Since Covid, things have changed so much in terms of the way we work, and with many of us still working from home 8 months after this pandemic began, we have realised we can be just as productive. However, as managers, this still presents a problem of how best to continue to manage our workforce remotely.
And with the rules about to be relaxed over Christmas, this could result in another spike in January! The chances are we’ll have to continue to work from home until the Spring at least. So, what can we do?
Communication and Mental Health
Early on in the pandemic, we realised how important it was to continue to communicate regularly with each other. So, we embraced Zoom, Teams and WhatsApp meetings! All of these can now be used to monitor the well-being of each individual. Uncharacteristic signs of stress could indicate mental health issues perhaps brought on by our enforced isolation and spotting early signs means you can offer advice, help and support.
Trust
Now that most employers have accepted productivity at home is just as good if not better than being in the office, ensure you have the processes in place to empower your teams to do the work they’ve been asked to do. Set clear and achievable goals! They need to know what is expected of them, and be able to visualise how they are going to get there. They also need to utilise online tools to manage workflow and activities.
Training and mentoring
Don’t forget to continue development and training programs! These can be done just as effectively online as face to face and demonstrates your continued commitment to their development. Mentoring can equally be just as effective online. So try to spend a few minutes each day chatting individually to make sure they are set for the day and know what they are doing. You will give them confidence they have your support. This will help to deliver successful outcomes both for them as well as the business.
Networking
We all know networking has moved online for now and it’s really important to encourage your team to invest time and energy to build their contacts remotely. It’s important to also take part in online sessions and forums. Here, they can join in with debate and keep the abreast of what is happening in their space.
Be Approachable and don’t forget to Praise
Now more than ever, your team need to know that they can come to you with any problem. Therefore, keep yourself available to support correct decision making! There is nothing worse than them going off at a tangent and getting it wrong.
Last but by no means least is praise. We all want our team to work hard and be motivated, and nothing beats a personal ‘Thank You’ when someone has done a good job. It’s more important than ever, because it’s the little things that matter if you are going to really motivate a team during this difficult time to achieve its full potential.
