3 Mistakes Remote Teams Make and How to Fix Them
Getting remote work right is difficult. And sometimes that means being honest and specific about what’s going wrong. Here are three common mistakes that remote teams make time and time again and practical steps to fix them.
Remote Team Mistake #1: They Don’t Set Meaningful Metrics
Remote teams often measure what’s visible instead of what’s valuable. Hours online, Slack activity, or tasks completed are certainly easy to measure, but they say little about whether the work actually matters, the quality of the work, and the outcome.
Instead, think about ways to measure the work based on its Objectives, Complexity, and Value.
Objectives: What outcome are we actually aiming for?
Complexity: How difficult or ambiguous is the work?
Value: Why does it matter to the customer, to the business, or to the team?
Layering these three gives a more complete picture of performance and prevents teams from rewarding busyness over impact. Make your metrics visible in shared dashboards or async updates so everyone knows what success looks like.
Check out more tips for measuring your remote team’s productivity in our blog post on Mission and Metrics or schedule a workshop with us to define your mission and map key metrics.
Remote Team Mistake #2: They Use Slack for Everything
Chat tools like Slack or Teams are great for quick coordination, but when every thought, collaboration, and file exchange happens there and it turns into an ad hoc file system, the platform can quickly turn into a disorganized mess. The fix is intentionally select the right medium for the right purpose. For example:
Use chat for real-time coordination or casual connection.
Move decisions, project plans, and key updates into shared docs or project pages.
Set norms around where things live and how fast people are expected to respond.
Default to async communication whenever possible, but don’t neglect important reasons to have synchronous conversations.
When teams are deliberate about how they communicate, work becomes more streamlined and efficient.
Find more tips about ways of working for remote teams on our blog post about Approach or schedule a custom workshop with us to create a team charter about ways of working.
Remote Team Mistake #3: They Cancel Recurring Meetings When Things Get Busy
When deadlines pile up, it’s tempting to cancel all-hands, retrospectives, or one-on-ones to “make more room for work.” But these predictable and recurring meetings are exactly the moments that create predictability, trust, and transparency that every team needs.
Instead of skipping, simplify.
Keep the meeting, but don’t use the whole time if you don’t need it. Even ten minutes can keep alignment and connection intact.
If live isn’t possible, do an async update in a shared doc or Slack thread.
Make sure every recurring meeting serves a clear purpose (e.g., all-hands for high-level updates and face to face time with leadership, one-on-ones to check in on team members and address road blocks).
Canceling regular touch points sends a subtle message that connection is optional, which can erode trust and your team’s culture.
Find other ways to prioritize your team’s culture and connection in our blog post on People and Participation or schedule a workshop with us to reset your communication.
Bringing It All Together
Most remote challenges can be fixed with being intentional, explicit, and deliberate about your team’s systems. Framewell Facilitation can facilitate these conversations with your team and give you the MAP to better remote work. Contact us to help your team unpack:
Mission & Metrics: Define what success looks like.
Approach: Design how work gets done.
People & Participation: Create the conditions for trust and accountability.
Check out our services and contact us for a ready-to-run or custom workshop today.