BC Business
For employees, working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic isn't as simple as you might think. Companies must set their teams up for success, or chaos may ensue.
In his monthly column for BCBusiness, Richmond-based employee engagement and internal brand communications expert Ben Baker shares his insights into how to communicate value effectively, so people want to listen and engage. In the end, it’s about creating influence through trust.
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the share of people who worked from home regularly in the U.S. was 3.9 million, or 2.9 percent. That number has doubled since 2005, and the proportion in Canada is probably similar.
The statistics tell a compelling story: every year, more people want to work from home. However, doing so isn’t as straightforward as you might think.
Yes, technology has made it easier to work away from the office. Faster Internet, more-robust networks, unlimited cellphone plans, and a myriad of software and hardware options can all help streamline the task, but only if you plan strategically.
Companies large and small must understand that sending teams home is not as simple as mandating it. Leaders must set their teams up for success, or chaos may ensue.
First, determine if it’s even possible to have people work from home effectively. Here are some key questions you should ask.
Physical considerations are only half of the challenge. Leaders also need to make sure that staff are psychologically prepared to work from home and that processes are in place to prevent them from feeling isolated, disengaged and even depressed.
Leaders need to think about how people who have never worked from home long-term will fare when they are away from the office. For starters, they no longer have the same face-to-face interactions, coffee breaks and lunches with fellow workers. Developing communication channels for check-ins and collaboration is vital to team success.
Several times a day, team members should check in with each other, and leaders should check in with their teams. Some relevant questions:
Setting up Zoom chats so team members can work together via shared screens will help. It doesn’t have to be Zoom, but I’d suggest going with a stable software system that allows for video chats and shared screens. I prefer Zoom because when everyone is online, it lets people have sideline discussions about the challenges they’re facing before you bring them back to the bigger group.
Being available and accessible is essential.
Those two things are not the same. Available means that you can leave a message and someone will get back to you when it’s convenient for them. Accessible means that you can be reached when needed—a crucial factor for dispersed teams when they have to make a quick decision.
Working from home when you aren’t used to it, and when you don’t have the right tools, technology and support, can be difficult and disheartening. With that in mind, I’ve created a nine-minute video that explains how to be more successful in leading remote teams.
Stay well, and good luck!
Ben Baker wants to help you engage, retain, and grow your most valuable asset your employees. He provides workshops and consulting to enable staff to understand, codify and communicate their value effectively internally and externally and Retain Employees Through Leadership. The author of Powerful Personal Brands: A Hands-On Guide to Understanding Yours and the host of the iHeart Radio syndicated YourLIVINGBrand.live show, he writes extensively on brand and communication strategy.
Ben’s complimentary online course, Know Like Trust: How to Develop Your Personal Brand, is now available. Click here to access the course.