How to Create Communication and Well-being for Your Remote Team
As we head into winter, the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder for many of us. On a normal trip around the sun, this can be a challenge to power through. But after almost eight months of the pandemic lifestyle? The struggle is real.
If you are new to the work-from-home lifestyle, you may be seriously missing the face-to-face interaction you used to have with team members daily. Even if you were working from home before the pandemic, you’re likely missing the occasional coffee dates, coworking spaces or entrepreneurial group meetups you were involved in before. How do we maintain wellbeing and connection with our team in the face of so much virtual interaction? It takes a little more conscious effort, but it’s possible.
Create Structure
This is a very hard topic to address at this time, because there are days when structure will fly right out the window as technology issues or family situations arise, but it still needs to be addressed. First and foremost, express your desire to be flexible and work around whatever factors your employees are facing. However, remind them (and yourself) that you need to continue to run a thriving business in the face of adversity; in order to do that, you need to have structure in place.
Schedule weekly video meetings with your team as a whole, as well as one-on-one check-ins with team members on a regular cadence you both agree on. Some employees may want to meet less often and others may need to check in more regularly. Use these meetings as opportunities to determine top priorities for each week. Do team members have a clear understanding of their work and who they need to be working with in order to deliver? How are those priorities communicated and shared? Have you set up shared documents, project planning meetings, daily stand-ups? It also helps to connect individual priorities to team priorities for improved transparency and to foster greater trust within your organization.
Be mindful about schedules but also set expectations for when team members should be accessible. Do the same for yourself. Be very clear with your team members how and when you can best be reached if something comes up. Always communicate that you understand unforeseen circumstances arise, especially when everyone is working and schooling from home, but that being unavailable shouldn’t be a regular occurrence.
Assess Needs
As you are communicating with your team about schedules and availability, be sure to ask about what they need. Do they have all the resources required to do their job? Is their technology functioning efficiently?
Your one-on-one meetings are a perfect opportunity to check in with individual team members to find out how things are really going for them. Ask about any challenges they’re facing and how you can help. Make a plan together on how to move forward.
Also, celebrate successes! As a leader, you should have some talking points ready to recognize their good work, but also ask them what they think have been some of their greater accomplishments lately. Let them know ahead of time that you’ll be discussing accomplishments and challenges so they can come ready. Eventually, they’ll get into the habit of self-evaluating where they’re truly at in their work life.
Continue Reading: How to Create Communication and Well-being for Your Remote Team
Madeleine Niebauer is the Founder & CEO of vChief Virtual Chief of Staff service, which offers part-time and interim chief of staff support to start-ups, nonprofit organizations, and businesses of all sizes.
