How to Manage your Remote Staff

From the “same ole same old,” to the “so new we’re not sure what to do.” That’s what happened to your now remote staff in what felt like the blink of an eye. The team you once managed face-to-face is learning how to work from home as you are learning how to manage them. Need a few tips to improve everyone’s ability to get the job done? Who doesn’t? Follow these often-overlooked ways to improve your managerial skills in a work from home setting.

How well do you understand the challenges your staff is facing while working from home?

Maybe you totally get it. Or maybe you truly have no clue what your staff is faced with on the daily. In either case, adjusting the workload to take into consideration each team member’s strengths and weaknesses will prove to increase productivity. Business as usual can resume when everyone is back in the office, but for now, consider the most advantageous way to assign work to your remote staff members. For example, when are your employees able to complete their work? Do you need to adjust their hours to allow for them to work in the evening so that they can assist their children with virtual learning assignments? Do you have team members with fewer daily obligations who would love the opportunity to take on a few extra assignments to help the hours of their day pass more quickly? Taking the time to invest in knowing what each employee is expected to accomplish from sun up to sun down will help you make the best decisions when considering how to manage the work that needs to be completed. It has also been proven to be the most effective method of increasing productivity because when you are tuned in to their needs, your team feels seen, heard, and valued. Imagine how much that level of managerial intuitiveness would be appreciated by an already stressed employee.

What steps have you taken to set clear standards specific to your remote staff?

In many cases, leaders are now managing teams who have never worked from home. Up until now, home was their place to check out and relax, which leaves many wondering: What do we do now? If your team is experiencing a slight lull, remember to be mindful of the various ways in which each individual team member makes it to the finish line. Without questioning the method, observe and reflect upon the process. Then ask yourself one question: Does your team truly understand what is expected of them? If not, this is your opportunity to set clear and specific productivity standards. You may need to start at the beginning. Do you need certain team members online at a certain time to ensure the day starts out according to plan? Perhaps your team isn’t as concerned with start times, yet setting video conferences to gather the team together needs to become a priority.

Setting standards for continuing to follow dress code on video calls can keep a sense of unity in your team and present a polished look for vendor meetings. If you are looking to relax the dress code, subbing comfortable custom work polo shirts instead of your standard dress shirts is a nice way to incorporate custom branded work uniforms while still allowing your employees to be more comfortable at home. Whatever your main concern may be, break it down into an easy to understand format. Set a goal for each day, for each week, and for each month. Then work with each employee as needed to ensure the whole team reaches those clearly planned out goals together.

Does your team have the tools needed to work from home?

If not, how can they be expected to succeed? As silly as it sounds, you may have several people on your team who are suffering through their work from home experience in silence. They may not even realize there is an easier way to accomplish certain tasks. Or they may be apprehensive about asking for help. Whatever the case, now more than ever, the best way to lead them is by reaching out to each team member. Asking questions to verify they have the right tool for the job at hand is a small step that will truly make a big difference for everyone in the long run.