Like it or not, remote working is now the new normal.
As much as we miss being in a room with more than six people and being able to make (and stick to) plans, unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’s going to change any time soon.
So, for managers and team leaders, it means adjusting to a virtual or hybrid way of working – which presents its own set of challenges.
Interested in learning how best to manage your team remotely? We’ve got the lowdown that every decision-maker needs to read.
There’s a Great Digital Infrastructure… Use It!
From Zoom and Microsoft Teams to Slack, Asana to Google Drive, teams have pretty much everything they need for a remote working setup.
Every meeting may now be started with a chorus of ‘can you hear me?’ But these tools have been great for keeping everything running.
Perfect for co-ordinating workloads, keeping in touch and sharing documents, the digital infrastructure has helped many businesses seamlessly transition from an office-based environment to a virtual one.
It’s All Not Business 24/7
Who misses standing by the watercooler, shooting the breeze with colleagues, talking about who was voted off Strictly at the weekend? Pretty much all of us! But just because you’re working from home it doesn’t mean that those little moments need be forgotten.
Effective managers and team leaders know how to boost morale and motivate their teams. Remember, a happy employee is a productive employee and no one, no matter how committed, wants to talk about business every moment of every day!
Even if it’s just scheduling in a quick ten minutes to catch up with your colleagues once a week, we all appreciate human interaction now more than ever.
Keep the Lines (Or Channels) of Communication Open
Good managers and team leaders know what’s going on. They’re not just glued to their computer screen looking at numbers and statistics – they communicate with their team.
Working from home, it can be easy to feel cut off from everything. You can’t just turn your shoulder and ask a colleague a question – you could go days without speaking to anyone.
Make sure to communicate to your team that just because you’re not working in the same room anymore, it doesn’t mean that the dynamics have changed – they can still talk to you about any struggles or stresses they’re dealing with.
One more thing…
Don’t Expect Miracles, But Don’t Settle for Sub-Par
Managing expectations is crucial to how you manage your teams. Sure, Covid-19 may have moved the goalposts a bit but not so far that Lionel Messi couldn’t hit the target on his best day!
It’s important that managers set their teams up for success. Be open and honest in all communications and expectations with everyone, from colleagues who look after the call handling service to fussy customers.
That means defining the scope, deadlines, and deliverables for each task or project. If you don’t do this, expect a lot of confused colleagues, and wasted time!
It’s Not as Difficult as You Think
… with the right infrastructure, of course. Efficient PA and administrative support services, like those SmartPA provides, make managing a team remotely so much easier.
Don’t waste another second tearing your hair out, trying to do everything yourself. Get someone else to provide back office support, research what your competitors are doing, manage your diary and much, much more.
After all, in these troubled times, we all need a helping hand.
