The ability to work remotely is more important than ever before thanks to the COVID-19 crisis. Many jobs have transitioned online, and you may find yourself communicating with your team over Zoom or Skype instead of face-to-face across the conference table. This could be working well, or you may find yourself wondering about long-term accountability for yourself and others who work with and for you. How can you make sure everyone is putting in maximum effort while also working from the comfort of their living room — maybe even in their pajamas?
The good thing is that you are perfectly capable of working and doing your job without constant supervision. Same for your team, as they are adults who are able to work without you providing constant guidance. One thing that will prove helpful is to provide clear communication about tasks and expectations, yet remain flexible about how things get done. For example, you may have a team member who has small children at home, and the ideal time for him or her to work may be late afternoon.
Depending on the nature of the work you do, you may need to create a structure that makes sense for your team. This may require some creative thinking and letting go of certain expectations, but that does not mean that the end result won’t be successful. Everything is different and constantly fluctuating right now, and your ability to respond well to the crisis and rapid changes will influence your team’s reaction and their ability to cope.
When you give your team clearly communicated expectations and structure while remaining flexible and understanding, you’ll find that accountability likely won’t be an issue. Trust that you’ve set your team up for success and that your leadership will still serve them as well virtually as it does in-person.
By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC