I’ve been on both sides of the remote working challenge over the years and know the importance of great communication and trust…
…But the search for ways to maintain (or increase) productivity with remote teams has been a much wider challenge for businesses all over the world, since Covid.
Reports vary but I’ve seen a few studies suggest that around 60-85% of UK business leaders believe their remote workers are either equally or more productive than office-based staff.
Bizarrely, that percentage always seems to be dramatically lower when you ask remote workers themselves, rather than management – but that’s another matter 🙂
A few things that can help remote workplace productivity…
📌 Establish clear communication channels. Regular meetings and daily check-ins are essential for keeping remote teams on track and ensuring that they have the necessary resources and support to do their jobs effectively.
📌 Provide support and training. Invest in professional development by providing meaningful access to training and offer virtual mentorship opportunities.
📌 Build trust and accountability. Trust your remote staff to manage their time and workload effectively and hold them accountable for meeting their goals and objectives.
📌 Foster a sense of community. Difficult one to get right and it takes dedicated time and creativity. Definitely not something to manage too much as a top-down approach. Regular virtual team-building activities, online forums and events can help to develop the connection and camaraderie among the team.
📌 Create a virtual office space: Encourage your remote team members to set up a dedicated workspace and offer a contribution if possible – make it a perk.
📌 Prioritise mental health. Don’t just pay lip service and get some outside input into best practice if you can. Confidential third party phone counselling is one of many practical things you can do to support your team.
📌 Recognise and reward. Find ways to show your remote team that their hard work is appreciated and recognise their achievements.
📌 Lead by example: Be a role model for remote working by setting a good example and being productive yourself. Never implement a policy (or push a culture) which the management team does not follow themselves.
If you’re a manager or business owner looking to improve the productivity of your remote teams, consider focusing on just one of these ideas and measure the results…