Shawnee Love   •   April 15, 2020

Managing a remote team has always had its challenges, but managing a team of people forced to work at home due to the current pandemic is another level of difficulty entirely.

Consider this. In normal remote work management, you have:

• Time to plan the work, remote work schedule, and remote work tools,
• A policy and/or agreement understood up front (i.e., before the people work remotely),
• An approved remote workspace, and
• A transition period (to test out tools, space and systems).

You also would usually have confirmed that the worker is capable of working remotely.

However, with the pandemic, people were unceremoniously sent home to work with little to no advance warning let alone prepared tools, systems, schedules, etc.

Additionally, not only is the change of environment difficult for some people to adapt to, but most are experiencing additional stress caused by uncertainty and fear, and thus managers are needed to provide support for their employees’ mental health as well.

If you are managing a team of people trying to do their work at home, here are 11 ideas we hope will help:

1. Create a map of where in the world/ community your people are. Having a visual of where your people are will help with check in’s and also enable you to connect your team members with their colleagues in their neighbourhood or community thereby creating a buddy system of sorts.
2. Connect with each person regarding their ability to work remotely. What tools do they have or need? What do they know how to use or will they need to learn? What is their available schedule? Do they have kids or spouses who also need to use the technology and if so, what are their schedules?  Build all of this information into your map, and take action to get people the access and technology they need so they can do the work you need them to do.
3. Set and communicate ground rules for items like use of technology, information privacy, confidentiality and security, daily schedule of availability (start, end, breaks as well as communication timing and methods), mental and physical health, meeting methods and etiquette, etc.
4. Have a mechanism for how people will let you know they have started and ended for the day. Whether text, email, instant message, or a document in a shared drive, having a method like a roll call will help you know your people are available and healthy.
5. Plan your day in advance and then follow the schedule and help your employees to do the same. Having a list of what to accomplish gives purpose and focus for the day and will enhance the likelihood anything gets done.  For managers, please ensure your daily schedule includes individual and group check ins with team members. During these check ins, remember to:
   1. Ask how people are doing (mentally and physically).
   2. Leverage all your tools- text, phone, messenger (teams or slack), email, video chat, social media, etc. so you can connect with each person the way that works best for them.
6. Collect information, resources and tools to share in your check ins. Go so far as to build a list of topics to discuss.  For example, you might include tips regarding mental and physical health, working effectively while remotely, how to use different tools and technology, resources and benefits available in the community, inspiring stories, jokes, useful recipes, etc.  Not only will these ideas create variety in your conversations, but they are an opportunity to share helpful information which enhances employees’ engagement and health.
7. Take time for fun. In group meetings, taking time to talk about the positives or what people are grateful for or having fun competitions can keep spirits up, and we all need that now and then.
8. Respond as soon as you possibly can to requests / inquiries from employees.  They will struggle with being at a distance and are also extremely worried for their job security. Even a short and necessary delay in response time could create unnecessary fear about job security. Even a message saying “I am on another call and will call you back once done” is helpful.
9. Have realistic expectations and be flexible. This isn’t “business-as-usual” remote work.  People are trying to do their work while at home among pets and family (who they also may be sharing technology with) and unprecedented levels of stress.  They may need to use their company laptop for their kids’ online lessons.  Those lessons may occur during your planned group meeting. Staff are not going to be as productive. The work they do might not be as good as usual and nothing is going to be perfect. These are unprecedented times requiring unique temporary solutions. Tell your people that, and then instead of worrying about the precedent you may be setting, focus on how to work together and keep your organization moving forward.
10. Trust your people to do their best and be helpful when they can’t.  I.e., Ask regarding progress and obstacles faced during your check ins. (Sometimes employees will be afraid to admit they need help or get overwhelmed, so if someone has been quiet for awhile, its important to reach out.)
11. Promote, encourage and require self care. Model it yourself and make self care (i.e., healthy, regular diet, exercise, good night’s sleep, downtime/ play) part of your daily conversations and expectations.

Managing and keeping people engaged during this pandemic requires a plan, perseverance, and the willingness to try new things.  If you need support or other ideas, ask your staff, your network, and of course, we are here to help too!