Employers are taking quick action to keep their employees safe from COVID-19 (Coronoavirus). According to the March study of 1,097 adults, a third of respondents say their organizations have a plan in place they are confident about and 43% have a basic plan—even if it is "hastily assembled". Most plans center on remote work and travel restrictions. Specifically:
- 28% of respondents say their organization has already revised its work from home policy;
- 43% of organizations have revised their travel policy;
- 33% of respondents report having more online meetings; and
- 17% have a new plan for video-based meetings and sales calls.
However, more than 1 in 5 (21.19%) employees don't feel their team members have good enough collaboration habits to work effectively from home. They also say 1 in 5 leaders are either very unprepared or unprepared to manage remote teams. Overall, 65% are concerned COVID-19 will influence their company's operations.
Justin Hale, a productivity expert and researcher at VitalSmarts, says that managers play a particularly important role, especially in times of uncertainty. He shares the following best practices for managing remote teams—skills that can help a leader mitigate the risks inherent in workplace changes brought about by COVID-19.
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Frequent and consistent check-ins. Check in frequently and regularly with remote employees. The cadence of the check-ins can vary from daily to bi-weekly to weekly but should always be consistent and entail a standing meeting or scheduled one-on-one.
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Face-to-face or voice-to-voice. The most successful managers insist on some face time with remote employees. If in-person meetings are not possible, at a minimum use video conferencing technology or pick up the phone to ensure colleagues occasionally see one another's face or hear one another's voice.
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Exemplify stellar communication skills. You cannot overemphasize the importance of general, stellar communication with remote teams. The most successful managers are good listeners, communicate trust and respect, inquire about workload and progress without micromanaging, and err on the side of over-communicating.
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Explicit expectations. When it comes to managing remote teams, be clear about expectations. Managers who are direct with their expectations—especially when the "rules" of work have suddenly changed—have happier teams that can deliver to those expectations. People are never left in the dark about projects, roles, deadlines etc.
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Always available. Successful managers are available quickly and at all times of the day. They go above and beyond to maintain an open-door policy for remote employees—making themselves available across multiple time zones and through multiple means of technology (IM, Slack, Skype, Email, Phone, Text etc.). Remote employees can always count on their manager to respond to pressing concerns.
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Technology maven. Successful managers use multiple means of communication to connect with their remote workers. They don't just resort to phone or email but are familiar with video conferencing technologies and a variety of services like Skype, Slack, Zoom, GoToMeeting and more. They often tailor their communication style and medium to each employee.
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Prioritize relationships. Team building and comradery are important for any team and remote teams are no exception. Good managers go out of their way to form personal bonds with remote employees. They use check-in time to ask about their personal life, families and hobbies. They allow team meeting time for "Water cooler" conversation so the whole team can create personal connections and strengthen relationships.
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Additional ASE Resources
ASE has compiled a list of resources we have available to help you implement a virtual work program quickly and effectively.
Webinar– kd3worz will present a webinar, Building Trust Virtually – Prelude Suite. Learn how you can improve self‐awareness, better understanding of teammates, better communication, appreciation of diverse strengths, shared vision of excellence, better task alignment, positive emotional climate, and psychological safety of your teams when working remotely through Prelude Suite. Please join us March 20 at 10:00 a.m. Register here.
Managing a Virtual Workforce - This new ASE course is being held April 2, 2020 in Livonia. Coronavirus is speeding up the implementation of remote work for many organizations. This timely class can help your managers adjust to managing a virtual workforce. Learn more and register here.
McLean & Company - ASE members have access to a suite of tools from ASE Partner, McLean & Company, to help you implement a virtual work program and prepare managers. Members can access the McLean & Company virtual work tools and resources here. Login via the ASE Member Dashboard is required.
ASE Workplace Flexibility Survey - ASE surveyed Michigan employers to see how they are providing flexible work arrangements to stay competitive. ASE members can view results via their ASE Member Dashboard. Non-members can purchase the survey by contacting ASE Survey Services.
Workplace Flexibility Topics and Insights - This ASE presentation outlines results from the ASE Workplace Flexibility Survey, highlights from McLean & Company virtual work management research, as well as how to implement a virtual work program including best practices. View presentation.
Sample Remote Work Policy – Click here to view a sample remote work policy.
For additional information on implementing a remote work program, please contact Kevin Marrs.
Source: VitalSmarts