Not many managers were faced with leading their teams remotely before the pandemic, but it is now becoming evident that remote work is here to stay. That said, any traditional approach to leading remote teams may not be as effective in the post-Covid era, anyway.
Global Workplace Analytics predicts that roughly 25–30% of people will keep working from home multiple days each week. Regardless of whether these numbers will turn out exactly right or not, we can all agree that many workers will not be returning to the office soon.
So, any managers or business owners who are not currently leading a remote team will likely be doing so at some point.
Remote work is not exactly a novel concept. Still, the unprecedented unplanned shift to online work caused by the pandemic means that the approaches we used to take to managing remote teams may not apply anymore.
In the past, if your team worked from home, it was because they wanted to. Employees in most remote-only companies had dedicated home offices and figured out the optimal way to juggle their work and personal responsibilities. They weren’t plunged headfirst into a new situation with the added pressure of anxiety and isolation created by a once-in-a-century global pandemic.
Thankfully, there are some things managers can do to help their employees and team-members transition to the dreaded “new normal.” We talked to our friends from a leading remote-only custom web design company to bring you six top tips on managing your remote team during the pandemic.
1. Try to Remain Understanding and Compassionate
Even though it has been almost two years since the start of the pandemic, the “new normal” hasn’t been so easy for everyone to accept and adapt to.
Don’t be afraid to ask your employees questions about how they’ve been handling their remote work responsibilities. Acknowledging stress and sharing concerns will enable you to build trust and empathy with your team members.
Many workers are feeling burnt out, unable to separate their work from their personal lives. Be aware of the toll that the pandemic, and the sudden shift to a remote working model, have taken on your team.
2. Make Your Expectations Clear
Even though we’re in a pandemic, there’s still work to be done if the company is to remain afloat. This means you need to keep your remote team ticking, and the best way to do this is to set clear expectations.
Make sure that the way you communicate with your employees is focused and to the point. Be clear about timelines, but also try to give people as much notice as possible. This will enable them to meet their deadlines efficiently.
Sending late-night emails doesn’t help either. Your employee will likely feel pressured to respond immediately, even if it can wait until the morning. Instead, schedule the email to be sent automatically during working hours, unless it is an urgent matter.
3. Don’t Waste Everyone’s Time with Endless Video Meetings
Let’s make something clear from the very beginning — Zoom and other online video platforms have been invaluable when it comes to keeping remote teams, and friends, connected during the pandemic. However, being on camera is not the same as being at the office.
People tend to become self-conscious about how their bedroom looks or whether it would be ok to look away from the screen to take notes. Not to mention the possibility of being interrupted by a child or pet.
Unless speaking face-to-face is absolutely necessary, try to communicate via email and instant messaging platforms like Slack.
4. Provide Communication Options
Piggybacking on the previous tip, not everyone has a suitable workspace at home in which to make video calls. As we discussed just above, many of your employees will prefer to communicate via email or instant messaging, but some may like to get in touch via phone or Zoom.
Asking your team members how they prefer to communicate not only shows respect but also helps you get the most out of the conversation. Ideally, you should be checking how each of your employees likes to be contacted and sticking to it whenever possible.
5. Find Creative Ways to Connect
After a long day, scheduling an extended after-hours get-together on Zoom will likely make your employees want to strangle you. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to create opportunities for the team to connect while working from home.
It doesn’t have to be particularly complex or meticulously planned out either. Sometimes, opening a video meeting ten minutes early will give your employees a chance to have a quick chat before getting down to business. Some businesses even found an innovative solution with New York software developers, as they created custom apps for their company and its employees.
6. Treat Every Employee with Respect
In a future where many companies may continue to work remotely, it will be more important than ever for leaders to remain fair and impartial.
And we don’t mean simply ensuring that every member of your team has access to the same information. More often than not, what gets people promoted is the relationships they build within the organization. Allowing everyone the opportunity to build these relationships is crucial.
Wrap-Up
Trying to remain involved enough to make sure your team is still producing the expected results while still giving them the autonomy they need is a delicate balance. Hopefully, the advice we’ve outlined above will help you determine what works best for your organization.
Steve Hawky is a passionate SEO expert and content writer who loves creating innovative SEO strategies and solving complex problems. He enjoys researching and writing on many different topics, and connecting with like-minded bloggers.
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