5 Ways to Manage Remote Teams Successfully Without Losing Connection

Photo by @sigmundon Unsplash

Remote work has fundamentally changed how we lead.

The UK Parliament reported that during the pandemic, a peak of 49% of workers in Great Britain worked at least one day from home, with 38% working from home exclusively.

This shift isn't temporary. It's the new reality.

While remote and hybrid models offer significant benefits, saved commute time, flexibility, autonomy, they also create leadership challenges most managers weren't trained to handle.

I have witnessed brilliant teams fall apart not because of poor performance, but because leaders failed to adapt their management approach to remote work. The strategies that worked in the office simply don't translate.

Your practice starts here. The best time to address this was when remote work began. The second best time is today.

The Remote Work Paradox

According to a study by King's College London, the average UK commute is 73 minutes. The majority of people allocated their saved commuting time to work (38%), leisure (39%), or caregiving activities (9%), equating to about 2% of after-tax earnings.

That's significant. Employees gain time, autonomy, and control over their wellbeing.

But here's what we're losing: connection, engagement, and the informal learning that happens naturally in physical spaces.

Remote.com reports that companies with hybrid or flexible work models have had the lowest overall turnover rates since 2019, 5% lower than fully office-based companies in 2022.

The challenge isn't whether to offer remote work. It's how to lead remotely without losing what makes teams thrive.

5 Ways to Manage Remote Teams Successfully

1. Prioritise Intentional Connection

Assume you gave your team the option to work remotely. Most would choose to work from home the majority of the time.

But consider that one person who prefers the office and shows up to an empty space. That's pointless for team cohesion and lonely for the person seeking connection.

The solution: If you're running a hybrid model, align on which days are office days. Don't let people choose randomly, everyone showing up on different days defeats the purpose.

Make connection deliberate, not accidental.

2. Personalise how you develop people

Everyone learns differently. This was true in the office, but it's critical remotely.

In the office, you could assess if a new team member was struggling. You'd notice confusion in their face, hesitation in their questions, or see them stuck at their desk.

Remotely? Those signals disappear.

The solution: Create personalised training methods. Some people learn by doing, others by watching, others by reading documentation first.

Ask your new hires directly: "How do you learn best?" Then design their onboarding accordingly.

Consider doing all initial onboarding on-site so new employees can immerse themselves in company culture, ask questions freely, and feel empowered to hit the ground running.

3. Fight Disengagement Proactively

A study reported by Berkeley Haas found that working from home left people feeling siloed and less connected to colleagues. Time spent collaborating decreased by 25% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Communication shifted too. Emails and chat became dominant over video calls or face-to-face meetings.

David Holtz, Professor at Berkeley Haas and co-author of the study, stated: "The fact that your colleagues' remote work status affects your own work habits has major implications for companies considering hybrid policies."

The solution: Make collaboration visible. If teammates are in the office together, it improves communication and information flow for both those in and out of the office.

Don't let your team become isolated islands. Create rituals that keep people connected, daily check-ins, weekly team syncs, monthly all-hands where cameras are on.

4. Make team Building Non-Negotiable

Given the increased risk of disengagement, personal connection becomes essential, not optional.

Your team needs to know each other as humans, not just colleagues on Zoom.

The solution: If regular office days aren't possible, create social events where attendance is highly encouraged. Not mandatory, that breeds resentment, but positioned as valuable for team cohesion.

Quarterly off-sites. Monthly team lunches. Informal coffee chats. Whatever fits your culture.

The key thing: don't let work be the only topic. Create space for people to connect on a personal level.

5. Understand Individual Home Environments

Not everyone's home is a productive workspace.

Some people thrive working from home. Others struggle with distractions, cramped spaces, unreliable internet, or challenging home situations.

If someone's home environment isn't consistently stable, supportive, or safe, it will impact their work. Often, the signs are subtle, and only compassionate leaders pick up on them.

The solution: Don't assume working from home is universally beneficial. Have honest conversations about what's working and what isn't.

Some team members might need office space for productivity. Others might need flexibility for caregiving. Some might be dealing with situations they're not comfortable disclosing.

Create options, not mandates.

Make it work for your team

Remote work isn't going away. The question isn't whether to offer it, it's how to lead effectively within it.

Start by assessing how remote work is serving you. What works? What doesn't? What improvements could be made?

Then ask your team to do the same. Set clear expectations for how your flexible working model operates.

And remember: what suits everyone today may not suit everyone tomorrow. Keep checking in. Maintain open communication. Stay compassionate.

Your Self-Science

• How is remote work currently serving your team?

• Which team members might be struggling silently?

• What's one intentional connection ritual you could implement this week?

• Are you assuming everyone's home environment is equally productive?

If these strategies resonate and you are curious for more, follow me on LinkedIn, and visit The Self-Science Lab for more info. 

Lauren Cartigny, Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach and Mindfulness Practitioner

Following a successful international corporate career in Sales for leading Tech firms, Lauren faced an unexpected burnout, life and health crisis. After re-building her life, transforming her career, and healing her body, heart and mind, Lauren has created transformative coaching and training programs to teach High-Performance from a place of Well-Being to prevent burnout, and employee churn in organisations.