This is the fact most businesses in the industry have to finally admit: It’s time to accomplish tasks remotely. Even if there are companies already employing a work-from-home scheme in their respective offices, it isn’t enough to just send employees on their way without a proper briefing on how these work because, honestly, a lot could go wrong.
How can you ensure maximum productivity without micromanaging? What are the things you have to sacrifice when working remotely? How will you design a communication plan for all your employees? With the present status of the coronavirus outbreak, we are pushed towards lockdowns and community quarantines but this doesn’t mean we have to give up on productivity.
Here are some strategies you can employ when following a remote work scheme:
Set goals
If there’s any strategy you have to start with, it’s to make sure that you and your employees are seeing eye to eye with what you have to achieve during the duration of your remote scheme. Evaluate and designate the roles of each member of your team Aligning your objectives beforehand will direct everyone towards one common path.
Advance a digital culture
Communicating should be your core action, and you can only do that in a remote setting with technology. Being on a single communication channel will enable faster exchange of ideas, questions and concerns among the team. Members must have the capability to respond in real time and make it a habit to acknowledge messages. You can decide to roll out a communication plan where your employees easily update each other. Make sure that everyone is available at any time to respond right away—as if you’re right beside each other in the office.
Embody humanity
Even if you’re hiding behind screens and meeting in a virtual world, you are all still human beings. Show compassion to your workmates. It pays to encourage each other and appreciate what they’ve accomplished. In the same way you would exchange team high-fives and reassuring pats on the shoulder, you can still find a way to translate it to your employees.