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The need for accountability is important for all teams. However, accountability is even more challenging in a distributed team. Managing distributed teams create difficulties for leaders, as most current methods of assessing accountability and work productivity have become outdated.

As working in distributed teams becomes more common, some leaders may benefit from tools and ideas to help counteract the below struggles:

  • Lack of face-to-face supervision
  • Differences in work ethic
  • Lack of clarity and direction
  • Lack of regular cadence for meetings
  • Deficient sense of ownership and commitment
  • Inability to ask the right questions

This section creates a framework on how leaders can use specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely (SMART) goals in their daily communication as well as Engage meetings they already participate in to embed accountability throughout.

Be sure to check the Appendix for more ideas and tools for Supervisors to use in order to successfully execute the four principles of a successful distributed team.

Role Clarity & Responsibilities Set Clear Expectations Track Progress Check Ins
  • Each goal shall include the following discussion upon creation:
  • What to do?
  • When is it due?
  • How do I/my role fit in the big picture?
  • What does “success” look like?
  • Who do I need to consult and/or coordinate with?
  • When should I make a decision vs. when should my supervisor make a decision?
  • It is important to be accessible and open to your team in order to encourage questions around this topic.
  • Use the Team Member Success Goals document to develop specific goals, actions, and steps so each team member clearly understands what they should be producing.
  • SMART goals ensure the team member is set up for success.
  • Action steps can help to celebrate small wins and promote motivation in goal achievement.
  • Visual tools and collaboration applications such as huddle boards, dashboards, checklists, Asana and Trello can also be used to track performance.
  • Software such as Tableau, BiPortal, or Excel allow managers to automatically update team progress and be more widely shared.
  • Constructive feedback is vital to team member’s ongoing development. Feedback clarifies expectations, helps team members see opportunities for growth and builds confidence.
  • Discuss continuous improvement opportunities with team members to promote engagement, growth and overall success.
  • Build accountability and transparency in performance management through the use of accountability tools such as metrics, analysis, assessments, and constructive feedback.
  • Team meetings and one on one meetings are vital for all teams, especially distributed teams. Weekly team meetings are an opportunity for supervisors and managers to communicate with everyone at the same time to ensure alignment of the teams goals.
  • When scheduling a meeting it is important to:
  • Prepare for the meeting
  • Meeting needs to have a purpose and an agenda
  • What is the protocol for meeting sharing?
  • Can anyone speak at anytime?
  • Should everyone be muted?
  • Should attendees speak out or use chat functions?
  • Utilize tools to maximize effectiveness of distributed team meeting such as:
  • WebEx
  • Zoom
  • PowerPoint
  • Basecamp
  • Box
  • SharePoint