Remote working is the latest trend in the world of work. The pandemic years embraced home working as a way to keep businesses on track with projects and avoid closure, and employees all over the world are continuing to embrace the many benefits remote working models have to offer. It is not something that is going to be left behind, but it does bring challenges in terms of effective management strategies. The best practices encompass a holistic approach, and this guide has the top ways to get the job done right.
Improve the Dialogue
What is the biggest complaint of both managers and their employees? There is definitely a long list, but one thing that keeps coming up over and over is the communication barriers between the two. Improving the dialogue means finding a new approach to performance management through actively learning how. Open narratives are better for productivity, engagement, and well-being within the workplace, and they should always be a key goal to ensure fairness and equality. Ensure there is sufficient space to directly communicate on a regular basis with every employee and the team as a whole, and things will run a lot easier.
Embrace the Limitations
There will always be barriers to productivity for remote teams. Whether it is a collaboration issue or a lack of motivation, it is all there to be resolved. Embracing the limitations means creating innovative solutions to find ways forward. Where a team member is falling behind on essential KPIs, take the time to figure out why and engage with some empathy to active successful outcomes. Things will need to be handled in a different way to when everyone was in the same office five days a week, and getting to know the common denominators causing the biggest rifts will bring about a better workplace vibe for everyone.
Be Clear
Remote working leaves a lot of room for misunderstandings. That is why, as a leader monitoring performance, it is essential to always be clear about what you want and how it should be done. Clear deadlines are non-negotiable and must be given to every employee, so they have all the facts they need to meet expectations. Other points of clarity must center around constructive feedback, general outcome goals, and interactions within the team as well. A good place to start is by creating a document that outlines essential points of guidance that every person has access to as a point of reference.
Deal with Problems Head On
Ignoring problems in a remote work context is dangerous not just for the project outcome, but also for your integrity as a leader. Managing people means tackling concerns head on, and this is more important in a remote team because there is a risk that, if left unaddressed, there is too much ambiguity and not enough opportunity for being direct to successfully navigate a solution.
Performance management for remote teams means creating a flexible mindset and encompassing values that treat employees as valued members of a project. Keep on track of goals and ensure every person that plays a part knows what it is and why it exists.
