Katherine Wiid of Career Ambitions writes:
Has the move to remote working left your team feeling disrupted? Most organisations moving to remote working get the opportunity to 'trial' it for a period of time. But on this occasion, that's not possible. The Government's latest guidance and restrictions on movement mean that we're having to embrace remote working with little to no time for preparation. For most people, that's a huge change. A change to working life, to home life, and to our work-life balance.
In the long term we may look back and see this as an opportunity for us all to embrace a new, more flexible way of working. Right now, you and your teams might be going through more pain than gain! In case you are going through the former, I hope these tips might be helpful as you lead your team successfully through this period of change…
1. Remote working doesn't suit everyone.
We all have different 'working styles'. Some of us work best alone, while others work best in a group or office environment. Remote working will be a struggle for those needing to work alongside others. If you can identify them, you will be able to support them better. Ask your team to read this article and tell you whether they are predominately a 'proximity', 'independent' or 'co-operative' worker. Now you can tailor your support to their individual needs.
2. Wellbeing needs to be a priority.
Times of change often threaten our mental and physical wellbeing. Encourage your team to prioritise theirs - whether that means offering 1-2-1 video or phone calls, a subscription to online mindfulness or keep fit classes, or enforced breaks every now and then. Work-life balance often suffers when employees start working from home due to a blurring of the boundaries. I've shared more tips to help your team adapt here on LinkedIn.
3. Encourage your employees to turn this down time into personal development time.
For those industries experiencing a quieter time, how can you best utilise your employee's down time? Could you signpost them to online learning, encourage people to teach themselves how to use a new piece of software, or perhaps develop a soft skill such as better communication or time management? Here's an article I wrote all about the value of professional development and soft skills. Encouraging your employees to turn this quiet time into a positive time, will not only help develop their own skills, it will also help your organisation bounce back when its business as usual.
4. Let’s talk!
This is a great time to be making new connections and having lots of (virtual) conversations. If we haven't already, please do connect with me on LinkedIn, where I will be regularly sharing tips and resources to help you and your team through these testing times. And feel free to encourage your employees to do the same.
5. Ask for help.
This is a global crisis, and we are experienced unprecedented times. This is not something we have had to face before - we are all in it together - so do ask for help. Don’t struggle through alone. Whether you need help leading your team through a complete change to normal operations, making the transition to remote working, or if you are faced with making redundancies or furloughing staff. Career Ambitions can support you through these periods of change and help to strengthen your team during these uncertain times. Email us at support@careerambitions.co.uk or call us on 01223 633535 and we would be more than happy to help.