How to Manage from a Distance

By Elizabeth Leif, Research/Business Analyst
Grays Peak Strategies

Here at Grays Peak Strategies (GPS) working remotely is no stranger to us, but it is strange when the whole family is now working from home. So many people and companies are now adjusting to a new normal of being “socially distant” and working from home; so how do we manage to work from home, create a team bond, and produce top tier work while being across time zones? Here are a few of the best tips and tricks:

 1.     Daily check-ins. The function of a daily check in is to help hold your employee accountable, make a plan, and to see if there is anything he or she needs from you. The daily check-in should be a one-on-one and over a virtual meeting space if possible. It has been shown that communication is most effective when the person can see and hear the other person, so hosting it via a virtual meeting space such as skype, zoom, google meetings is best (Skinner). The benefits are twofold, you know where your employee is at with his or her work and what is getting done while the employee feels supported and more connected with you.

2.     Weekly team meetings. Team meetings are super important in building a sense of community while apart. Again, there are many platforms which allow for free and easy access to virtual group meetings. The GPS team always starts our meetings with something positive or a fun ice breaker. We find this is a good way to capture our attention and a way to learn new things about our teammates. Team meetings are also a great way to help build some routine in the week, if you are able to keep consistent times, this allows for some stability and less missed meetings!

3.     There is no such thing as over communicating (Aten, & Skinner). Communication is key. We hear this all the time in many different situations, but it is particularly important when leading a team at a distance. You should be clear in the goals, purpose, visions, and deadlines for a given project. It is better to repeat yourself than wonder if you said it in the first place. Allow for questions and also ask your employees the clarifying questions to make sure they understand what needs to be done as well.

4.     Resources, resources! First things first, it is important to make sure your team has the resources they need in order to complete their work. Be sure your team has access to what they will need and that a lack of resources is not a roadblock in them completing their tasks. Secondly, be aware of the resources and apps that help businesses flow at a distance. A favorite of the GPS team is Slack, it is a great collaborative space that allows for easy communication, document uploads and individual groups to be made for separate projects. Other popular options are Google apps, (such as the drive: docs, slides, and sheets), or Drop Box.

5.     Be realistic. It is unrealistic to think everything is the same working from a distance as it is working in an office together. During this time, it is especially important to be patient and understanding. Working from home is an adjustment for the employees and their families as well as a learning curve to you as far as their work capabilities. There will be some who thrive without a set schedule and don’t mind, or perhaps better cope with, the distractions at home, while others may find it more stressful and harder to produce their work at their typical pace. Be flexible with schedules and realize that the 9-5 office hours someone usually has may not be the exact same right now (Aten). They may have new demands which require work to be done at different times, so make sure the deadlines are realistic for both you and your employees.

 Working from home doesn’t have to mean lower quality or less productive work. It may require you as a leader to step up a bit more and be a little more involved with your team members, but you may even find that at the end of this, you have a better work culture than you did before.