More than a year after the Covid-19 pandemic began, many Americans are still working remotely—and many of us may continue to do so, at least for part of the week, even after the pandemic threat eases. While working from home has its advantages—no commute! —it can pose wide-ranging challenges to both workers and their managers.

Among the unique obstacles your remote employees may face are:

• Absence of in-person supervision and support
• Obstacles to sharing information with co-workers and getting questions answered
• Interpersonal issues that may stem from a lack of verbal and visual cues
• Isolation, anxiety, depression
• Distractions at home
• Poor ergonomics

A manager of a remote team needs to take practices that used to be second nature and make them more intentional, obvious and structured. Your focus should be on being aware of employees’ challenges and offering support from a distance; communicating openly and regularly; and being open to adjusting and re-adjusting routines, methods and workstyles.

If you are managing a remote team, we suggest you incorporate our 5 Bs for a happier and more successful experience for your company, your employees—and you.

BE CLEAR

Without the casual interactions and visual cues of face-to-face work, you as a manager need to be intentional about communicating clearly and consistently.

• Over communicate! Employee engagement is key. 

• Clearly define expectations around work hours, performance metrics and goals. 

• Once purpose, goals and mission have been clearly communicated, track and discuss performance.

BE FLEXIBLE

Working remotely requires some fundamental changes in workstyles and management, sometimes done on the fly. With that in mind, it is essential that managers be flexible in how work gets done.

• Focus less on the process—how and when work gets done—and more on the results. Think output, not hours. Do not be afraid to implement new ideas.  Encourage your team to be creative during this transition.  This will help you avoid micromanaging.

• Ask your employees about their preferred management style and frequency/type of contact. Agree on how and how often you’ll be checking in.

• Allow employees to extend their workday if possible. For instance, you could agree on certain core hours, allowing the employee to go offline for family responsibilities and return to work later in the day.

• Note your employees’ individual schedules (yours, too) and communicate them to the entire team so all know when co-workers are available.

BE IN TOUCH

Fill in the communication gaps that you lose from a physical office environment with consistent contact. If anything, working remotely calls for overcommunication

• Schedule a daily touchpoint meeting with face-to-face interaction (via Teams or Zoom) with your team. These should be regular and structured and could take the form of virtual meetings, or perhaps just a quick message. Use these to reiterate priorities and goals, ask for feedback, answer questions and provide support where needed.

• Schedule weekly 1x1 meetings with your team members to find out how they are doing, are they motivated, do they have issues…just make sure you are connecting!

• Use a range of technology, such as video conferencing, Slack or similar collaborative apps, project management and tracking software, etc.

• Set guidelines for the type of technology to be used for particular situations, and expectations for employees’ (and your) response timeframe.

BE HUMAN

Make up for the lack of physical proximity by emphasizing new ways of connecting and strengthening relationships.

• Be sure to exchange friendly greetings and pleasantries online, just as you would in person.

• Encourage your employees to take breaks and get outside—and do the same yourself.

• Plan Virtual Coffee Breaks, Happy Hours and Team Building activities to help employees bond together and to help stave off loneliness. This could be as simple as a weekly “no-work-talk” coffee break or as elaborate as a virtual office party where everyone receives a delivery of food or a game is played.

• Celebrate individual and team successes, perhaps with video messages or other shared forms of recognition.

• Practice listening, good stewardship, empathy, forgiveness, and tolerance. 

BE SUPPORTIVE

Your employees may need more support than usual from you, and yet you may have a harder time knowing if they are struggling, so be purposeful in encouraging open and honest communication.

• Anticipate that employees may feel overwhelmed, anxious and isolated. Communicate openly and check in frequently. Acknowledge that working remotely can be challenging and isolating, and emphasize that you are there to help. Listen to employees’ concerns, ask follow-up questions and respond with solutions or guidance. Offer referrals to your organization’s EAP if appropriate.

• Suggest that team members stretch or move around on an hourly basis, take a walk or workout, and have lunch.  Physical and mental health is essential.

• Encourage employees to pursue online training to sharpen their skills

• Provide technical and ergonomic resources to improve employees’ workspaces, such as webcams, mice and keyboards for laptops, supportive chairs, etc

• Ask your employees for innovative tips on working remotely (consider rewarding the best ones). Share the ideas in a virtual team-building meeting, or ask employees to coach their co-workers.

Your primary goal in managing a team remotely—as in person—is to trust your employees and provide the support they need to succeed. With remote employees, your focus on these goals needs to be even more concentrated and purposeful. The key is sustained, open communication and the willingness to adapt to changing circumstances. As in any challenge faced successfully, the lessons learned and the skills you and your team gain now while working remotely will benefit all of you in whatever form work takes in the future.