We are working during a time where things are different. Your kids walk into your meetings and your desk is steps away from your bed. I know how you feel because I’m writing this from home in the same situation.
Today, I want to focus on things that I have found to be effective in working with and managing your team from home.
We’re In This Together
Don’t stress about the dog barking in the background or your child’s movie playing behind you while you are on the phone. There’s no need to explain it; just move forward. You and your coworkers are all navigating this time together. If anything, this will humanize your team and foster stronger connections.
Get Personal
Make a point to touch base with your team on a personal level. We don’t see each other as often right now and a lot of office culture and team fluidity has been built on face-to-face interactions. Since that doesn’t exist, we email, message, call, or video conference. While that helps keep the work on track, it’s not the same as reaching out by phone to check in on a personal level.
Trust Your Team
The temptation to schedule more meetings or check-ups is normal. But remember this: Nothing has changed in what your requirements, expectations or structure is other than the fact that now it’s remote. There’s no need to manage any differently than how you did before March 2020. Your team might indeed need to adjust because work-life balance looks different now. But in the end, your expectations of them are the same. If the output is the same the management should be too.
Find Ways to Bring the Team Together Virtually
Set up virtual happy hours, internal contests, or simply take some time in your meetings to check in with your team to see if their needs have changed. There are a lot of ways to keep your employees pointed in the right direction and make sure that they feel that they are an integral part of the machine.
Set Your Company Apart
This is a great opportunity to think about what makes your company, culture, and team different from the rest. It’s important to highlight those things to remind your employees of the company’s ultimate goal. This will refresh everyone’s focus and sense of pride to be working with an effective and goal-oriented team.
I hope these tips have eased some of your worries. Even though you might hear about how bad things are and how difficult it is to be remote; you can take this opportunity to strengthen your team. When the day comes that we get to shake hands again, your team will be smiling, excited, and more motivated than ever.
-Brian Anson, COO
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