Daily Buzz: Leading a Remote Workforce

Leading a team is one thing if it’s in person, and something totally different with remote workers.

“Effective communication is vital for a mobile workforce where office ‘water cooler’ talk simply no longer exists,” says Jordan Owens in a post for Entrepreneur  (opens in a new tab). “This means that all communication happens virtually, but with so many applications and technologies in today’s marketplace, users are continuing to battle with a fractured user experience, creating a major hurdle for leaders to overcome and inspire their teams.”

To successfully manage a virtual workforce, Owens recommends keeping logistics as simple as possible. “One way to do this is reducing the number of collaboration tools,” he says. “While this might seem counterintuitive, reducing the number of tools and platforms can optimize data retention [and] collaboration efficiency and ultimately improve the user experience, meeting retention and training initiatives.”

Leaders should also be conscious of micromanaging. Sure, you might not be able to monitor what remote team members are working on all day, but leading with trust will go a long way with your team.

“Leading via video boils down to trust and the ability to communicate,” Owens says. “It’s not just about getting a message through, it’s about fostering an environment where all parties can be heard and exchange information safely and reliably. We are reaching a point where video will be a necessity for all leaders, and if done right, will be a tool associated with collaboration and inspiration rather than anxiety and fear.”

The Strategy Behind Content Creation

Content’s a significant investment in your marketing. It also takes time to pay off, which is where many orgs face trouble. It takes months/years to build momentum. If you’re going to spend that much time working a blog, you better have a content strategy: https://t.co/fgJttH8rCe  (opens in a new tab)

— Association Adviser (@AssocAdviser) October 10, 2018  (opens in a new tab)

Your content is only as good as the strategy behind it. So before you dive head-first into a blog or other content vehicle, you need to know what exactly you want to achieve. From there, break down content specifics, starting with defining your audience. “Your target audience should be living, breathing people, not fictitious buyer personas,” says Jimmy Daly in a post on the Animalz blog  (opens in a new tab).

Once you understand your audience, he says, you can determine what topics will convert readers to customers (or members), when you should post, and what tools you need to drive traffic to your new content hub.

Other Links of Note

What’s your organization’s social media persona? The Sprout Social blog shares how to leverage your brand’s marketing tone and voice  (opens in a new tab).

Starting—and hosting—a podcast can be challenging. Nonprofit Marketing Guide talked to a podcast expert about what it takes to produce an effective show  (opens in a new tab).

To be a productive association leader, Bruce Weinstein from Forbes says you should do these six things  (opens in a new tab).

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