Organizational Leadership (NGOs, Societies, and Humanitarian): How to manage and lead the work teams on site and even remotely?

I. I. Introduction
In my 26 years of professional experience, I have in fact understood that everyone can pretend to lead teams, but this is not given to anyone. In addition, with the different trainings such as "Supervisory skills" received from the United Nations; "Humanitarian Leadership" received from BIOFORCE and others; I realized that being a team leader requires special qualities.

Composing teams requires a strategy and methods to not be unfit and unproductive teams.

Any organization with field activities should normally have people who can put in place good teams to achieve its goals. Brigadiers, team leaders, supervisors, facilitators, team leaders, coordinators, all need to know how to get out of this responsibility of leading teams.

II. The qualities required to lead the teams

Whatever your level of education or professional experience, leading teams requires the following qualities:

Active listening and understanding of the other;
Patience and knowing how to deal with aggression;
Good communication;
Critical mind;
Association of ideas,
Ability to motivate others;
Empathy and humility;
Professional conscience;
Stress resistance;
Flexibility in emergency situations;
The ability to negotiate;
The ability to make regular and "positive" feedback without hurting people's consciences.

III. The composition of the teams

Composing your team is not a thing less. Any leader or manager must associate and modulate different complementary profiles to form a strong team. To succeed, the team must be made up of different personalities who will be strong enough to move forward effectively. To achieve this, one must know how to combine the following criteria:

Determine the number of people for each team;
Clarify the role of team leader;
Do not go beyond 7 people maximum and integrate the balance of the genre;
Do not put the aggressive in the same team;
Mix new and old in the same teams;
Put in each team one who masters the stakes and the situation of the field;
Be reassured that among the members of the team there are no competing and hostile people to each other. This may disintegrate the team as soon as the rivalry takes place;
Provide the tools and reassure them that the teams have the mastery;
Allow the teams to decide once on the field;

The teams will be composed according to the objectives limited in time and prioritized according to the urgent needs of the organization. Which means that the teams will not stay the same every day;

IV. The importance of team decision-making

Authoritarian decision Vs team decision

Regardless of the level of leadership or team decision, the authoritarian decision has never been successful. Before any decision by the leader or the team, these principles should be considered:

"Complete information on the problem to be addressed is essential for making decisions";
"When one decides far from the field one does not know the contingencies; but it is rather those who are on the ground who know the content of the problem ";
"A collective decision made by an autonomous team that seeks to maximize performance according to objectives may be more profitable than that taken by an individual";
"It takes mutual trust in a team to decide better;
"Before deciding as a leader ask the team to decide and tell you what they think each option or alternative";
"In the face of two decisions, it is the one that benefits the organization that takes precedence";
"Every good decision needs means to realize itself";
"Delegate decision-making power to the group
"Without the ability to decide, it is impossible to work in a team";
"If each member also trusts the information provided by the team, the task will be easy";
"Ask the agents to do their own analysis and propose the right decision that you could retain or amend according to the advice to be provided";

V. Work with your teams (on site or remotely)

Working with the team differs depending on whether you are with them or that you are at a distance. In any case, highlighting the best employees or the efforts of each one creates a work dynamic and makes you want to progress. You must motivate them whether they are on site or remotely. The only way to strengthen collaboration within the team is to recognize everyone's efforts.
A. Work with your teams on the spot

On site, it will be necessary to know the criteria which make the teams fruitful. These include:

Motivate them to work;
Coach and maintain each member
Conduct meetings with teams
Divide his time within the team to integrate, train, develop;
Visit teams and watch their interactions from time to time;
Delegate power and give teams freedom to decide when it is possible;
Identify aspects of conflict between members and encourage them to collaborate;
Ask if they need your help or help;
Guide rather than direct, evaluate, understand, support;
Ensure regular monitoring of actions;
Ask for their impressions of the workflow;

Work with your remote teams

On site, it will be necessary to know the criteria which make the teams fruitful. These include:

Motivate them to work;

Establish a relationship of trust
Ask the teams to meet and send you the minutes (oral or written, not to mention the decisions made);
Organize field visits from time to time to inquire about the true reality;
Have time to focus on their problems to reduce stress;
Provide them with real-time means
Ensure regular monitoring of actions;

VI.Conclusion

Team management requires important qualities as it can lead to the achievement of organizational goals. Composing teams and directing them remotely or on the spot means that the leader has mechanisms that must motivate these people more and more. Team members need to trust each other to work better. They will also be aware that their rivalries must be put aside to succeed. Before deciding, the leader must be reassured that the team members have given their suggestions and recommendations in which they will be contributors.