Seems that a lot of folks are freaking out about having to work at home on a regular basis now. We’re all about to find out which meetings really could have been an email after all. But, in all seriousness, this can create some anxiety for leaders who are not accustomed to having to manage a remote team. I spent many years not only as a remote employee but also as a manager of remote teams. It’s been a year since I left my corporate career but I think the lessons learned still hold true today. So, during this challenging time, I am leaning into the CORPORATE side of Corporate Crunchy (click here to read more about me and my story) and sharing some tips for managing remote employees. If this sounds like you, click HERE for my 10 Tips for Managing Remote Employees.
In this guide, I share not only the things you MUST do when managing a remote team. But, I also share some of the things you SHOULD NOT do if you want to foster trust and collaboration between you and your employee. Or, even amongst the entire team.
If you have additional tips to share, feel free to drop a comment below!
Great tips, Angelique! As a long-time remote employee, here are some of the tips that help me stay on task and stay in “work mode” while working from home:
1. Make your bed every day. Even though my office is not in my bedroom, making my bed before starting work each day gives me a sense of routine and helps me transition into my workday.
2. Change your clothes, even if it is just from one pair of comfy pants and a t-shirt into another pair of comfy pants and a t-shirt. This ritual, along with making the bed, helps me transition from personal time to a work mindset.
3. Maintain a dedicated workspace. I have a spare bedroom with a desk, a good office chair, and all of the equipment that I need to work remotely. I have a radio that I listen to when I’m not on conference calls, but there is no television in the room. A TV is way too distracting for me, and I’ve never even tried to work in a room that has a TV in it. I spent many years working in a traditional office, and I try to keep my work environment at home similar to what worked for me in a traditional office.
4. Keep yourself available on shared messaging systems as much as possible. Yes, there are times when you need to be unavailable, but try to keep these times to a minimum. Being accessible to both your coworkers and to your manager not only lets everyone know that you are at work and available to field questions and offer assistance, it also cuts down on emails and phone calls that result if these people aren’t able to reach you via a quick message. If someone tries to chat with you while you are in the middle of something important, simply explain what you are working on and suggest a time when you can catch up with them later. Everyone is in the same boat. Being known as someone who is accessible is a great way to build relationships that can be more challenging to maintain when working remotely.
5. Be aware of your surroundings when video conferencing! Yesterday, a local meteorologist who was presenting his weather forecast from home apologized in advance if his wife or one of his children appeared in the background during his segment. It was clear that he was sitting in his dining room, and the kitchen was located behind him. While discussing the weather, one of his children did indeed go into the kitchen and grab something out of the refrigerator. While these are unique times, and I’ll give the guy a pass for making due under unusual conditions, do what you can to be appear as professional as possible when you’re on camera from home. The spare bedroom where my office is located has a bathroom that can be seen behind where my desk is located, so I always make sure that door is closed when joining a video chat. Likewise, all pets are banished from the room. Once, when an important client and several senior executives were invited to a call my team was facilitating, we scheduled a separate call before the more important one so that we could all make sure our cameras and microphones were working well, and we could point out any distractions from a viewer’s perspective. Also, be sure to dress professionally. Don’t wear anything on a video call that you wouldn’t wear if you were meeting in person at the office.
6. Take lunch and breaks in a location away from your desk. Many people who work in traditional offices are guilty of eating lunch at their desks, and it may be even more tempting to do this at home. If you work from home, however, you have the luxury of eating at your own kitchen table. Use lunch time as a true break, even if you can only get away for a few minutes. This is also an excellent time to plan for dinner and maybe do a few minutes of prep that will keep you from ordering out or eating less healthy.
7. Set firm boundaries with your family to ensure they don’t disturb you or invade your space while you’re working at home. My cats completely disregard this rule, but my husband is really good about following it. I have a sign on the door indicating if I’m on a conference call or not, and the general rule of thumb is for everyone to assume that I’m ALWAYS on a conference call and to keep their voices down when near my work space during working hours.
8. Set boundaries for yourself to ensure that you don’t spend more time working when working from home than you would if you were working in a traditional office. Try to work smarter, not harder, wherever you work, and try to stick to a regular schedule.
9. Remember, under most circumstances, working from home is a privilege. Conduct yourself the same way you would if you were working in an office with your peers and management. Don’t give anyone with whom you work a reason to wish you didn’t work from home. Always be that professional who has earned your company’s trust to work from home so you can maintain that privilege.
These are great tips. Thanks Angela!