First time managing a team remotely? Here are some things to consider.
Right now, all of us are doing our best to keep ourselves and our people safe. We are living and working through a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence and are swimming together through uncharted territory. For some, this has meant an unexpected shuttering of service locations. For many others, this has resulted in a sudden transition to working from home rather than from an office.
As a direct result of these changes, many onsite managers have been thrust into the virtual world with little to no training on virtual leadership. Even for experienced managers, the transition to managing remotely can be a daunting and difficult task. If you’re suddenly finding yourself in need of a crash course, here are a few quick, key bullet points to help you in your transition to leading from afar. Breathe, Communicate, and Track.
Take a deep breath
If you have a tendency to micromanage, you’re pulling your hair out right now. You can’t see your people; how can you know that they’re staying productive? They’re probably watching TV, playing with their kids, going on a walk…
Two things to realize here:
1) Our current scenario is not indicative of a typical work-from-home arrangement. Most often, remote workers are required to set up alternative childcare. We’re in a bit of a pickle as not only are offices are closed, but schools and daycares are closed as well. That said, some parents are left with no other option other than to work-while-babysitting. Now is the time to be a little more patient and flexible than you might otherwise be. Don’t come down on an employee if you hear their child throwing a tantrum in the background. We all get it. Allow your people a little extra flexibility to do what they need to do. They’ll still be productive for you.
2) Your high-performing workers are working hard, I promise. Take a breath and don’t worry about them. If you’re struggling with easing up, take a look at this article. Unfortunately, the inverse is also true; if you have any low performers or “slackers” on your team, then they’re probably taking a few extra-long breaks during the day. The beauty here is that you already identified these behaviors while you were under the same roof, so you won’t have any surprises. Now, manage their performance accordingly.
The value of video conferencing
Many companies went straight to telework within the past week. Telework is okay, but it isn’t great. You’ve lost the physical interaction with your people, but you don’t have to lose visual interaction with them. There are plenty of video conferencing tools readily available: Microsoft Teams, RingCentral, Cisco Jabber, GoToMeeting…the list goes on. Try them. You need to feel connected to your team. The psychology-backed belief (Mehrabian & Wiener, 1967 and Mehrabian & Ferris, 1967) is that 55% of verbal communication is based on body language. Don’t forego that 55% because you didn’t feel like combing your hair today. It is more important now than ever to keep our bottom lines healthy. Clear communication is critical.
Accurate tracking of time worked for non-exempts
This one is paramount, especially if you’re leading people in states where breaks are mandated and penalties are stiff for non-adherence (looking at you, California.) Many non-exempt employees are now working at home for the first time in their careers. Be sure that your employees are aware of what is expected of them in terms of tracking time. They must know when they should be taking their breaks and how to track them. Send an e-mail with expectations outlined and require your team to acknowledge it. They should understand that absolutely no work is to be completed while off-the-clock. Accurate time tracking for your non-exempt workforce is a really, really big deal. Do your part to be sure it’s happening.
This is a tough time for everyone, and we all hope that you newly minted virtual managers can get back to your brick-and-mortar command posts as soon as possible. In the meantime, keep your heads up and support your teams. They’ll be there to support your business.