7 Tips for Setting Remote Team Goals

When you’re managing a remote team, it can take a lot of effort and intention to keep everything running smoothly. Distributed teams simply have different dynamics and needs than you may be used to in a traditional workplace. That means when you’re setting remote team goals, there are some methods that will help. 

Use these tips as you’re brainstorming your remote team goals:

1. Define clear expectations
2. Set short- and long-term company goals
3. Encourage individual training goals too
4. Keep communication open
5. Enable knowledge sharing and collaboration
6. Offer incentives 
7. Track progress and check in

Let’s look at how these steps can increase the success of your remote team goal-setting. 

Define clear expectations

Especially within a corporate setting, it’s essential to lay out a clear process before diving into the rest of the goal-planning process. Decide how you’re going to record, communicate, track, and manage the goals you set. 

It’s best to have clearly written documents where you record your goals, details about them, deadlines, and other relevant details. Store these documents in an easily accessible knowledge management space like Pinnacle Series. You can also use project management software and other digital tools. 

Ultimately, ensure you’re providing a way for everyone to easily understand and revisit company goals so they can stay on track.

Set short- and long-term company goals

Breaking down goals into bite-sized pieces makes it much simpler for teams to prioritize and complete the right tasks. But you also want to ensure that these short-term goals are serving the long-term needs of the company. During your goal-planning process, think about weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals — both overall and for each individual department or team. 

Encourage individual training goals too

When you’re managing remote teams, you still need to find ways to connect to your employees as individuals. Supporting them in their personal growth and career goals is a great way to spend quality time learning about your staff. You could ask them where they’d like to be in a year or five or whether there are any new skills they hope to learn. Then, set them up with a personalized learning plan on an e-training platform like Pinnacle Series to help them achieve their individual goals. 

Keep communication open

Do you get the sense that your employees feel comfortable talking to you about anything? Do you welcome constructive feedback and ideas? Goals should not be treated like an immovable object but more like a blueprint where changes can be made. If a team lead comes to you saying, “I know we’ve set a goal to do X, but here’s why Y might have a better outcome,” trust them and hear them out!

Enable knowledge sharing and collaboration

In a traditional office, knowledge sharing and collaboration happen in a variety of ways: gathering in a meeting room, chatting by the coffee maker, visiting a coworker’s desk to go over a document or ask a question. Make sure your remote teams have these same opportunities by giving them the right tools! Provide spaces where they can share information, collaborate on projects, chat one-on-one, etc. (Learn about the collaboration tools in Pinnacle Series here!)

Offer incentives 

Working hard to reach a goal is always more enjoyable and fulfilling when there’s a reward at the end! For example, perhaps whenever a team hits their monthly goal, everyone gets a gift card to order lunch. Hitting bigger goals could come with an incentive of upgrading the technology in their home office. Think about what kinds of rewards will motivate your remote or hybrid team!

Track progress and check in

Finally, you’ll want to be sure you have processes in place to measure progress toward your goals. Set up easy ways to track progress and schedule regular meetings to revisit company goals and reflect on them. Have any logistical issues arisen? Is there anything that can be improved? Do the goals still align with the company’s mission and values? Having regular goal check-ins with team leaders and company decision-makers is important to keep everyone oriented in the right direction.

Interested in learning about how Pinnacle Series can support your remote team goals? Schedule a demo or pilot with our team today!

If you’re already a Pinnacle Series subscriber, log in now or contact your Customer Success Manager to talk about how our e-learning and knowledge sharing platform can help meet your organization’s goals.