We are living in challenging times. As many of us, and our teams, move to working from home, remote working poses a unique challenge to us as leaders to keep everyone connected to each other and the business overall. We took that for granted when we were all working from the same office, going to meetings, having lunch together, meeting after work. Our basic human need for ‘people interations’ was easily met. But home working poses a number of challenges to those basic interactions. It’s all too easy fall into the trap of feeling super-productive, sending out email after email with limited human contact. Extroverts, who get their energy from face-to-face interaction, from working with others, if they remain isolated, run the risk of seeing their energy levels drop. The introverts, initially relishing the opportunity to get on without being disturbed by colleagues, start to become even more withdrawn and disconnected from your business as time goes on.
Over the last week I have seen leaders grappling with the challenge of setting up the technology they and their teams need to be able to work remotely; slow broadband speeds, poor mobile signals, problems with remote access to central IT systems, not having the right equipment, working out how to work Zoom, Skype or Microsoft Teams, fighting over access to the kitchen table as a workspace as the kids are home schooling and a partner is also working from home? You may have experienced some of these challenges yourselves. Clearly step one is to fix these issues, to make sure everyone is up and running, but once they has settled into the routine of home working, it’s important for you as a leader to keep in touch with your team, to keep connected to them, to keep them connected to each other, and everyone connected to your business.
Here are a few hints and tips on how to do this:
1. Set up daily check-ins with your teams That could be daily 1-2-1s, or a team phone/video call. The key here is to keep everyone ‘connected’ to the organisation. Over time, remote workers run the risk of becoming disconnected from the overall business without the daily interactions and buzz they are used to in the office.
2. Don’t rely on e:mail alone to communicate It’s all too easy to conduct all of your work via email. But we are used to a richer range of business interactions when we work ‘normally’. Use email as you normally would, but try to use via calls/conference calls where you might have had a face-to-face interaction had you been in the office
3. Try setting up some ‘rules’ and a routine for your team, for example:-
- We are going to have a daily check-in, at 9.30, via a conference call
- I will be available for 1-2-1 calls/video calls from 2.00 to 4.00 every day
- If you would normally speak to me/a colleague, use the phone not email
4. Encourage ‘social’ interaction Try to replicate that ‘watercooler moment’ beyond your daily check-ins
- Give your team members a call every now and then, outside the ‘formal’ structures, you set up. Check how they are getting on/coping. Just ask: How is this remote working situation working for you’
- In my experience, some will love it, others will struggle. Watch out for those who are finding it difficult and be prepared to step in to help
- And encourage your team members to check-in with each other too
In these times of remote working, keeping connected is even more important.
