How To Efficiently Allocate Resources To Remote Teams

After resources have been allocated to different business units, the next step is to figure out what managers should do with the resources they are given.

Each business unit will be in charge of several projects, and managers have to create a solid plan to successfully tackle everything on their plate while allowing for unexpected bumps and surprises.

Here are the main steps every manager will have to follow:

1. Find out how much work needs to be done.

First, managers need to take stock of the entire workload their unit is responsible for. This means creating a list of all the projects and processes being carried out, including jobs of a cross-functional nature, and discern the required time and scope for each project.

Furthermore, breaking down projects into smaller tasks and prioritizing each task based on importance and urgency makes it easier to estimate the amount of time each task would take. This is liable to change based on several factors, including who ends up working on the task and whether the scope of the task changes or stays the same.

2. Know the capacity of the unit.

The main resource controlled by business units is people. Consequently, to properly manage the workload, managers need to be aware of the capabilities of their team members along with their availability.

When assessing the availability of each team member, managers should consider current responsibilities shouldered by each individual, as well as sick leave, vacation time, and public holidays. Additionally, ensuring each team member has a good home office setup can help maximize productivity. In short, managers need to figure how much time each team member can dedicate to any given project.

For some units, tangible assets can be another important resource to take into consideration. In this case, managers need to take stock of all their assets. Occasionally, some assets will be shared between units, in which case managers will have to communicate with the managers of the other units and figure out how they can all make the most of the asset in question.

3. Distribute the work based on the last two steps.

Once managers know how much work needs to be done and how much work each team member can shoulder, assigning tasks should be pretty straightforward. Nevertheless, there are a few caveats managers should bear in mind:

• The highest priority work should be assigned first. Urgent tasks need to be on the top of everybody’s to-do list.
• Tasks should be assigned based on capabilities and availability so that each individual works on the tasks that best suit their skills and experience. Additionally, managers should inform each member why they’re assigning certain tasks to them, hence increasing the team’s engagement and setting expectations from the beginning.
• Another way of increasing the team’s engagement is to let their voice be heard; after all, they know their ability and comfort zones better than anyone else. In such a manner, each team member will feel valued and be more willing to take ownership of the tasks they choose.
• The distribution of tasks needs to be fair to everyone involved. Otherwise, resentment may fester quickly, causing the top-performers to consider employment elsewhere.
• Managers need to be careful not to overload their teams to prevent burnout.

4. Time block each team member’s calendar.

Time blocking is assigning a certain amount of time in one’s schedule for a certain task or job. During this time, With this in mind, managers should update each member’s availability and block time on said member’s calendar for the assigned work.

To do this, managers will have to rely on their earlier guesses of how much time each task would take as well as the critical input given by the team member working on the task in question.

Time blocking increases a team’s productivity as it helps them work without distraction and focus on a specific task at a time rather than jump haphazardly from one task to another.

Moreover, time blocking is a way for managers to update their entire team’s availability, letting them know if they can take on more projects or if they already have enough on their plate.

5. Perform regular check-ins.

Plans are liable to change at an instant. For example, the project scope might change, a team member might struggle with their task, or external conditions might affect the business unit somehow. In all these scenarios, managers would do well to get ahead of the problem and deal with it before it escalates.

One way to do so is by performing regular check-ins with each team member. This step is all the more important when working with remote teams: When managers oversee their team in an office, it is much easier to spot a problem than when each employee is out of sight.

These check-ins can be via e-mail or video call. Regardless of the medium, what matters is that managers are always aware of the latest updates from their team and that each team member is aware that the manager is available to help at any time. Check-ins and meetings can easily be coordinated with efficient online scheduling. You can also use an absence tracker to manage attendance.

6. Use the proper tools for the job.

There are many challenges that come with managing a remote team. For instance, the distance can impede effective communication between team members as well as between the manager and their team. Also, without the benefit of an office setting, managers may have a hard time gauging the performance of their team members and measuring their KPIs.

Because of this, managers need to use the right tools to facilitate the entire process. There are various tools suited to different businesses that streamline team communication and project collaboration.

7. Assess the effectiveness of the allocations once a project is over.

One of the best ways to increase the efficiency of resource allocations is to learn from past mistakes. This means taking the time to analyze the work done on each project and seeing whether things could be improved.

With this in mind, managers should have an online meeting with their remote workers after the conclusion of every project, and the entire team should endeavor to figure out what worked and what didn’t. Teams should ask themselves the right questions, including:

• How effective was the team in communicating with each other and with the client?
• How clear was each team member on their responsibilities? Was there any ambiguity when it came to the expectations placed upon them?
• How efficiently did different business units collaborate when the need arose?
• What are the areas for improvement?

Managers using the proper tools will already have some of the answers to the above questions. For example, software that tracks KPIs can point out any inefficiencies that might have afflicted the entire team.