Working from home has grown in popularity since the start of the pandemic. In fact, the proportion of working adults who did any work from home in 2020 increased to 37 per cent compared to 27 per cent in 2019. But as a manager it can be hard to adapt to this situation. Many of the younger generation are even considering a Digital Nomad Lifestyle. Below, we explore how to manage in the age of remote working.
Outline your communication strategy
The first step is to make your communication strategy as clear as possible with your team. You should plan meetings in advance with the communication platform, timings and meeting details sent over to your team. By getting everyone on the same page about communication, you should be able to run meetings virtually with a minimum of fuss.
Equip employees
You’ll also need to equip your employees with all the tools they need to succeed when working remotely. This means that they’ll need a computer they can take home, plus the means of accessing your company’s network. A mic and headset can also be helpful too for virtual meetings.
Watch out for distress
Some employees will take to remote working better than others. If someone is struggling or is upset with working remotely then try and approach the topic sensitively. Mental health is becoming more and more important in the workplace and should be treated seriously.
Focus on outcomes rather than activity
If you micromanage it can make working from home too difficult and even damage productivity. Rather than focussing than the hours staff are working, focus on the outcomes of their activity instead. Ideally, this will be achieved by setting sensible targets for your team to meet, before monitoring and evaluating this progress.
Encourage social interactions
Building morale is crucial for a team, but it can be difficult to create any spirit while working remotely. However, there are aways that you can encourage employees to be sociable and to feel as though they are part of the business. Try running a virtual happy hour on a Friday afternoon, or maybe a virtual quiz after work. This can be an excellent way to get employees to chat to each other away from work, and to ultimately create a tight team.
Sometimes though, new strategies aren’t enough by themselves to help you adapt to remote management. In this situation it might be worth looking into services such as New Street Consulting Group that provide leadership advice and training. By getting external help you can manage more effectively from home and ensure that your team remains happy and productive.