Many Companies Have Asked Their Employees To Work Remotely In Response To The Uncertainties COVID-19 Presented.
This new strategy of how to Manage Remote Teams has made many employees and their supervisors work out of the office and, for the first time, split from each other.
While setting clear remote-working policies and practices in advance is always favorable, This level of preparation may not be feasible in times of crisis or other constantly changing circumstances.
Fortunately, there are certain effective steps that managers can take without much effort to improve remote employee engagement and productivity, even when there is little time to prepare.
Manage Remote Teams and Establish Structured Daily Check-Ins
Many successful remote managers and their remote employees establish a daily call norm. This could take the form of a series of one-on-one calls if your employees work independently of each other, and if their work is highly collaborative, a team call can be arranged. The key thing is that the calls should be routine and consistent and that acts as a communication bridge where workers know that they can communicate with you and their concerns and questions will be properly addressed.
Manage Remote Teams to Provide Diverse Communication Technology Options.
Email alone is not enough. Remote workers benefit from having “rich” technology, such as video conferencing, which provides participants with many of the visual indications they would have if they were face-to-face.
Visual indications enable increased “mutual knowledge” about coworkers and also, help to reduce the sense of isolation between teams. Also, video is particularly useful for complex or sensitive conversations, since it feels more personal than just written or audio communication. Other situations occur where speedy coordination is more important than visual information.
Provide mobile-enabled person messaging features for such situations (such as Slack, Zoom, Google Team, Skype, etc.) that can be used for easy, less structured conversations, as well as time-sensitive communication.
REMOTE MANAGE TEAMS Establish “Rules Of Engagement”
Remote work is more productive and rewarding
when managers set goals for their teams about the duration, means, and optimal timing of contact. While some choices regarding clear expectations may be better than others, the most significant aspect is that all workers have the same set of contact standards.
Provide Opportunities For Remote Social Interaction
One of the most important steps a manager can take Is to structure ways for employees to interact socially while working remotely (i.e. having informal conversations about non-work topics). This applies to all remote employees, but particularly to employees who were suddenly moved out of the office.
Offer Encouragement And Emotional Support
Managers must understand employees’ stress, listen to the anxieties and concerns of employees, and empathize with their struggles. If a new remote team member struggles but does not express tension or anxiety, ask them how they are doing. Successful managers adopt a two-pronged approach, identifying both the stress and anxiety that employees may feel in difficult circumstances, but also expressing their confidence in their teams, using encouraging phrases. Whatever you decide to use, “keep in mind that extra effort needs to be made on your part as a manager to help improve the quality of your remote working session.”