Managing Remotely: The Latest Data

Managing Remotely: The Latest Data

POPULAR? While some workers have wanted to work remotely for years, leaders cited many objections: they could not trust people to work independently, clients or customers wanted 24/7 access, and face-to-face meetings helped fuel creativity and build teams. Yet in the last few months, leaders have learned that change is possible and that things could have been transformed years ago. In a recent survey by the New York Times and Morning Consult, in a poll of 1,123 people from a wide range of jobs, demographics and incomes, who have been working from home since the start of the pandemic lockdown, 86% said they were satisfied with remote work. These workers were happy despite health fears, Zoom fatigue, and unexpected home school needs.

WHO’S LEFT OUT? Of course, most of those now working from home are white-collar and have higher incomes, and these surveys leave out the six in ten workers who cannot work remotely: some teachers, health care workers, restaurant staff and so on.

THE FUTURE? This winter, however, after workers have been stuck at home for months or are tired of supervising home school, the trend may turn. People may long for a return to the office for the company of adults, and a more predictable routine. As I have written in previous Monday Memos, some companies that have tried remote work before the pandemic ordered everyone back to the office after a variety of problems. Is Working from Home Working? A Mixed Bag

What Should You Do?

Manage the Work, Not Your People: Regardless of what the future holds, many leaders need to manage differently right now. A key strategy is to manage the work, not your people. Make sure that you set expectations for what needs to be done, by whom and by when, rather than judging people by whether their green Slack light is on or the time they log in. Managing remotely can make you a better manager by making sure that you quantify performance results, not face time.

Eliminate Needless Meetings: Your people will suffer from reduced efficiency if you stack up endless Zoom calls just to make sure that your people are engaged. Allow certain periods for focused individual work and let people speak on the phone with their cameras off if they wish.

Cut Your Staff Some Slack: For working parents, taking care of kids, work, school and their health have created a perfect storm. Let them Zoom in with the baby on their lap or take a break to grade a math test. Arranging unexpected childcare with daycare centers and schools closed has been a Herculean task. If they have been effective workers in the past, help them find creative ways to satisfy your needs to get work done.

Don’t Forget Recording Hours: While it’s important to let exempt workers choose when to complete their work if they satisfy your deadlines, you still need to make sure that non-exempt staff records their work hours accurately. Make sure that they understand that they cannot choose to work more hours without authorization and that meal and other breaks still apply.

What Do You Think?

What expectations do you have around conflict? Call or write: 303-216-1020 or Lynne@workplacesthatwork.com