4 Steps to Effectively Manage Your Team in This Remote Work Reality

In times of crisis it’s important to know that your business can still function as it needs to, that systems are in place for ensuring your team is on the same page, and that work is actually getting done. But without instituting the proper measures and taking those steps necessary to pull together employees engaged in remote work, the situation is bound to deteriorate, leaving you helming what is unfortunately a sinking ship.

As we all are well aware, COVID 19 forced many companies’ hands when it came to deploying a largely off-site workforce, and yet, remote work prior to the pandemic had been already well on the rise. In fact, a CNBC news story, focused on the rise of telecommuting and work-from-home employees, sees the coronavirus crisis as an accelerator of a trend that had already been growing rapidly over the course of the past decade. In that same story, the head HR officer at Twitter offered this: “I don’t think we’ll go back to the same way we used to operate.” All signs do indeed point to a major redefinition of “work,” suggesting that she is absolutely right. In other words, the future of work is without question headed in the direction of remote and on-site work.

That said, many companies are having to take some more dramatic measures in order to ensure that their team members don’t simply feel lost and left without guidance. Below are four key steps that you can implement now to help smooth the transition to a remote work mentality.

Remote Work Made Easy – Leveraging the Data

There are a number of platforms and apps that can give you all the data needed, right at your fingertips. It’s how you utilize this data moving forward in the days and weeks to come that will help you more effectively pull your firm through this crisis.

• Identify key metrics for your various departments and teams. Each employee’s key metrics should ultimately be aligned with the business’s KPI. What goals are they working toward? What is their performance objective? Outlining such metrics provides you with a map moving forward. It may look a bit different than the old one, but as Albert Einstein once famously said: “You can’t use an old map to explore a new world.”
• Implement systems to track those metrics. You of course want to be able to use these metrics in the most meaningful ways possible, but first you need to have a system in place for tracking them. We’re not talking about micromanaging or constantly obsessing over who’s doing what, when. Rather, it’s about monitoring employee progress and ensuring that they are succeeding when it comes to the determined metrics.
• Use data to automatically deliver rewards and recognition. The data to which you have access will not only make it easier for managers to follow an employee’s progress, but all to recognize those who are realizing their goals. Keep in mind, this is a challenging time for everyone, and especially, if an employee has never really engaged in remote work before, it may seem frustrating. The more managers can do to reward forward thinking and overachieving goals, the better. Things like badges, gamification options through which they earn points, even a running leaderboard all help keep employees feeling valued and consequently focused. Not to mention, it provides that personal touch that they might be missing given their remote work circumstances.
• Deliver personalized employee experience. Again, given the situation with which we’re faced, there may be a learning curve, probably some bumps in the road, and likely a few downturns here and there. It’s to be expected. But with the established metrics and then the data coming in, you are able to stay on top of the hiccups and deliver personalized employee experience through just-in-time training and reskilling to those who may need it. This could come in the form of microlearning training modules aligned with each employee’s workflows. You note a team member having some difficulty and are thus able to automatically get a specific topic out to that specific person ASAP. It’s simple, but necessary, and ultimately it will help you as a company grow.

Remote Work and the World We Live in Now

About 15 years ago Bill Gates—as always ahead of his time—noted that: “The competition to hire the best will increase in the years ahead. Companies that give extra flexibility to their employees will have the edge in this area.” And by flexibility, he largely meant the ability to work remotely. Perhaps some companies aren’t quite as prepared as they needed to be given that they were rushed into a remote work situation. That doesn’t mean however that the associated challenges have to topple your business. The employee experience may change some, but it can still be a key moment as far as your company culture in which to find new ways to stimulate, support and motivate your workforce regardless of where they may be currently located.

As always Rallyware is here to support you and your team. Our comprehensive platform truly does make it so much easier on managers and employees during these trying times. If you’d like more information on Rallyware’s platform, you can schedule your free demo today!