Thriving virtually: Tips for leading a remote workforce

Companies and employees who were used to coming into a physical workplace every day and connecting with their co-workers had to pivot quickly with the onset of COVID-19. They had to adapt to work from home with little preparation. They also had to balance their work with the competing needs of young children or elderly parents.

For employers, navigating the transition to a remote workforce requires a renewed focus on IT talent and equipment, increased communications with teams and customers, and a myriad of other factors. However, leaders who can pause, show humanity, and address their employees with compassion will be able to help employees succeed with the new work-from-home norm sooner. In turn, you’ll see greater productivity.

Biggest work-from-home challenges

The three biggest challenges of remote work are managing at-home distractions, collaboration with colleagues/clients, and dealing with isolation. Additionally, some people feel less relevant when not physically in the office. They may blend the lines between work and home and find it difficult to switch off. Some may also struggle with motivation and productivity.

Fortunately, remote work has been around for a while. There are best practices that companies can tap to navigate this new environment where home is the new office.

Going remote

Some things get easier by going remote such as commuting, reduced real estate and equipment costs, and schedule flexibility. Yet, extra effort around communication and transparency is needed to make sure that communication chasms don’t develop between team members. Here are a few suggestions to help effectively transition your employees to working remotely.

Stay on top of culture

The values and behaviors practiced in the workplace can readily fall by the wayside when working remotely. The line between work and home can be blurred. Both leaders and employees may become susceptible to relaxed communication and the set of challenges it brings.

Establish best practices early on for the use of remote communication tools such as video conferences, conference calls, and instant messaging. Save yourself from needing to devote time on the back-end correcting bad habits. When leaders provide best practices that reflect their company values and culture, they help boost employee motivation and morale and provide employees guidance for their work.

Get creative

Leaders would be well advised to implement regular check-ins with all employees, with bi-weekly correspondence on the current status of the company. Some companies connect with employees through regular video calls simply to check in on how people feel. In these check-ins, employees use color-coded flags to indicate their moods where green represents good, yellow so-so, and red not-so-good.

Check-ins can take many forms including introducing some levity into the process. Neurala, an AI robotics company that recently implemented a work-from-home policy, recognized the need for regular team interaction to keep team spirits up and supplemented best practices with noontime virtual dance parties.

Kaspersky, a cybersecurity company, created a steering committee to help employees adapt to the new working remote reality, and to ensure their culture stays strong. They host events such as virtual St. Patricks Day happy hour, offering prizes for those dressed in the best holiday gear.

Life is a team sport, not an individual one, so tap your employees for ideas on how to make the most of remote work and create some fun.

Promote team success

Keeping remote team members motivated especially during a time of uncertainty is not an easy task. Yet there are few key things that leaders can do to help their teams succeed.

Shared common purpose: Regularly communicate your “why” so that team members understand the purpose behind their work. Successful teams know their purpose and the common purpose they share helps to unite them and motivate them.

Clear vision: Remind team members of the company vision. Successful teams understand and relate to the vision of the organization. As a result, they understand how their work contributes to the overall success of the organization. They recognize that the journey is not a straight path and that navigating the bumps along the way is part of the journey.

Focused direction: Provide clear direction. Team members that know what they need to do, by when, and hold each other accountable for achieving goals are more intentional in their actions and find work more meaningful.

Team dynamics: Teams that work well together are able to openly ask questions and discuss areas of disagreement. They understand the value each member brings to the team and communicate with respect. Keep lines of communication open with team members and encourage quieter employees to get involved in the discussion.

Remote Work Resources

As noted earlier, remote work has been around for a while and there are lots of creative approaches to successfully leading a remote workforce. Here are just a few curated by ArtScience Group. Enjoy!