These days, the internet runs rampant with discussions regarding how to effectively run an entirely virtual workforce and still drive connection, collaboration and productivity. Working remotely is no longer a necessity, but it is still a huge selling point when attracting top talent.<\/p>\n
According to Global Workplace Analytics<\/a>, however, only 7 percent of all US companies offered remote working flexibility before the pandemic.<\/p>\n The pandemic then became the catalyst for organizations taking a keen focus on moving to a remote workforce. But as Centric Consulting\u2019s President, Larry English<\/a>, shared, \u201cthe future of work is<\/em> remote.\u201d<\/a> He says that \u201cby 2028, it\u2019s predicted that 73 percent of all departments<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0will have remote workers with\u00a071 percent of recruits<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0saying working remotely would be a deciding factor in choosing a job, and 75 percent<\/strong> report being able to work remotely would encourage them to stick around longer.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s coming up in conversations more and more \u2013 many employees want or need to work from home<\/em>. Most organizations have portions of their company that work virtually, often in IT, but it\u2019s not common across all areas.<\/strong><\/p>\n Processes and technical infrastructure are critical, but leaders must also adapt their management approach to support a remote workforce culture. Leading a virtual workforce can feel overwhelming and bring about new challenges, but it can also be gratifying. Below are seven areas leaders should learn to embrace to manage a remote team successfully.<\/p>\n Trust is the heartbeat of a healthy culture. The need for trust amplifies when transitioning to a remote culture. Remote working is a great environment to assess trust levels and provides an excellent opportunity to increase and build trust<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Many leaders fear the remote environment. But it\u2019s not only about you trusting your employees. It\u2019s about them trusting you. The more you show trust and abide by the norms and guidelines you and the team establish, the more trust will build between you. Also, consider:<\/p>\n Believe it or not, we all give off an emotional \u201cvibe.\u201d Most people can tell when someone is in a good mood or a bad mood when they see them walking around the office. Likewise, people expect leaders to \u201cread a room\u201d well.<\/p>\n In a virtual work environment<\/a>, it\u2019s harder to sense the emotional vibe. You\u2019ll want to spend more time investing in how your tone comes across when on calls or video chats. Likewise, it\u2019s easy to misinterpret word choices in emails and instant messages. Do your best to share your emotions, and be open to allowing more direct sharing by your staff. Don\u2019t forget that a few smiley-face emojis can make a significant impact.<\/p>\n Whether you have an established team working remotely or this is all new to you, leading remote staff requires discipline<\/a>.<\/strong> As a leader, establish expectations with your team from the beginning and revisit them regularly, starting with:<\/p>\n You\u2019ll miss the old days when you could bring your best and brightest into a room with a whiteboard and let them spend an hour analyzing and solving problems. Collaboration in a remote workforce<\/a> isn\u2019t only about letting everyone give feedback on a presentation or document.<\/strong> Look for new ways to partner with your staff to solve problems.<\/p>\nMoving Forward with a Remote Culture<\/h2>\n
1. Create Trust with a Capital \u201cT\u201d<\/h4>\n
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2. Practice Emotional Availability<\/h4>\n
3. Establish Expectations Up Front<\/h4>\n
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4. Conquer Collaboration Challenges<\/h4>\n