The outbreak of COVID-19 has put many countries on lockdown. Companies across the world are forced to embrace remote working to curb the spread of virus. Because of this sudden change in work setting, managers and employers are struggling to maintain a productive workforce and a seamless workflow.
However, remote working is not a new concept. Plus we have all the technologies and tools to manage a remote team effectively. A Quick observation of companies that have done it or doing it successfully, and then implementing their methods in a way that fits in with the nature of your business can get you a good result.
In this article we distill the best practices from remote working companies that will help you cope well with the sudden change to working remotely.
Establish Structure and Communication
With employees no longer working in the office, the daily routine immediately gets thrown. This can cause confusion, lack of clarity, hold-ups and delays. Establishing an effective structure of communication is the key to overcome this challenge.
In a remote team, a casual conversation or a work-related discussion can’t easily happen as spontaneously as it does when people are sitting next to each other at work. Heightening the communication helps to keep the remote team productively focused.
Assigning each individual or a team with a particular mission and by providing a clear reporting line, managers can manage the team more efficiently. In addition to that, conducting frequent meetings and check-ins on individuals can help managers to get a clear picture of the teams’ productivity.
Set Up Virtual Office Hours
The remote team employees always seek access to their team leaders and managers. As a leader, the team needs you to lead and not disappear when they need you. During this pandemic, the employees not only need a boss who conducts one-on-one meetings and regular staff meetings, it is also important to conduct a casual open platform where questions, ideas and personal information can be shared with no formalities and agendas and hierarchy.
Set Tasks and Missions Early
When your employees are working remotely, managers can energize the whole team by setting a clear direction and communicating effectively. By offering a strong vision and a realistic outlook, managers can motivate the team members in the organization to work effectively. Along with that, by providing efficient information and assigning the task beforehand, allows employees to mentally prepare and schedule their day to be a productive one.
Encourage and Support
A sudden shift in change from the normal routine to remote working without social contact with work friends and colleagues can impact on employees psychologically. It is important to acknowledge that few employees might be facing other pressures at home, stress, anxieties including feelings of isolation and insecurity. Empathy plays a crucial role in this situation. Employees need their leaders not only to acknowledge the struggles but to empathize with both their thoughts and feelings. Managers can create a sense of psychological safety for their colleagues by offering perspective in challenging moments and help their teams solve problems effectively.
By becoming a proactive remote leader, one can change the very nature of managing the team during the COVID-19 pandemic