Do you and your team need to temporarily work remotely while moving offices? Or maybe you’re thinking about making the switch permanently?
Working remotely can improve productivity in your team when done right. But there’s no denying it’s a huge change for everyone involved.
The novelty of working remotely will soon wear off: your team will face certain challenges.
Communication becomes more difficult and a sense of loneliness can creep in.
You might consider yourself a business owner and not a therapist. But to grow your business – and keep it a positive place to work – you will need to consider your team’s emotional levels, as well as their communication when working remotely.
We’ve seen the following methods keep teams connected, focused, and above all happy!
Keep Communication Up To Date With Video Calls
We live in a day and age where emails, Slack, and Skype messages can instantly reach us.
That being said, absolutely nothing beats face-to-face contact, where you can discuss at a moment’s notice with crystal clear language.
Plenty can get lost in translation over text, so make sure you schedule regular video meetings – through Zoom or Teams for example – to check in with your team on high-priority projects.
To keep productivity high, try not to let these drag on for too long like traditional meetings.
Set up discussion points beforehand so you and your team members can both get back to work ASAP.
You’ll oftentimes find that a brief, fifteen-minute call can replace the need for back-and-forth emails that might span days or weeks.
Your Staff’s Mental Health Is More A Priority Than Ever Before
Loneliness is one unfortunate factor of remote work. It will affect some of your team more than others. Those who are more extroverted and social will be hit hardest, as well as those who live alone.
So ensure you check in on your staff occasionally to make sure they know they’re not alone. Try to gauge how they are coping with remote work. It might be an idea to set up a system for this, too, so that you don’t forget.
Without regular human contact – especially if they’re living alone – the workday can become very depressing very quickly.
Not only will regular check-ins improve your team communication, but your staff will feel happier knowing that you’re looking out for them.
Lastly, do try to encourage all team members to reach out to each other, too. You might have their best intentions at heart, but sometimes the boss checking in might be a bit awkward!
Avoid Micromanaging At All Costs
Many business owners can make the mistake of chafing at the loss of team control once they go remote.
This is understandable to a degree. Not every business owner is concerned their team may slack off if they’re not in the office. But they may feel their team’s projects will suffer without their guidance or unique skill set.
The thing about remote work is that you need to lean into it to get the best out of it. Encourage your team to really run with their newfound responsibility. There are plenty of benefits to your team being unsupervised, such as:
- Peace and quiet to focus deeply
- All eight hours of the day to focus on work, instead of entering office meetings
- Due to not having to travel to work, your staff may be more energized and productive
So try to avoid micromanaging them, as this only slows things down and frustrates your team.
Who knows: you may find that a few of your staff step up with the extra responsibility!
Schedule Monthly In-Person Catch-Ups
If at all possible, try to plan a fun monthly catch-up with your team. This will bind your team together and remind each person that their coworkers are not just names on a computer screen.
Keeping these in-person meetings fun and light will help you:
- Help stave off feelings of loneliness in team members
- Keep everyone in your team connected
- Help your team blow off some steam and engage with you in a non-pressured work environment
- Allow you all to catch up on priority projects
- Reactivate that feeling of ‘normalcy’ that ended when you left the office
Overall, this method allows you to knock off plenty of benefits in one swoop!
Just Because You Work Remotely Doesn’t Mean Your Finances Have To Be Disconnected
When it comes to working remotely, your biggest enemy will be feeling disconnected from your team. So the last thing you want is for something to take your focus away from them.
That’s why at The A Firm we’ve helped hundreds of remote Aussie businesses grow their profits and save on taxes even while working remotely.
Call us today for your free meet and greet to learn how we can help your business!