How to make remote teamwork work.

Explore how remote teamwork empowers employees to work from anywhere using digital collaboration tools.

Powered by advances in communication platforms and document collaboration software, more people work from home or another remote location than ever before. Teams can stay in touch, exchange ideas, and share documents more efficiently with digital tools.

What are the elements of effective remote teamwork?

Remote teamwork can be incredibly effective with the right leaders, tools, and communication habits. First, a remote team needs proper management with access to good, efficient collaboration tools. Team members must be willing to actively and continually engage with each other, even though it might be easier to communicate less. Teams also need to make sure they have clarified the expectations surrounding schedules and availability so that workers have accountability and plenty of opportunities to communicate in real time.

How to get teams to work together — remote collaboration tools.

With a computer or tablet, Wi-Fi or cellular service, and remote collaboration tools, geographical locations are not as important as they used to be. Teams can talk and text with each other or in groups, and virtual meetings enable remote workers to interact with the rest of the team. Online document collaboration is made easy with document collaboration tools designed for sharing, editing PDF files, and commenting.

For example, after creating a document or piece of creative content, you can use Adobe Acrobat to convert your work with a PDF converter, share it with your team, merge PDF files with documents from other team members, and receive feedback on your work. You can also do this using Adobe Acrobat online services. For remote workers, it’s important to have a convenient, easy-to-share, yet secure method for document collaboration.

Pros and cons of remote work team collaboration.

Although it’s becoming increasingly common, remote teamwork isn’t necessarily the best option for every company. Learning about the pros and cons of remote teamwork can help you choose whether it’s right for your situation. You might also want to learn how to best leverage a situation that already includes remote teamwork.

Advantages of remote teamwork.

Remote work has advantages for both the worker and the employer.

• Workers can save the time and money they would have otherwise spent on transportation.

• Workers may enjoy a more flexible work schedule.

• Employers have access to a wider pool of talent across many locations.

• Employers can save the funds they may have spent providing office space.

Disadvantages of remote work team collaboration.

While remote teamwork presents several unique challenges, those challenges can be met with the right tools.

• Team members may have difficulty communicating and reaching each other, but a good messaging tool can help.

• It can be more difficult for team members to hold each other accountable. However, good systems for checking in can help teams have accountability and stay motivated.

• Remote teams sometimes struggle to build good working relationships. Fortunately, using video calling can help team members get to know each other as if they were face to face.

• Because of these challenges, leading a remote team is not as intuitive as leading an in-person team. Leaders should be trained on good remote teamwork tactics before taking on a virtual team.

Best practices for effective remote teamwork.

If you follow a few best practices, remote work team collaboration can be smooth and effective:

• Establish check-in and communication routines and expectations. These routines and expectations can help communication go smoothly. When team members have questions, they’ll know where to go and how to be efficient.

• Be clear and intentional in communication. Because remote communication can be more cumbersome, clarity is especially important. Make sure that all of your essential points can’t be misunderstood, but try to do this as concisely as possible. This also applies to meetings and check-ins.

• Set expectations and seek accountability. It’s not always as easy to know what the priorities should be in a remote setting. Staying accountable with teammates helps flesh out priorities and get work moving forward.

• Take time for relationship building. Building relationships in a remote team might mean staying a few minutes longer at the end of a video call or creating an exclusively social video meeting. Having good relationships within a team promotes trust and understanding.

• Train leaders specifically for remote teamwork. Leaders are usually great because of their ability to connect with their team and communicate their vision. However, this isn’t always easy for them in a remote setting. It’s important for leaders to be equipped with good remote collaboration tools and strategies.

Using digital tools is essential to facilitate successful teamwork across locations. Discover what more your remote team can do with Acrobat to convert, share, and send PDFs in minutes.