Dealing with remote management

At the start of the pandemic, many people were thrown into a new way of working and most have overcome hurdles along the way.

But has the novelty now worn off? We perhaps didn’t anticipate that a return to the office would still be so far out of reach, and the longer the Government’s working from home advice is in place, the more remote and isolated some employees can start to feel.

Employers also face their own challenges of managing their teams remotely. It is crucial that staff continue to feel supported in their role and where possible, bosses maintain or re-adopt an ‘open door’ approach – albeit virtually – and also engage with colleagues on the lighter side of a day at the ‘remote’ office.”

Keeping your teams connected with one another is key to giving engagement and morale a boost. And with a little thought it can be simple to do.

Check whether or not your team feel like they know what’s going in the business and whether they have enough information to do their job.

Help people to work in a more connected way. For example by setting up a What’s App group or agreeing an hour a week where everyone’s diary is clear, and they’re all available online at the same time – but not in a meeting – so they can bounce ideas and questions around, knowing they’ll be answered immediately. It’s often the quick reaction of colleagues that help people to feel connected.

Check that your meetings are working well. Do they have a clear purpose and are they giving people what they need? For some people, daily meetings are a great way to prioritise and keep on track, for others it’s overload and adds to their frustration.

Encourage colleagues to take regular breaks – and tell them it is okay to swap screen time for a short coffee break or that having a dog barking or small child interrupt a video meeting isn’t the end of the world.

Working from home can see some people slacking during the day and overachievers going above and beyond. In the office you can see who is in which camp but working from home makes that invisible.

Flaggingup issues as they arise will ensure the best outcome for both you and the employee.

However big or small your workforce, it is important to retain the team spirit. Encourage staff to come up with fun team building ideas.

Giving your team ownership of this and carrying out that online quiz or scavenger hunt, Friday afternoon drink, virtual bake off judging or fancy-dress challenge – in working hours – can re-introduce those water cooler moments.