The Irony of Motivating Remote Teams: The Power of Planning

One of the biggest myths in business is that you can ‘motivate’ employees. In reality, motivation is intrinsic. As a leader, your role is to create an environment that inspires people to do great work. However, for a remote team to thrive, this environment isn’t just a physical space. It also requires structure and clear direction. In my experience, creating such an environment hinges on effective planning.

Why Planning Is Essential for Remote Teams

Let’s look at why planning is so important, especially for remote teams. Efficient teams always have a plan for a reason that is obvious yet often overlooked. When leaders and managers are constantly busy and make little progress each month, daily routines and meetings often drive them in random directions. As a result, decision-making becomes increasingly difficult, leading to procrastination. Does this scenario sound familiar to you?

The Sense of Achievement

There is a reason why achieving results makes us feel better. We gain a sense of accomplishment when we:

Learn something new Are recognized by our colleagues Help others achieve their goals Create value for clients or users

No matter what motivates you, completing something successfully is inherently rewarding. So, how do we ensure that we achieve these results? Effective planning is the key.

Why Planning Is Critical

A well-structured plan helps:

Get things done: Ensures tasks are completed systematically. Align and coordinate teams: Helps everyone stay on the same page and work towards common goals. Provide a transparent overview of key moments: Ensures everyone knows what to expect and when.

Our brains are constantly making decisions, which is mentally taxing. Planning is a way to reduce these decision-making efforts and hence improve productivity. For startups, planning is especially crucial as efficiency can often determine survival.

Creating a Simple Yet Effective Planning Framework

I’ve found that using simple spreadsheets is an effective way to plan projects. Each feature or project needs a name or codename, a responsible person, and both planned and actual release dates. Here’s a basic structure:

Name or codename of the feature Who owns the feature/project Panned release date Actual release date

Monthly planning is a must for any team, whether small or large. Regular updates and reviews ensure that everyone stays informed and adjusted as needed.

Implementing the Plan

The success of a plan lies in its execution. Your team needs to know that the plan is important and is followed consistently. Highlight the plan's significance by avoiding sudden task requests outside the plan. Each month, focus on completing your planned items. If you encounter delays or cancellations, hold retrospectives to identify the root causes.

Publishing Updates and Recognition

It's crucial to publish updates after planning sessions and once a week, as a rule of thumb. Update the plan with completed items and recognize product and engineering owners for their achievements. This regular communication ensures that everyone remains aligned and motivated.

Summary

As a leader, you should always have clear answers to the question: “What do you plan to release this week/month?” This helps your team stay focused and motivated. Your plan should include:

Name of the feature Owner of the feature Planned release date Actual release date

To make the plan work, implement a monthly planning process, follow the plan, highlight its importance, publish updates regularly, and conduct retrospectives when things go off the plan.

Further Reading

Interested in implementing efficient collaboration in your remote startup team? Check out this article.