations Managers committed to excellence in remote team management. Through this exploration, readers will discover not only the benefits and challenges of remote work but also practical strategies for fostering collaboration, trust, and high performance among dispersed teams.  

 What is Trovve?  

Trovve is a tool that lets you handle task-based work without hassle. It works smoothly with Microsoft 365, so you can use it for any kind of work, whether it’s for your clients or your own business. Trovve helps you organize, execute, and monitor work easily, making sure you meet deadlines, keep track of your team, and communicate effectively with your colleagues and customers. 

Who is this article for?

This article is for you if you are a Project Manager, Team Lead, or Operations Manager who is deeply involved in the intricacies of remote team management, coordinating team efforts, and ensuring efficient project execution for remote work. It will be particularly beneficial if you are or plan to be a Microsoft 365 subscriber. I will share numerous examples and tips based on the platform as well as its integration with Trovve, tailored to enhance your remote team management skills. However, you can also apply the same principles to customize your G-suite/Slack and other work management tools, making this a versatile resource for anyone looking to improve their management of remote teams.

Benefits of Remote Team Management

Managing a team remotely can be a win-win situation for both the organization and the employees, such as: 

• Cost savings: Managing a team remotely can slash the costs related to office space, equipment, utilities, travel, and relocation. A study by Global Workplace Analytics found that a typical employer can save around $11,000 per year for each employee who works remotely half of the time. 
• Talent attraction and retention: Managing a team remotely can widen the range of potential candidates and increase the diversity of skills and perspectives. It can also boost employee satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty by offering more flexibility, autonomy, and work-life balance. A survey by Buffer showed that 98% of remote workers want to keep working remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their careers. 
• Productivity and performance: Managing a team remotely can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of work processes by reducing distractions, interruptions, and commuting time. It can also foster a results-oriented culture that focuses on outcomes rather than inputs. A report by Mercer indicated that 94% of employers said that productivity was the same or higher after implementing remote work policies. 
• Innovation and collaboration: Managing a team remotely can spark creativity and problem-solving by exposing employees to different perspectives, experiences, and ideas. It can also improve communication and teamwork by using various tools and platforms that facilitate information sharing, feedback, and coordination. A study by Harvard Business Review showed that teams that worked remotely were more likely to share knowledge and generate novel solutions. 

If you are not convinced yet about remote work, here are some extra resources. 

To learn more about the benefits of managing a team remotely, you can check out these resources: 

• A Guide to Managing Your (Newly) Remote Workers (hbr.org) 
• 17 Benefits for Employees Working From Home (Plus Tips) | Indeed.com 
• Remote Work Is Good for Your Business  

Challenges of Remote Team Management 

What is Remote team management? 

When you lead, organize, and coordinate a group of people who don’t work in the same place, and often not even in the same time zone or culture, you are managing a remote team. Remote team management means setting objectives, giving out tasks, offering feedback, solving conflicts, and making sure your team members can work well together, even if they never see each other in person. 

Remote teams need to communicate more often and more carefully, in diverse ways, both formal and casual, to prevent confusion, loneliness, and boredom. Remote managers need to use different tools and platforms to talk to their team members, such as video calls, chat apps, email, project management software, etc. 

Remote teams need to know exactly what they are supposed to do, why they are doing it, and what they can expect from each other and from the organization. Remote managers need to set clear and measurable goals, give regular feedback and praise, and keep track of how their team members are doing. Remote teams work better when they trust, support, and empower each other, rather than when they feel controlled, watched, and micromanaged.   

Remote managers need to delegate wisely, respect the personal and professional needs and choices of their team members, and create a culture of responsibility and honesty. 

Key differences between managing remote teams and in-person teams. 

 When you work remotely, communication is everything. You need different ways to chat with your team, from video calls to instant messages to project tools, and they should all fit together. You also need a system to plan your work, help your team share ideas and knowledge, and have some fun along the way. 

Remote teams need to know what they are working towards, both personally and collectively. You need to assign your team clear and concrete tasks that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound and monitor their performance and outcomes. Some organizations prefer to use goals, but I think using tasks with constant feedback for your team on how to improve is more effective, as it fosters a culture of improvement. 

Importance of trust, communication, and clear expectations in a remote setting. 

 Remote teams need more trust and autonomy, both from their managers and among themselves. Remote managers need to adopt a results-oriented approach, rather than a micromanaging one, and empower their team members to make decisions and take ownership of their work. They also need to foster a culture of transparency and accountability, where team members share their challenges, successes, and feedback openly and constructively. Trust is the foundation of any successful remote team, and it can be built through regular communication, clear expectations, and mutual respect. 

Hiring remote team members  

When your people are remote, you need to be extra careful about who you hire. Having team members scattered across the globe adds another layer of challenge.  

Dealing with Time Zone Differences  

Establish a shared Time zone- A remote team needs a time zone to keep everyone on the same page. It’s the anchor for communication, meetings, deadlines, and tasks. It also helps to sync up the workflow and routine for the team. 

Benefits of a shared time zone: 

• Reduces time zone conversion and clarification. 
• Clarifies availability and responsiveness expectations. 
• Simplifies planning and coordination of work across the team and with clients. 
• Builds unity and alignment among the team, despite distance and diversity. 

Some best practices for a Shared time zone are: 

• Choose a convenient and accessible time zone for most of the team and clients, or close to the company’s main location or market. 
• Communicate the Shared time zone clearly and consistently to the team and clients and help them adjust their calendars and devices. 
• Use tools and apps that sync and show the Shared time zone, and that allow easy time zone conversion and comparison. 
• Respect and consider a Shared time zone take into consideration the preferences of the team and clients and try to accommodate them without hurting the work quality and efficiency. 

 Overlap your work hours for remote teams: Overlapping your work hours with your remote teammates is good for many reasons. First, it helps you feel more like a team and less like lonely workers, who may not have much contact with their co-workers. Second, it helps you work better together, as you can chat in real time, give feedback, produce ideas, fix problems, and plan tasks. Third, it helps you avoid confusion, delays, and mistakes, as you can make sure you understand each other, agree on deliverables, and check progress. 

To overlap your work hours, the remote team should set a clear start and end time for their workday and make room for breaks and flexibility in the schedule. The start and end time should be shared and approved by all team members and be mindful of their personal and professional responsibilities. The schedule should match the company’s default time zone, but also consider each team member’s local time, preferences of the clients and stakeholders, and try to balance them out. 

If you use Trovve, it’s easy to create multiple work schedules and assign them to one or more people that have built-in break times. This becomes part of their employee card, so everyone knows their schedule. For break time, Trovve uses AI to tell team members when others usually take breaks based on their past patterns. In the team section of Trovve, users can see who is available, who is busy, and who is on break and for how long, promoting collaboration and transparency. 

Hiring from different countries  

 To create a successful remote team, you need to be smart about hiring. Working with global talent can enrich your team, but you also need to deal with issues like communication and cultural differences. You should: 

• Choose a Few Hiring Countries: Pick candidates who have similar cultural backgrounds or from countries your existing team members are from. This helps to avoid communication problems and cultural conflicts and complex vacation schedules. 
• Consider Time Zone Overlap: Hire from places that have the most common work hours to make communication and collaboration easier. Tools like Trovve can help you manage different time zones, making sure you respect each team member’s personal and professional life. 
• Choose Remote friendly countries: Look for countries with large pools of   candidates who already work remotely. Some countries have strong talent pool for certain types of jobs such as customer support in Philippines, Sofware development in India, but remember that you may get different quality depending on pay rate ex European countries tend to have better developers than India but at higher cost 
• Set up your holiday schedule: Different countries have different holidays, so it’s a clever idea to select some holidays from each country and make one common holiday schedule or group holidays by team so that they can work together smoothly. It’s also essential to use a system to monitor holidays and time off with alerts and calendar integration like Leaveforce. 

Remote work hiring process 

In the context of remote team management, the process of remote hiring plays a pivotal role in assembling a team that is not only skilled but also aligned with the company’s culture and values. Leveraging digital tools and platforms for recruiting and selecting candidates enables managers to tap into a global talent pool, optimizing for diversity, skills, and fit for remote or hybrid roles. Despite the benefits, remote hiring challenges such as ensuring equitable assessment, building rapport, and maintaining a positive candidate experience must be navigated carefully.

To address these challenges and ensure the selection of the best candidates for your remote team, adopting best practices in remote hiring is essential. Automated prescreening streamlines the initial stages of the hiring process, efficiently narrowing down the candidate pool based on essential criteria. Online assessments and sample projects offer insights into a candidate’s capabilities and work style, providing a realistic preview of their potential contributions. Further enhancing the selection process, team and manager screenings facilitate deeper understanding and integration with team dynamics and managerial expectations. Through these practices, remote team management can effectively extend beyond day-to-day operations, starting from the very foundation of team creation—hiring individuals who are not only competent but also a cultural fit, thereby setting the stage for a cohesive and productive remote work environment.

 Remote Communication and Collaboration  

 If you want your remote team to work well together, you need to communicate and collaborate effectively. Microsoft 365 has a bunch of tools to help you do that. Here’s how to get started and manage your remote team communication and collaboration with Microsoft 365: 

• Pick the Best Microsoft 365 Subscription: We recommend the Business Standard or E3 plan as it has all the apps you need for remote work, like Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 
• Get Organized with Teams: Use Teams as the place to chat and call. Make a public team with your company name, like Trovve team. Then make a channel in that team called ‘Coming Work Issues’ where team members can share any problems they have working from home, like power cuts, internet issues, etc.
   

• Customize SharePoint: Whenever you make a team, a SharePoint site is also made. Use this to store and share documents by making libraries for different departments or functions, like HR, marketing, sales, or projects. Remember, this is a public team, so everyone can see everything. To keep folders or libraries private, you must change the access settings.
   

• Use Group Chat in Teams: Use group chat instead of channels as they are faster. Make one group for the whole company and use this for announcements, and another one for each department, like marketing, sales, or specific projects. Use chats for daily conversations, and save emails for things that need a record, like HR issues. 
• Use Team Status Messages in Teams: Use status messages to show if you are available, busy, or away, so your team knows and doesn’t bother you too much. 

Next, we’ll show you how Trovve connects the dots by blending seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and teams. 

Managing Projects, Workflow, and team oversight with Trovve 

 Getting started with Trovve 

Before you welcome your team to Trovve, you need to set up a few things. First, choose your default time zone and make different work schedules that overlap as we suggested above. Then, invite your team and match them to the right schedule. 

Create a hub for everything 

A common problem when managing teams is finding information. You may have it on SharePoint, but it’s not integrated with your workflow, so your team members struggle to locate it. Use Trovve’s team drive to arrange files, libraries and folders and group them into categories like General Stuff, Software Development, Logo & Branding, Marketing and Sales, etc. The best part is that you can access whatever you need from tasks, projects, or shortcuts. Also, decide who can be content managers to control how your team drive is organized. 

Contact Management 

Working with external customers can mean tons of contacts stuck in Outlook. Outlook can make it tough for team members to access shared contact lists. So, bring all your contacts into Trovve and let Trovve do the magic of creating storage locations for your contacts in SharePoint where you can keep project documents, proposals contracts and more that everyone on your team can see. With your contact list in Trovve, you can also start customer-specific projects or schedule follow-ups for contacts and more. 

Turn on daily summaries 

 Instead of wasting time on daily check-in meetings, especially when your team is in various locations and time zones, why not ask them to send you a daily summary? This way, you can monitor their progress and well-being. Just go to the company settings and select to request a work summary during checkout. Then, your team will have to fill out a daily report before they finish their day that stays in Trovve , along with tasks they have completed so you see the whole picture and keep everything in One place. They’ll also receive reminders to check out every day. 

Setting up projects 

Trovve lets you handle both internal and external projects with ease. 

Here’s how you can set up a project in Trovve in 3 simple steps: 

Step 1: Fill in Project Details 

• Give your project a name, a timeframe, and make it private if needed – for example, if it’s about HR stuff 
• Turn on AI for task suggestions – this will help you get started with some smart tasks 
• Add managers, team members, and a brief description of the project. 

Step 2: Link Contacts – skip this step if it’s an internal project. 

• Pick the customer from your Shared Contact List  
• Select the customer and the people from that company who will participate in the project and their role. This helps your team to access the information they need when communicating with clients.  

Step 3: Choose File Storage – this saves you time as any documents you create or upload in tasks related to the project or within the project will be saved to the default storage location in SharePoint. 

• The system will recommend the existing storage location in SharePoint/OneDrive for that client if it’s a project for them. 
• You can also make a new location in SharePoint or OneDrive. 

 Daily workflow 

Trovve lets you work remotely with your team in a snap, without any hassle of setting it up.  

To-Do List: Users begin their day in planning mode, viewing a to-do list of tasks assigned by teammates, automation, or self-assigned. The list, which can be customized, includes tabs for today’s tasks, overdue items, and upcoming responsibilities. Users can add tasks to their “My Day” list and receive AI-powered suggestions for prioritization. 

 My Day List: This daily overview helps users organize their activities, with sections for global search, an event widget for meeting details, work history that shows tasks grouped by day that they worked on and a toolbar for task management. Users can monitor incomplete tasks, reassigned tasks, and completed tasks, while effortlessly creating new items. The interface allows multitasking with sliding panels for smooth access to meetings, files, contacts, and projects without losing sight of what they are working on. 

Task Management: Users can create, delegate, and organize tasks, linking them to projects, contacts, or files. Task details are comprehensive, including start and due dates, labels for easy searching, descriptions, and checklists. AI can generate checklists based on the task or similar past tasks. Users can collaborate through @mentions and comments, track task history, and view tasks in a full-screen mode for a focused approach. 

Alerts: Trovve ensures users are always informed with instant alerts for tasks, meetings, and comments. Morning briefings provide an overview of the day, while real-time alerts keep users engaged in conversations and aware of upcoming commitments. In-app alerts act as a productivity guide, highlighting tasks and updates to help users manage their workload effectively. 

Tracking Progress and Maintaining Accountability 

Trovve’s Team Management feature offers dynamic oversight and efficient management of team activities, combining real-time status monitoring and personalized work cards. 

Status Hub: Real-Time Team Activity Monitoring 

• Displays personalized work cards for each team member with photo/initials and status. 
• Utilizes a color-coded status ring indicating active engagement (green), break (orange), or inactivity (grey). 
• Provides detailed status updates like check-in/out times and break durations. 
• Summarizes tasks and meetings, including progress, pending and overdue tasks. 
• Features real-time counts of members in different statuses and supports search and filter options. 
• Adapts to local and company-wide time zones for global teams. 
• Benefits include enhanced oversight, improved coordination, increased productivity, streamlined communication, and efficient global team management. 

Work Cards: Detailed View of Teamwork Activity 

• Displays each team member’s daily tasks and meetings 
• Indicates completed and reassigned tasks, with private tasks visible only within projects. 
• Organizes tasks by date, with special categories for unplanned or overdue items. 
• Enables task management by managers/admins, including adding, reassigning, or deleting tasks. 
• Displays upcoming meetings, holidays, and time-offs. 
• The Reports Tab offers a comparative bar chart of completed versus planned tasks and a 7-day work report, accessible only to managers/admins. 
• Benefits include enhanced visibility of workloads, streamlined task management, increased accountability, better workload planning, privacy for private tasks, and data-driven decision-making for strategic planning. 

Fostering Collaboration and Team Spirit 

 To foster a sense of unity and collaboration, try these suggestions: 

• Schedule weekly/ Bi-weekly or monthly check-ins with your team members using praise features in Teams. This can be a recurring meeting on your team’s calendar, where you can discuss the progress of your projects and share feedback. Make sure to use video conferencing tools and encourage everyone to turn on their cameras, as this can help create a more personal and engaging connection. 
• Show appreciation for each other’s work by using the MS team’s praise badges feature. 
• Organize team-building activities that are suitable for remote teams at least once a month or quarter. These can be fun and creative ways to break the ice, build trust, and enhance communication among your team members. For example, you can play online games like Among Us, Jackbox, or Codenames, host virtual escape rooms or scavenger hunts, or have a talent show or karaoke night. 
• Recognize and celebrate achievements to maintain motivation. Remote work can sometimes feel isolated or underappreciated, so it is important to acknowledge and reward the efforts and accomplishments of your team members. You can do this by sending praise messages, giving shout-outs during meetings, creating a virtual wall of fame, or offering incentives or rewards for outstanding performance. 

 Conclusion 

Managing a remote team can be challenging, but also rewarding. You can create a culture of trust, collaboration, and innovation, while providing flexibility and autonomy for your team members. By following the tips and strategies discussed in this article, you can overcome some of the common obstacles and pitfalls of remote work and foster a productive and engaged team. 

Remote team management is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It requires constant learning, adaptation, and experimentation. You may encounter difficulties and setbacks along the way, but don’t let them discourage you. Instead, embrace them as opportunities to grow and improve. Remember, you are not alone on this journey. You can always reach out to other remote managers, experts, or mentors for advice and support. 

We hope you found this article helpful and inspiring. If you want to learn more about remote team management, check out the additional resources below. Thank you for reading, and we wish you all the best in your remote team leadership. 

 Additional Resources 

Here are some books, websites, courses, and communities that can help you learn more about remote team management and connect with other remote leaders. 

Books 

– Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. This book offers practical insights and tips on how to create and maintain a successful remote team, from the founders of Basecamp, a fully remote company. 

– The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and the Future of Work by Scott Berkun. This book chronicles the author’s experience as a manager at WordPress.com, one of the largest and most successful remote companies in the world. It reveals the secrets and challenges of remote work culture, and how to make it work for your team. 

– Leading from Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams by David Burkus. This book provides research-based and actionable advice on how to lead remote teams effectively, from hiring and onboarding to communication and collaboration. 

– Work Together Anywhere: A Handbook on Working Remotely – Successfully – for Individuals, Teams, and Managers by Lisette Sutherland and Kirsten Janene-Nelson. This book covers everything you need to know about working remotely, from setting up your workspace and tools to building trust and rapport with your team. 

Websites 

– Remote.co This website is a hub of information and resources for remote workers and managers. You can find best practices, tips, interviews, case studies, and job listings related to remote work. 

– Remote How This website is a platform for learning and networking for remote professionals. You can access online courses, webinars, events, and certifications on several topics related to remote work. 

– Remotive: This website is a community of remote workers and managers who share their experiences, insights, and opportunities. You can join their newsletter, blog, podcast, or Slack group to stay updated and connected with other remote enthusiasts. 

Courses 

– Leading Distributed Teams by LinkedIn Learning. This course teaches you how to manage remote teams effectively, from setting expectations and goals to fostering collaboration and feedback. 

– Managing Virtual Teams by Coursera. This course helps you understand the challenges and benefits of remote work, and how to apply best practices and tools to enhance your team’s performance and satisfaction. 

– Remote Team Management by Udemy. This course offers practical and proven strategies and techniques for leading remote teams, from hiring and onboarding to communication and motivation. 

Communities 

– Grow Remote. This is a global community of remote workers and managers who aim to make remote work more accessible and inclusive. You can join their local chapters, events, workshops, and online platforms to network and learn from other remote advocates. 

– Remote Leaders. This is a community of remote managers and leaders who share their challenges, successes, and lessons learned. You can join their Slack group, newsletter, blog, or podcast to exchange ideas and insights with other remote leaders. 

– Running Remote. This is a community of remote entrepreneurs and executives who want to build and scale remote businesses. You can attend their online or offline conferences, masterminds, or webinars to learn from the experts and peers in the remote industry.