If you are thinking of establishing a successful remote working environment, here are some things you should do. Read on to discover how to change your habits and build a remote-first culture. These strategies will help you create a great remote working environment, and you’ll find that your team will be much more productive, too. Also, keep in mind that people will feel less guilty when they ask you for help.
Work from home
One of the most important ways to create a successful remote working environment is to set expectations and KPIs up front. This will enable everyone to understand each other’s roles and expectations and work together to achieve them. In addition, clear expectations will allow employees to set priorities and be accountable for their work. To create a successful remote working environment, managers should be willing to communicate with employees on a regular basis.
If you’re working remotely, don’t let loneliness and isolation get the best of you. Try to stay in touch with other remote workers by setting up weekly 1:1 check-ins to discuss goals, projects, and daily tasks. If possible, try to schedule these meetings in person or at least virtually. You can also try finding co-working spaces and coffee shops. Lastly, make sure to find time for yourself.
Despite the many benefits of a remote work environment, it can also be difficult to foster a culture of trust. Employees need to know that you care about their well-being. While remote employees may appreciate autonomy, they need guidance and company. As such, managers must ensure that they create a safe environment for their remote workers to flourish. By ensuring employees feel appreciated and valued, they will be more likely to stick around.
Change your habits
One of the biggest challenges to working from home is finding the right place to work. Think about the role you have and where you would be most productive. A noisy coffee shop might not be the best place for you to get work done, and you don’t want to be working from your bed or sofa. Moreover, you don’t want to be tempted to snack or eat while you work. So, if you’re looking to achieve success as a remote worker, there are several things you can do to ensure your work environment is productive and enjoyable.
One way to increase productivity is by taking breaks. Professional musicians often take breaks to clear their minds and improve their concentration. Desktime research shows that the most productive employees spend about 52 minutes each day. Take frequent breaks to reset your energy. Also, don’t forget to set boundaries. This way, you won’t have as many interruptions while working from home. To keep the focus of your work, you should also avoid distractions from your family and friends.
Distractions are a huge hindrance to your productivity. Try to block out strategic times for work each day. This way, you won’t have to worry about completing your tasks while you are distracted by household chores and other duties. Creating a calendar and sticking to it is a great way to avoid distractions and maintain focus. Moreover, it will help you keep track of your workload and keep you accountable.
Manage a remote team
To achieve a successful remote working environment, you must know how to manage a team that is spread across different geographical locations. While managing a team across borders is not difficult, it requires a higher level of effort, flexibility and trust. While managing a team across geographic boundaries, it is important to establish a sense of culture and a positive work atmosphere for everyone. Introduce new employees to the team and make them feel welcome and part of the larger group. If possible, use a video conferencing call to welcome and train the entire team.
Communicating with a remote team is not easy. The time zone difference is often a barrier for communication. You will have to coordinate meetings in advance, but a retreat can help the team bond, keep energy up, and facilitate big discussions. Here are some ways to successfully manage a remote team:
Encourage team members to take breaks throughout the day. Not only will it help their health, but it will also encourage them to work at their best. The best remote managers also recognize the needs of their team members and encourage flexible task supervision. For example, if an employee is suffering from a life crisis, they may have trouble balancing their personal and professional lives. Providing mental health days for these employees can help them recover from the emotional impact of the work environment.
Create a remote first culture
Achieving a high-performing remote working environment requires creating a company culture that values trust. You should avoid micromanaging your employees, as this breeds distrust. Instead, use tools that allow your remote team to work independently while maintaining transparency. For example, if you have a team of designers, design engineers, and marketing specialists, make sure they can communicate easily and quickly. Use virtual team-building activities to foster trust among remote employees.
To achieve a remote first culture, start from the perspective of your colleagues. Ensure that all of them use technology to join meetings. Use the easiest software available to dial into meetings. Encourage virtual sessions so that everyone can be part of the discussions. For example, you may want to have virtual sessions with your team to keep everyone up-to-date on the latest updates. By providing virtual meetings, your remote team will be able to communicate and collaborate without any communication barriers.
Another important pillar of a remote first culture is diversity. Diversity helps employees be true to themselves and encourages more honest conversations about topics other than work. It also helps strengthen bonds among the team. So how can you create a remote first culture that benefits everyone? Hopefully, the tips above will help you get there. And as always, good luck! If you want to enjoy remote working, keep these tips in mind.
Document more than you would normally
When working in a remote environment, you’re likely to have fewer face-to-face meetings. Communication can be tricky, and sometimes things get lost in translation. If you’re working in a distributed team, make sure you clearly define roles and responsibilities to prevent confusion and unnecessary questions. Here are some ways to make it easier to communicate effectively on remote teams:
Avoid micromanaging
As more companies adopt remote working business solutions as a new standard, some managers are tempted to overreach and engage in micromanaging. Unfortunately, this practice only reduces trust and engagement and drives down productivity. The good news is that you can avoid micromanaging in a remote working environment by avoiding these common mistakes. Here are three tips. 1. Don’t over-check your employees’ work hours
First, remember that micromanagement is a problem that affects the bottom line. Not only is it bad for your employees’ morale, it’s also damaging for the company’s bottom line. Research has shown that 40 percent of managers express low self-confidence when managing remote employees. Luckily, avoiding micromanagement will help your team thrive. Micromanagement will only hurt your business if you have a culture of trust and collaboration and fosters a negative workplace climate.
Secondly, avoid micromanaging employees based on their insecurity. Ultimately, micromanagers may not have a problem delegating trivial tasks. However, they lack trust in their team, making it harder for them to trust their staff to make decisions. If this is the case, ask yourself if the micromanager’s mistakes are consequential or if they are expected. For example, the micromanager may not be aware of the consequences of their mistakes because they expect and receive criticism.
