As we are not sure what the “new normal” or, as someone has defined it as “the new abnormal” will be

like, organisations are still trying to figure out how to make the best out of managing people

remotely.

Some of them seem to be dealing with this by adding more work and by micro-managing to ensure that

their employees stay focused and remain highly productive.

In order to cope with the higher demand, employees are forced to work longer hours at a higher pace

and pressure.

It’s easy to see what this type of approach will produce in the long run in terms of burn-out, stress,

sick-leave and turn-over.

I admit that it’s not easy to manage people remotely but I am sure that there is be a better way

to enhance engagement and maintain productivity.

Here’s some guidance to consider.

1) Trust your Team.

One of the main issues for organisations is to ensure that their workforce will complete work at the

same level as they were in the office. In order to combat this belief perhaps they could set up

work-from-home guidelines to give direction to what is expected (e.g. email must be responded within 24

hours, use text for urgent matters and no calls between certain hours to make sure they are not

working around the clock).

2) Stay focused on goals and not activity.

Don’t worry too much about what is being done but concentrate on what is accomplished. If the goals are

met that’s all it matters, if not, you will need to look further into the situation.

3) Implement a communication strategy.

Set up guidelines about daily goals and needs and arrange an appropriate number of report-ins during

the week, thus allowing a sense of autonomy but at the same time holding your people accountable.

4) Avoid multi-tasking.

Avoid adding too many tasks to keep your people under pressure to ensure they remain productive

throughout the day. Avoid frequent calls and lengthy correspondence back and forth especially outside

working hours.

5) Build a community.

Use technology to create a space where you can celebrate special events such as birthdays, company

milestones (e.g. years of service) or special recognition. Building a close community definitely

contributes to inspire connection and enhances productivity.

Considering that working from home could possibly become “the new normal”, it is a wake up call for

all leaders and managers to adapt to make the situation work for everyone involved.