How to be an effective remote CEO

As a remote or hybrid-working CEO or Founder of a company, it's important to constantly look for ways to stay engaged and ensure that brainstorming and strategising remain effective, interactive and inclusive. Fortunately, there are tons of tools and strategies that remote executives can leverage to develop their strategic plans via a decentralised working model and still nurture intra- and inter-team connectivity.

Virtual Brainstorms

For remote CEOs, the ability to brainstorm virtually has been a game-changer. By using video conferencing technology, teams can now meet online at any time and from anywhere in the world. This makes it easier for teams to collaborate on projects without having everyone in the same place. Additionally, virtual meetings offer tools such as chat functions, polls, queueing and real-time whiteboards that make brainstorming sessions productive and engaging. The key to making sure that it all runs smoothly is to first agree on rules of engagement - so that team members continue to feel heard, respected and that they have a seat at the “table:”.

Strategy Mind Maps

Strategy mapping and idea mind maps provide a visual representation of an organisation's goals and objectives. By breaking down complex tasks into smaller activities and milestones, strategy mapping makes it easier for teams to focus on specific tasks that need to be completed in order for them to achieve their overall goals. Additionally, this method helps leaders remain agile through modularising elements of the strategic roadmap - iterating, re-sequencing and updating hypotheses/investment theses as new data is collected.

Objective Setting

Objective setting or goal setting. involves defining short-term and long-term goals and creating strategies that will help achieve those goals over time. When goal setting, it's important to set realistic expectations while also challenging yourself and your team members with stretch targets that will push you further than ever before. These objectives / goals should be codified in a format and be continuously referred back to in both strategic and operational stand-ups. And don’t forget to celebrate the wins, big and small!

It's no secret that working remotely can present its own unique set of challenges - but with the right tools and strategies in place, remote CEOs can stay focused on their strategic plans while still achieving maximum results! Virtual brainstorms, strategy mapping, and objective setting are just some of the ways remote leaders can ensure their ideas remain fresh and their workforce remain optimistic and motivated innovative even when working from home.

If you’re stuck for ideas, we’d be happy to help - just drop us a note via hello@katriona.partners and we’ll send you some handy tips.