Managing remote workers to everyone’s benefit - productivity, wellbeing, results (a guest post by Nigel Scott)

The statistics tell us that up to 60% of workers are currently working from home [1] as we continue to to overcome Coronavirus.  What was previously considered a luxury for the few has become a necessity for the many.  A recent Gallup study [2] indicated that 35 percent of employees want to work only remotely from now on. And 68 percent of organizations will "probably or definitely" adopt work-from-home flexibility for all workers. It seems likely that working from home (WFH) is going to grow in the future.

But here’s the rub, we currently have a predominantly office based culture of management that subtly blends a combination of presenteeism, regular oversight from a manager who is satisfied if s/he “sees” busyness around the office, many meetings, unannounced drop in discussions, and pressures to work harder and longer . Granted, It’s not like this for everyone but you get the picture!  And how can that kind of management behaviour even begin to work across the ether to a home worker?  More to the point, should it?  There must be a better way.

Anecdotal evidence from our colleagues indicates that many managers are struggling to cope with managing and supporting staff WFH. Tales are told of frequent phone calls to check on progress, persistent multi-channel messaging, unreasonable expectations of outputs, and insistence on minutely detailed time recording against projects, and yes - of course – many zoom call meetings!

And for employees, working from home is not an easy opt-out from the office.  There are all sorts of distractions from finding a space to work at, children and pets, to the incursion of daily home duties. And then there are the personal mental challenges around feeling valued, wanting to do a good job, fear of failure, loneliness from work colleagues and so on.

How do we manage better online?

So what are the tools and behaviours that an ‘online’ manager needs to create and maintain productive and content employees?

Start with work structure (work process and work rhythm).  This is about setting the ground rules clearly, shifting focus from inputs to outputs, and creating a working rhythm that suits both the employee and the manager.  In essence creating a clarity of purpose and expectation with each employee, so they can contribute fully in the context of the circumstances that they are working in.

The work process needs:

• Specific task and behaviour objectives, defined in terms of outputs, to be accomplished during an agreed cycle
• An agreed process to measure objectives
• Work prioritisation agreed by identifying those results that are most crucial and those that can be delayed.  Attaching milestones or deadlines helps focus on what is important.
• Clarifying how individual objectives support group work goals
• Online access to all of the necessary resources

The work rhythm needs us to [3]:

Establish “rules of engagement” at the outset: Remote work becomes more efficient and satisfying when managers set expectations for the frequency, means, and ideal timing of communication for their teams. For example, “We use videoconferencing for daily check-in meetings, but we use IM when something is urgent.” Also, if you can, let your employees know the best way and time to reach you during the workday (e.g., “I tend to be more available late in the day for ad hoc phone or video conversations, but if there’s an emergency earlier in the day, send me a text.”) Finally, keep an eye on communication among team members, to ensure that they are sharing information as needed.

Agree different communication options.  Email alone is insufficient. Remote workers benefit from having a “richer” technology, such as video conferencing, that gives participants many of the visual cues that they would have if they were face-to-face. Video conferencing has many advantages, especially for smaller groups: Visual cues allow for increased “mutual knowledge” about coworkers and also help reduce the sense of isolation among teams. Video is also particularly useful for complex or sensitive conversations, as it feels more personal than written or audio-only communication. 

There are other circumstances when quick collaboration is more important than visual detail. For these situations, provide mobile-enabled individual messaging functionality (like Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.) which can be used for simpler, less formal conversations, as well as time-sensitive communication.

Provide opportunities for remote social interaction: One of the most essential steps a manager can take is to structure ways for employees to interact socially (that is, have informal conversations about non-work topics) while working remotely.

The easiest way to establish some basic social interaction is to leave some time at the beginning of team calls just for non-work items (e.g., “We’re going to spend the first few minutes just catching up with each other. How was your weekend?”). Other options include virtual pizza parties (in which pizza is delivered to all team members at the time of a videoconference), or virtual office parties (in which party “care packages” can be sent in advance to be opened and enjoyed simultaneously). While these types of events may sound artificial or forced, experienced managers of remote workers (and the workers themselves) report that virtual events help reduce feelings of isolation, promoting a sense of belonging.

Offer encouragement and emotional support: (apply the principles of EI), Especially in the context of an abrupt shift to remote work, it is important for managers to acknowledge stress, listen to employees’ anxieties and concerns, and empathize with their struggles. If a newly remote employee is clearly struggling but not communicating stress or anxiety, ask them how they’re doing. Even a general question such as “How is this remote work situation working out for you so far?” can elicit important information that you might not otherwise hear. Once you ask the question, be sure to listen carefully to the response, and briefly restate it back to the employee, to ensure that you understood correctly. Let the employee’s stress or concerns (rather than your own) be the focus of this conversation.

What is EI or EQ?  It was in 1995 when Daniel Goleman, a psychologist, wrote “Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ” [4].  He and his team identified that the behaviours of introspection, self awareness, understanding, empathy, sharing emotions and being open to criticism were synonymous with “good management”.  These behaviours help considerably when managing at a distance, because not having direct contact makes trying to “read” an employee much more difficult.

Studies show that there are significant links between high EI and more successful interpersonal relations. people who exhibit higher levels of EI also show a greater level of empathy and cooperation with others, which builds closer and more satisfying relationships as well as greater social skills in general [5].  Goleman described managers with a low EI as capable of becoming destructive to their employees and the organization. This type of low EI can result in management not being trusted, poor understanding and a limited ability to motivate employees.  This hinders good work performance.

Here are some tips to increase your own emotional intelligence and that of your team [6]:

1. Identify your strengths and weaknesses by asking for feedback and observing other people’s reaction to your behaviour. Instead of blaming them for their reaction, ask yourself what could you have done differently.
2. Get a mentor or a coach that will offer you honest feedback and challenge your behaviour.
3. Pay attention to when you feel negative emotions. They are usually a sign. If you are frustrated, ask yourself why. If you have explained the same thing three times and people still don’t understand what you mean, take responsibility. Doing the same thing and expecting different results is Einstein’s definition of insanity. Explain it differently. Don’t change the outcome, change the methodology.
4. Observe your team closely, notice their mindset and emotional state. Address any issues in a constructive manner.
5. Be empathetic and try to understand how others feel. You may not feel the same way as they do but you may have experienced the same emotion for a different reason. Use this experience to show empathy.
6. Have the courage to be wrong. Admitting mistakes and learning from them shows character and integrity.
7. Encourage open communication by listening and being curious about what is being suggested. People in the workplace can often be defensive and showing you are interested in them can open up better communication.
8. Take the time to acknowledge and thank your team for their effort, and celebrate success.

How to make it work for you and your team

Managing (and leading) at a distance is likely to become more commonplace over the coming months and years.  It does require a different management approach, principally from control to support, which is much enhanced by ensuring the ground rules of communication and work processes are agreed, understood and practiced.  Developing a stronger EI strengthens the awareness and bond between manager and staff, enhancing support which results in better work outcomes and more content staff. 

If you are struggling with any of these issues, or seek support to improve on any of then contact us for a confidential discussion to find how we can help you.

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[1] https://www.finder.com/uk/working-from-home-statistics

[2] https://www.mis-solutions.com/2020/07/should-your-employees-continue-to-work-from-home/

[3] Adapted from https://hbr.org/2020/03/a-guide-to-managing-your-newly-remote-workers

[4] Daniel Goleman “Emotional Intelligence – why it can matter more than IQ” 1995

[5] https://positivepsychology.com/importance-of-emotional-intelligence/

[6] https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2015/aug/20/emotional-intelligence-why-managers-should-show-a-softer-side