Best practices for managing content operations remotely

Over the course of this year, I realised that managing content operations remotely requires a slightly different game plan. Many of the best practices listed here would apply across teams. In content, however, it would be a mistake to categorize the domain as just being 'çreative'. One needs to take into account the efficiency of the tools, the workflows, enable collaboration, measure performance and progress, all the while being mindful of the vastly altered circumstances under which employees are working. Sharing what I've learnt so far so that I may refer to it in the future, and to elicit feedback and suggestions from the community.

Stay on track as a team with weekly stand-ups

Start your week with a stand-up involving all team members working on a common project. When working remotely, the stand-up does not need to be early in the morning. Meetings are best scheduled in the latter half of the day when everyone is likely to be available. This not only enables team members to balance work with domestic chores and childcare, but helps everyone come prepared to the meeting, having identified issues to discuss with the team.

The meeting should be only as long as needed. Initially it might be confusing to assess the ideal time span while scheduling the meeting in a calendar. However, like everything else in life, the best bet is to iterate and see what works. My team was not too large and 30 minutes worked out well for us.

Encourage measurement and reflection with individual task trackers

A mature work environment can only be built by self-driven individuals. Having said that, progress must be measurable to meet goals on time. Individual task trackers maintained by each team member are very useful in that regard. In the absence of in-person communication that helps identify areas where the team is slacking off, a task tracker enables the individual to measure their progress daily.

Such trackers, if maintained by the manager, may be construed as micromanagement. But when maintained by team members, they are seen as self-management tools. Moreover, they help managers and team members identify inefficiencies in thought processes as well as those for workflows, helping build a robust framework for remote operations.

Expect excellence, from yourself and your team

All said and done, it is easy to fall victim to the pervasive negativity that has been the hallmark of this year and feel sorry for oneself. Creative people such as writers and artists are somewhat more predisposed to feeling this way. However, as a manager, you need to recognize that such sentiments, while valid, are fruitless. You also must remember that your team is watching you. You set the mood and the expectations. So shrug off the inconveniences, laugh at the challenges, and think of new ways to get the job done nevertheless.

Hold on. That does not mean that you become insensitive to the difficulties your team members may be facing. Be empathetic and help them solve those problems. But when it comes to attitude, you set the bar.

Increase the frequency of one-on-ones

It is important to make space to listen – just listen – especially when working remotely. As we've discovered this year, life can get pretty complicated. No one really knows how to deal with the gale of unforeseen events interrupting life-as-planned.

Working remotely, we no longer have the convenience of studying the body language of our team members. With most people preferring to keep the cameras switched off, one must listen, note the tone of voice, the energy, or its absence, to gauge what's going on. Articulating one's problems isn't always easy. While some employees frankly share what's bothering them, others find it difficult to open up. A manager must develop an inner radar to detect such cases and take action.

Work closely with product and tech to keep the tools in order

The health of the technology supporting content operations directly affects content production and quality. That's why it is vital for the content strategist in charge to work closely with product and tech. The right mental model is to identify the deliverables, map the existing tool functionalities against them, and work with product & tech to bridge the gaps if any.

When working remotely, remember to ask your team if their tools are working as expected. Often, employees refrain from highlighting problems, and prefer to re-do a task, or wait until the tool works as expected, to avoid being labelled 'complainers'. Such inefficiencies not only eat away productivity, but also employee morale, and lead to an unhealthy work culture. As a manager, you must convince them that you are interested and invested in their performance, and highlighting tool issues would not be perceived negatively.

Simultaneously, make time to connect with tech and product regularly, hear them out to understand why they designed the tool a certain way, and formulate solutions that would appeal to both - product and content.

Acknowledge progress with monthly and quarterly updates

It's easy to lose track of time while working remotely. The dizzying cycle of managing domestic chores and professional responsibilities from the very same space can contort the sense of moving forward. Making time to regularly measure progress in terms of content items produced or improved and their performance, new ideas acted upon, improvements in backend health of content, and the impact of all such initiatives on the business, helps everyone gain perspective. I've found that a monthly recap helps recalibrate the effort we made as a team, identify where we slacked off, and feel good about what we did well.

Make space for water-cooler moments

One of the biggest drawbacks of working remotely is the loss of in-person, non-work related interactions. At a workplace such interactions don't need to be cultivated. But when working remotely, with one's laptop/desktop being the conduit for work, the scope for generic chit-chat seems to vanish.

As a manager, one needs to make space for such moments. Don't limit the official channels of communication for just work related interactions. Take the lead, loosen up (within acceptable limits!) and keep it natural. Participation from team members should be voluntary, not expected. Keep an eye on your team's emotional health. If you feel stagnation creeping in, get your team to schedule a meet-up. That way, the meeting is unlikely to be seen as an obligation.