Do you know that 74% of employees prefer to have remote work and that would make them less likely to leave the organisation?
As we reach the COVID endemic stage, there has been a shift across organisations and individuals. We have adopted and evolved during the last three years. We lost a few loved ones, colleagues, and friends. Life will not be the same.
As I was writing this, I had an opportunity to visit a customer and he had invited us to meet him at his office. We were equally delighted to go as face-to-face meetings have become Fossil (like the millennials or the gen Z calls it).
As we walked in 600-seater floor looked relative empty and we could see around 10 to 20 people spread out. It hit me how we have adapted to the new normal and the business still goes on and sometimes with higher profitability as well.
Having said that, the greatest challenge organisations face in today’s context is managing their remote employees. The future of the workplace is predicted to be 50% remote and adding gig workers.
Employees getting hired and fired on a zoom meeting has become an everyday practice today. At the same time, empathize with the team who have been there for us or joining us by trusting us should be given the attention and care they deserve. This article covers how effectively one can manage a team.
Creating an Experience
19% of the remote team feels lonely while working remotely. So, engaging the workforce and creating an experience is a necessity today.
Creating an employee experience is crucial while working remotely be it every day or while onboarding. Onboarding is incredibly important while we are doing it remotely. While there is an opportunity to make the program more enjoyable and interactive.
- Create meaningful interactions with the team and the new joiner
- Deploy tools that will help in creating a unique experience
- Ask for support and provide an instant solution or update when it is likely to close
- Connect the new person to an appropriate HR (Human Resources) partner
- Plan an Induction with other team members or you can plan it at the office
- Make a great introduction session online
Drive value
How to create value while we are working remotely, most organisations are struggling as these practices are new. Creating a culture of feedback and reviews helps to a larger extent
- Feedback must be multi-directional; it cannot be one way. Simple gestures and smiles go a long way.
- Creating wellness programs that support employees to address the fatigue of being online always is an essential requirement.
- Supporting with right health benefits for them and their families must be well thought out and designed
- Keeping recognition and appreciation as part of our behaviour helps us create a positive and promising workplace.
Investing time in face-to-face meetings is vital while you are managing a team. Wherever possible meet the team at a common place to keep the synergy continuous. When we have employees who are engaged then we can see drastic increases in the profitability of the organisation.
Setting the objectives right
Setting the objectives and making the team aligned toward a common goal is exceedingly difficult.
If we increase the focus of the team by which we can increase the goal alignment by 42%. Having that established, focus can be driven only if you have clarity of what is trying to do.
Using frameworks like OKR (Objectives and Key Results) helps the team to understand what the priority is and what matters to the business.
Once an employee is clear about what they must deliver, that increases the focus. Frameworks like OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) help in collaboration and increase accountability.
It is best to have 3 to 5 OKRs with 3 to 5 key results per OKR. Having limited OKRs help us to set a clear goal and plan for the upcoming quarter. There is no ambiguity or bias while the expectations are set rightly
Effective leadership
While we are working remotely the interaction with the managers is quite high as they look up to you for reviews and feedback often. Creating a high-performing team is the dream of every manager. They aspire to create such teams but are not sure where to start.
Communication is key. While handling a team it is essential that they share the communication across all levels.
We cannot restrict the flow of information. Keep sharing the news and updates often. Keeping the conversations around the OKRs also helps you to initiate performance conversations with the team which makes reviews transparent and unbiased.
Feedback is a magic bean. Giving and receiving feedback is a well-proven method of effective team management. While we are open to receiving both positive and negative feedback that creates trust and gives the team a safety net.
If we also have a Hybrid team in place, plan effectively so that the time they spent in the office is highly effective and meaningful, they should look forward to coming back to the office the next week.
Plan reviews and retrospectives, while the team is available in the office, having to converse in person, cannot be replaced with anything. Having an open discussion with the team in person always increases the trust the team has in their manager. That is the very sign of managerial effectiveness. Else plan a 1:1 meeting to share the feedback.
Performance management should be data-driven than subjective decisions, it creates a clear understanding of where the individual stands while doing the review
Conclusion
Remote or Hybrid working is not going to go any time soon. We should start embracing the situation and making the best out of the situation. We have understood that it is important to have some framework and practices in place to make this happen
Datalligence OKR software is designed to manage the remote workforce. OKRs are set in a simple method and the tracking and monitoring are clear and transparent. A best OKR software that integrates with the CFR (Conversation Feedback and Recognition) module promotes conversations, Feedback and Recognition that in turn increases employee engagement. Take our Free Trial today if you are managing a remote team.
