You don’t have to be a time-management wizard to work from home, although it may seem like it at first! Working from home is a balancing act, but practice makes better. These days, there is a lot of great software that makes working from home a breeze.
Many people love working from home because it’s comfortable and saves them a potentially long commute. It can be less stressful for some, while others just plain work better from the comfort of their home office.
If you’re transitioning to working from home temporarily, part-time, or more permanently, check out our tips on how to make yourself even more successful.
Trust Is Key
Like any working arrangement, remote working has a strong relationship factor. And like all relationships, this one relies heavily on trust.
Practice trust daily. It’s easy to freak out when you don’t hear back from someone right away or cannot get a hold of them when you want to.
You may really have something to worry about. Then again, they could have gone to the bathroom or taken lunch! Don’t let little things faze you or break trust down to the point where you cannot function as a team.
Communicate More than Once Per Day
This goes hand in hand with trust. You can build trust by communicating often. The main strong point about working from home is also one of its weaknesses. That is that focusing is usually easier for most people. And because of that, they are less likely to get wrapped up in small talk.
As the manager, you should make some of that chatter happen anyways. It builds trust and gives time for people to keep you in the loop about what’s really going on.
Like any working arrangement, remote working has a strong relationship factor. And like all relationships, this one relies heavily on trust.
Practice Good People Skills
This means not spamming people, yes. But what it really means for remote teams, and especially managers, is that they need to be empathetic. Everyone is working a little bit harder on their own, without using an office buddy, to try and get more done than at an office.
While it seems we could all use a bit more empathy in today’s brisque business world, empathy is vital when working with remote workers because you can’t really see what is going on with someone the way you can in person. Being tactful and personable means taking that extra step.
Master the Juggle
You don’t have to become some kind of magician. But you will need to be really, really organized to manage a remote team. Keep in mind that people are in different time zones in addition to everything else.
If you’re not familiar with software that makes remote teams more organized, now is the time to take a look and pick out some favorites. Your team can only be as organized as you are!
Model Patience
This is an old-fashioned value that will likely return to business as remote work becomes more normal. Patience is truly a virtue, and it gets good results from people. It’s wise to remember that you don’t want to rush people into doing a poor job when their capabilities are high.
Have the wisdom to be patient and give them time to provide you with their best work.
Give Those Pats on the Back
Communicating your appreciation for your team goes a million miles in remote work. Most people who work remotely find that they work best alone most of the time. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t like being part of a team!
Team-building and trust-building will both go a good deal farther when you show appreciation. You don’t have to be excessive, but be consistent and fair. Recognize when someone’s doing great work, just like you would in an office.
Patience is truly a virtue, and it gets good results from people.
Don’t Just Bend the Rules, Break Them
Do this in a way that benefits your team. It goes with the remote-working territory. Those who work from home are a bit punkish anyways, right? They go to work in their pajamas.
Be creative in discovering ways to toss out rules that don’t benefit your team. Only you and your management can know what this might mean for your company. Remember to inspire your team and give them what freedom you can in the spirit of productivity and innovation.
Practice Intentionality
This is an excellent practice in regular life, but it will put you miles ahead in remote team management as well. People who work remotely successfully have a lot of discipline and drive. They usually love what they do.
That is to say: they go 100 percent a lot of the time. So be intentional about what you really want from your team. It’s like the old saying,
Be careful what you wish for.
With a remote team, you just might get it.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
Technology can make your life so much easier. This is true for shopping as well as business. Utilize and maximize apps, software, and whatever else you have access to to make sure that your team is as efficient as possible.
Avoid Multitasking
This is a tempting pitfall for many people who manage remote teams. It often feels like people have the presence of mind and time to do multiple things at once. But that’s not really the best idea for productivity.
Stick to a well-outlined plan about working on one thing at a time. That goes for team initiatives as well as individual responsibilities.
A Bit About Remote Team Management
Managing a team remotely is for real thinkers. It takes a hands-on approach without micromanagement to achieve results with a remote team. Many consider remote teams to be a high-risk, high-reward situation that has its own appeal.
Others choose remote teams out of necessity, realizing that not every person they want can relocate.
Still, others realize that they are truly a global company in an online world, and they embrace remote teams as part of the territory. Whatever group your business falls into, consider that they have good reasons for wanting remote teams.
It’s a high-energy game as well. For managers of remote teams, it’s advised that they work on their communication and online etiquette before working with their new team. While some skills transfer from the office to the online space, there’s a lot to be learned in this new online space.
It takes a hands-on approach without micromanagement to achieve results with a remote team.
If you liked this blog and thought it could help someone out, feel free to give it a share, and check out our website at Hawaii Web Design for more helpful tips to help set you up for success!
