BLOG POST BY OUR MEMBER FASTRACKTOREFOCUS COACHING
It is a reality that nowadays most of the people are working from home.
It’s only fair that you manage them now the same way you when you were office based. Specially to help them during these difficult circumstances
Ideally you and your employees should run your business in the same way, but reality is that remotes’ situation is different — and you’ll need a different approach in order to help them thrive. In most cases, you’ll need to work extra hard on your management fundamentals (like be even more proactive about giving feedback), plus make some special, remote-friendly adjustments. Here’s how:
- Have early and ongoing conversations with remotes around when they should — and shouldn’t — act without you.
Remote team members often face a longer lag time when seeking your input
To avoid these potential snags, proactively be direct about your preferred level of involvement, too (e.g., “Please go ahead and publish blog posts if I haven’t provided feedback by the deadline”). And come to an agreement on the level of autonomy you each think is reasonable.
- Proactively block off time to be more accessible to remotes.
Most managers are so busy they have a hard-enough time noticing when something’s going on with a team member who sits a few desks away
The solution? Don’t just tell your remotes, “I’m here if you need me.” Block off availability to actually be there for them
- Specifically allocate a bit of 1-on-1 time for casual chatting with remote team members.
Isn’t chitchat a waste of precious time? Only if you overdo it. On the other hand, if you skip it entirely, you’re missing a great opportunity to build rapport and two-way trust with your remotes and signal to them that you don’t see them as work machines. Plus, small talk can provide a better window into your remotes’ emotional state — for example, whether they’re feeling isolated or burned out during these difficult circumstances
- Frequently ask input during virtual meetings.
Ask yourself: Are your remote team members actively contributing to the creativity and progress of the team? Or are they just a face on the wall or an invisible voice in the speaker, struggling to jump into the conversation?
Now more than ever, you want your employees to speak up and contribute. To be sure remotes get ample airtime, you could assign them to lead a portion of your meeting agenda or use facilitation techniques to quiet other participants
- Help your remotes face and overcome professional-development disadvantages
Being remote really can put them at a professional-development challenge. You’ll both need to work harder to make sure they get ample learning opportunities and coaching and ongoing feedback continue happening even if over the phone. Coaching is a crucial tool during times of change.
Hope these 5 tips help you to overcome the challenges of working with remote teams.
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