“Successful leaders see the opportunities in every difficulty rather than the difficulty in every opportunity.” — Reed Markham
The COVID-19 pandemic produced the rise of the remote or hybrid working system, moving forward to a long-term trend towards flexible, remote work and digitalization. According to a Gallup survey made last October 2021, the numbers of employees working from home in the U.S. alone rose from 5% to 45% during the time of the pandemic. Since most remote employees prefer to continue their hybrid or remote working, companies are now assessing different remote work models and this just proves that remote work is here to stay.
This transition also comes with the need for managers and leaders to thrive in their new workplace. Business leaders and managers who don’t see remote work as the future are creating issues for both their businesses and themselves. Leaders are probably thinking how they can thrive and lead in a workplace where their employees aren’t physically present, so here are some tips and strategies on how to thrive as a leader in a remote workplace;
1. Build Trust
Establishing trust is fundamental to any relationship and it may require greater intention in a virtual workplace. As a leader, you need to take the initiative to reach out to your members, show your concern and compassion by having casual conversation with your team members. Express your dedication and commitment to the team. Show them that you’re reliable and talk about your employee’s work and life situation. This gives leaders a better intuition into how working remotely affects your team members and most especially their performance. Keeping the communication open will build trust within the team and minimize the need for more formal interventions.
2. Provide the Right Productivity Tools
Your employees will do their job better when you support them with the right technology and tools. Working remotely requires access to the productivity tools that they need and doing so will allow them to work productively and provide the best quality work. Empower your staff by supporting them with quality tech resources.
3. Employee Engagement
To attain a successful remote work environment, you need to ensure that your employees are engaged with one another. Working off-site doesn’t mean that non-work related conversations wouldn’t transpire. And as a leader, you need to guarantee that your team members are eager to take part in either virtual or on-site events. Participation in these activities can serve as an indicator on how connected your team members are. Keeping your employees engaged when working remotely is a good idea to promote effective brainstorming, creativity and teamwork.
4. Organize Regular Remote Work Training
Providing regular training for employees regardless of their working conditions is a valuable tool for keeping policies in place long-term. Ongoing training and refresher courses can not only keep employees and managers on track, but also ensure everyone stays familiar with the expectations surrounding the work within the organization.
Leaders flourish in tough situations, even if it means working on-site or remotely, leaders are always up for the challenges. We hope these tips help you thrive in a hybrid workplace!
“The role of leadership is to transform the complex situation into small pieces and prioritize them.” — Carlos Ghosn
Improve Productivity & Profitability By Building Trust and Performance on a Hybrid Setting
Join us on Tuesday, April 19 2022 at 11:00 A.M. SGT via Zoom and learn:
✓ How to engage employees virtually by bridging knowledge to implementation
✓ Improve communication skills while networking with your team
✓ Accelerate team achievement and collaboration
✓ Creating valid strategies and adapting to more complex challenges
REFERENCES
Ensher, E., Johnson, W.B. and Smith, D. (2022). How to Mentor in a Remote Workplace. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2022/03/how-to-mentor-in-a-remote-workplace
Giurge, L., Laffan, K. and Shreedhar, G. (2022). Is Remote Work Actually Better for the Environment? Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2022/03/is-remote-work-actually-better-for-the-environment
Spawn, L. (2022). Maintaining Success In The Digital Workspace: Five Ways To Continue The Remote Work Conversation. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2022/02/22/maintaining-success-in-the-digital-workspace-five-ways-to-continue-the-remote-work-conversation/?sh=57a061d87608
Vinokurov, R. (2022). Three tech tips to thrive in a remote work future. Retrieved from https://itbrief.com.au/story/three-tech-tips-to-thrive-in-a-remote-work-future