When the majority, if not all, your employees are telecommuting, it can be hard to motivate your remote team, let alone manage your own time. Here are 3 top strategies to drive performance for an increasingly normalised remote workforce.
As we rapidly enter a virtualised workforce, the corporate hierarchies we’ve grown accustomed to are flattening out as the modern workplace continues to grow in popularity, offering employees a better work-life balance, diversification, and flexibility. But without creating a relationship of trust, a channel for open communication, and the use of collaborative work tools, it can be a struggle to run a remote business from home unless you make some changes. Here are Hive Life’s top 3 strategies to better motivate your remote team.
#1
Build A Strong Culture of Positive Feedback
Positive feedback is a great motivator, especially when it comes to remote teams. By celebrating your employees’ achievements and focusing on their potential, your team will feel encouraged to step outside of their comfort zone – and continue learning by failing. Schedule regular 1-on-1 sessions to keep discourse flowing, embrace failure with a positive mindset, and be mindful of your tone when giving feedback – it’s easy to sound unintentionally harsh, particularly without the non-verbal cues of body language and tone. Above all, a consistent culture of giving positive feedback will help you build a relationship of trust and mentorship with your employees.
#2
Track Performance, Not Hours Worked
Although sitting in the office guarantees attendance and can drum up an atmosphere of competition, micromanaging an employee’s seat time hurts morale, which, in turn, affects performance. Instead, managers should foster a culture of accountability, especially when remote working comes into play. Leverage technology platforms such as Trello to create a visual scoreboard of the team’s progress, track KPIs across the board, and help each employee understand how their individual goals align with the company’s. And don’t forget to give recognition to outstanding individuals and team achievements, as this will spur many to keep up the good work.
#3
Be Proactive in Encouraging Communication
Let’s face it – communication is absolutely crucial for a company to thrive, particularly when your team is working remotely. Rather than mourning the lack of face-to-face human interaction, employers should leverage communication platforms like Slack, Zoom, or Google Hangouts and make use of team collaboration tools on Google Drive, Microsoft Office 365 and Dropbox to lower barriers to communication, schedule regular meetings, and share work in real-time. Take the time to encourage your team members to be more proactive about reaching out to others for ideas and suggestions and you’ll be on track to executing the company’s shared vision flawlessly.
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