With remote work becoming a long-term reality for many organizations, it is important to keep your team motivated and moving forward. Here are some practical ways to keep your team engaged and productive, no matter where they may be working.

While it is always a good idea to have a handle on what each employee is working on and the deadlines for those activities, you do not want to overwhelm them with too much questioning. They're your team, and you hired them because you trust them. Give that trust a chance to be their motivation to perform for you.

Establish what the goals are for each individual and give them work assignments that fall outside of their normal wheelhouse. This will allow them to grow and see past their current limitations. You can also foster growth by encouraging learning opportunities through online courses or conferences in their areas of interest.

Remote workers often feel disconnected from their coworkers. Make sure you utilize technology to keep everyone connected to you and each other, including easy-to-use collaboration software, chat applications and video conferencing.

With a remote team, it is important for each person to understand their job function, and how they fit into the larger goals of the organization. People who understand the "why" behind their work and understand how important they are to the success of the company, as a whole, are more likely to be motivated to do their part - and do it well! As things change in your organization, be sure to update workflows and communicate them to your remote team. It is also important for remote employees to understand the team structures across your organization, so they know who needs what information.

Make sure you provide an outlet for some fun. Since remote workers are missing out on office conversations and relationship building, you can mimic these activities with a virtual water cooler hour (or happy hour) where the only topic is anything but work. This allows team members to get to know one another on a more personal level and feel invested in the success of the team.

By establishing trust up front, engaging employees in the organizaton’s workflow, and keeping people connected on a personal level, you can sustain a productive remote workforce over the long term.

Let’s talk about getting the most from your remote or hybrid workforce. Contact CTS today: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.

While smart phones have changed how many of us socialize and consume information, the way businesses use "technology” is never a ‘one size fits all’ game.

One of the best aspects of Mitel’s solutions and services are the three distinct and innovative ways their communication platforms support the needs of different business models and industries…

1. MiCloud Connect (built on Google’s Cloud) moves communication and collaboration to the cloud with confidence. Featuring collaboration to make teams more productive, enhanced customer experience tools, global presence and improved business intelligence with integrations, you can confidently connect your business communications in the cloud.

2. MiCloud Flex is just that, flexible. Not every business can move to the cloud for compliance and security reasons, but they still want to take advantage of key cloud features such as triage capabilities, ring groups, CRM integration and data redundancy. A private cloud environment provides the on-site controls of self-management combined with advanced features only found in the cloud.

3. MiVoice Connect brings together all your communications and collaboration tools into one simple interface that is housed, managed and controlled by your team on-site. Quickly and easily find contacts, check their availability, and connect with them via phone, IM, video, desktop sharing or conference calling, without having to open a separate window or log in to new applications.

Mitel has business communications covered... Let’s talk about the unique needs of your business. Contact CTS today: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.

Now you can simplify managing your multi-site phone systems. Join the wave of businesses that are replacing their mix of vendors and outdated phone systems with MiCloud Connect supported by your local partner, CTS.

MiCloud Connect is built on an extremely reliable, scalable cloud platform. It’s a proven solution for deploying and managing all-in-one Voice, UC and collaboration capabilities across every location in your enterprise.

Cloud communications isn’t an all-or-nothing endeavor. There are several deployment models we offer depending on your business’s unique situation, and you can shift from one approach to another over time. Best of all… our team handles all the migration and project details for you.

With MiCloud Connect, your users can work together and access team apps from their mobile devices and laptops. Designed for today’s on-the-go workforce, your work will no longer be a location but an activity that can be tackled anywhere.

It’s easy to get started. MiCloud Connect eliminates the upfront costs of investing in an expensive on-site system. A low monthly price connects you to a flexible selection of IP desktop phones, award-winning call control features, mobile apps, and outstanding local support delivered by CTS.

When you combine business communications, mobility and the cloud, borders disappear, barriers collapse, costs drop, and productivity soars.

Let’s talk about how CTS can centralize and simplify your enterprise communications. Contact us at 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.

CTS has 35+ years of experience designing, building and maintaining flexible cable and wireless infrastructures that support voice, data, video, security and multimedia systems.

We extend your cable infrastructure with Secure Wireless LANs to allow your employees to work anywhere in your building or campus, with convenient, worry-free access to the Internet or your local IT resources. Our Wireless team covers it all…

Whether you need to connect a new building, renovate a space or bring more mobility to your business, CTS has the experience and expertise to deliver your cable and wireless projects on time and within budget.

Learn more about our structured solutions. Contact CTS today: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.

CTS makes it easy to access the exclusive pricing Mitel has arranged with Sourcewell, formerly NJPA - the municipal contracting agency that serves all member education, government, and non-profit organizations across the United States.

If you’re not familiar, Sourcewell solicits, establishes, and facilitates purchasing contracts on behalf of its members. Mitel has been selected as Sourcewell's preferred UC provider for the third time in 10 years - scoring highest for performance, service delivery and value.

Working with our State & Local Government and Education team, you get access to the following Mitel solutions and services:

We'll coordinate everything for you. Contact us for more details: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.

Know someone who is grappling with a Remote Workforce? Moving or looking for a new phone system? A friend who needs faster broadband? A business partner who wants to add Video collaboration?

Tell us about it... Just mention, "Newsletter Referral Program" when you contact us - we'll take care of the rest. CTS rewards you with $250 when we get their business. And there's no paperwork hassle or hoops to jump through.

Contact us with your sales tip at: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.