How To Manage a Positive and Healthy Remote Team

March 30th 2020

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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, our new reality is remote working. However, adapting to this new way of working isn’t easy, especially when employees aren’t accustomed to working from home.

Helping these employees get ready for their new routine not only shifts your managerial focus to getting the right infrastructure in place, but also means getting your team psychologically ready to work from home. For managers, that means empowering workers to adapt to their new remote working environments by helping them to stay connected, committed, and happy.

Here are some remote working practices we have found to be effective in managing a positive and healthy team as they adapt to these sudden changes.

 

Create and Maintain Virtual Rituals

Feelings of isolation and loneliness are some of the biggest hurdles that can overwhelm workers, particularly those who are used to working in very active and/or collaborative environments. As such, staying in close contact with every member of the team and giving them ways to continue to interact with each other is essential to mental health and wellness.

Working in an office also brings with it a certain amount of daily structure, and so creating a virtual ritual for your new remote team will help them stay on-task and productive. It also gives your team members a chance to check-in for the day and bring back some of the social elements of work in virtual form.

If work allows it, you can setup both official meetings and help replace the coffee corner small talk employees are missing out on. As an example of this, you could create a virtual lunch hour where employees can join a group video chat for a mid-day break. This not only gives a social break but also will distract workers from the social distancing measures that are being taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Prioritize Goals and Next Steps

In these unsure times, employees are nervous about their job security, the future of their company, and the next steps they should anticipate taking. With around-the-clock reporting on all of the tragedies occurring, your employees’ imaginations can easily drift to the worst-case scenarios, so it’s essential that you reassure them.

At work, you can help manage their perspectives and keep anxiety at bay by setting and focusing on small weekly goals that are easy to achieve. Keep morale high and make sure that employees feel in control. This empowerment is what will keep your team on track, no matter how long the pandemic continues.

 

Acknowledge and Recognize Emotions

As time goes on, it’s important that you are proactive in identifying when employees are struggling and that you are stepping up to the plate to assist them in any way possible. Fewer emails and less interaction with group conversations are early signs that an employee is struggling to adapt. As soon as you notice a downfall, you should increase virtual face-to-face contact and encourage others to do the same.

As a newly remote manager, you will be their healer and hope giver in these scary times. So, help your employees grow through this ordeal. Instill confidence in your workers and calm them down when necessary.

Your top priorities will include helping workers avoid feelings of loneness while keeping them from procrastinating and ensuring they stay healthy. It’s not easy, but if you continue to pay attention to your team’s individual members, you will be able to make use of everyone’s collective strengths during these trying times.






Written by: Sushila Ramkisoensing


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