With more of us than ever working remotely, many are struggling to adapt to this new style of working. Some managers are finding it especially hard to keep their remote teams focused, energized, and up-to-scratch. We understand this can be a challenge for lots of us, learning as we work, but it does not need to be. We have spoken to experts around the globe who are leading the field in remote working to find out how they keep their teams energized whilst working and how they implement education through online channels.
We have compiled some of their top tips for you below. So, whether you’re a first-time remote worker or someone who needs some help to fine-tune their skills, there will certainly be something useful here for you. Read on to hear what the experts told us.
Use The Right Tools
Remote working will fail without the right tools in place. Firstly, you need to ensure all your employees and colleagues have the correct hardware and software to do their jobs properly. It is easy to assume everyone has a good laptop or desktop computer at home, but many may not. Ensure your team has up-to-date hardware at home to aid their working.
Software is key, too, as the experts over at SalesHood.com explained to us. They said that many companies don’t consider upgrading to specifically designed remote-working software, which can quickly hinder progress and reduce output. We strongly suggest investing in some cloud-based or remote-specific software to help you communicate properly with your team. Some software programs come with built-in education tools for hosting educational seminars, and meetings like this help to replace time lost in boardrooms and classrooms and allow you to keep your staff trained well despite their distance.
Communicate The Mission
Once you have the right communication and training tools in place, it is important to remember your company’s mission and keep it fresh in the mind of your employees. Feeling detached is one of the key downfalls of working from home, so you need to keep reminding your colleagues what they are working for. Check-in regularly to remind your employees of the mission – that is, what they are working to achieve, and why. This is not something that should be said once, but instead many times, helping to keep your team happy, energized, and ready to take on the task at hand. Again, you can use software tools to have pop-up reminders, meetings, and tips shared with your team on a regular basis.
Break Time
One of the biggest challenges faced by many work-from-home employees is separating work and home life. When working in an office setting, most people likely have broken every couple of hours, a set lunch break, and quick trips to the kitchen or company canteen. When at home, these things don’t come naturally, which can cause people to overwork and feel more stressed. Factor break time into your employees’ days and make sure they take it. One company told us they end meetings 10-15 minutes early and insist their employees take a short break or play a quick game. This will undoubtedly energize your team and help them refocus and stay sharp for the rest of the day.
Feedback Is Key
Missing out on regular bits and pieces of feedback can be extremely detrimental to an employee’s performance and progress. It’s very easy to forget this in the remote set up. It is your job to continue being a coach and leader for your team despite the distance between you. In this case, out of sight and out of mind should not be the trap you fall into. Create a regular process around giving feedback. This could include a messaging platform for quick typed feedback or organizing regular 1 to 1 meeting with team members or groups.
Again, use remote software to your advantage here. Using the right tools can really make your team feel like you are there with them, educating and leading them through their workday. Remember to not overly micromanage, however, which is another easy trap to fall into. Try to recreate the level of management and support you would give from the office, but at home.
These are the absolute top tips recommended by the experts to keep on top of educating and energizing your teams remotely. We hope they help you and sincerely believe they will! We wish you all the best of luck on your journey towards being an effective and educative leader whilst working remotely.