With the COVID pandemic front and center in the minds of all business owners, remote work has become a virtual necessity. Remote work has its own set of challenges and opportunities and it’s up to business owners to determine how to cope with this new work dynamic. At AMP Business Coaching, Alice Pallum has helped numerous business owners pivot to a more remote friendly working environment.
Learning how to lead remote employees takes a completely different skillset than managing employees who are in the office. Below are a few tips to ensure you’re able to get the most out of your team, even if they are working from home.
Leading Remote Employees Takes a Different Approach
1. Help Everyone Stay Connected – Working remotely can cause employees to feel lonely and isolated. It’s important to stay “connected” to your employees and that doesn’t just mean via email. Make sure to utilize video conferencing whenever possible to gain real connections with your employees. Introduce fun things like morning coffee or afternoon breaks where you can catch up with employees in a more casual setting.
2. Make Your Availability Known – When everyone was in the office it was easy to know your availability. Now with remote work it’s more difficult to know anyone’s availability. In a remote work environment, it’s important for everyone to update their calendars to indicate when they’re available. This way your employees will always know when they can come to you with any questions or concerns.
3. Over Communicate – In a remote work environment you lose all of the verbal and non-verbal cues that can help you to understand more about a request from a coworker. Assume that your colleague has positive intent whenever they are sending communication through any medium whether it’s phone, email, text, chat or video conference. In addition, ask questions if you’re unclear about a certain request but give some grace to those who are doing the best they can during these unprecedented times.
4. Focus on Fostering Company Culture – It’s important to do your best to keep employees engaged during these changing times. Think about sending thank you gifts to help them feel more connected and appreciated. These small gestures can go a long way towards fostering engagement and loyalty even in a remote work setting.
Better Manage Remote Employees And Maximize Productivity
If you’re unsure of how to pivot to effectively manage your employees in a remote work setting, feel free to reach out to Alice Pallum of AMP Business Coaching today. She can be reached via text or phone today at (612) 799-3991.