1- Do like the others
You may feel pressure to establish a remote work policy and have never done one. It can be tempting to simply do what others do because there must be a “reason”. Instead, take the time to take stock of your context:
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- Do you want a policy for the entire company?
- Is it possible that some teams have variations in operating rules depending on the nature of their work?
Imagine that our clothing sizes would be “one size”. A small part of the population would be really comfortable, wouldn’t it?
Sometimes, to make the situation simple, we set global rules. Unfortunately, they can lose their meaning, so dare to make it tailor-made for you.
2- Not taking into account the characteristics of those who occupy the position
Some people need more coaching than others. Whether it is for their personality, their experience, their seniority in the company, etc. Some need to work alone, and others in teams. As a leader, you have a role to play in creating a caring team culture AND delivering goals.
I think that uniform rules for a large company are difficult to apply, but that your team must have a clear way of working in terms of collaboration.
3- Manage as “before”
When working from home, attachment to the company decreases. It’s the managers, the colleagues and the projects that all make the difference. On the one hand, it puts pressure on managers. On the other hand, it is a great opportunity for everyone to develop their leadership and become leaders of their time; human leaders. When I say that the mistake is to “manage as before”, it means for managers to stop to:
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- Not having the time to supervise their teams. We talked about it in a previous article.
- Not having the difficult conversations at the right time.
- Being afraid to make decisions that may not be unanimous.
- Decide alone.
- Make several “surprise” announcements because they don’t have time to manage the change well… This can lead to changes in direction… And a manager who always changes his mind does not create commitment.
In other words, managers need to improve their skills quickly and efficiently in two aspects: time and energy management and managerial courage.
4- Underestimating the need for work planning and definition
While better time management is essential for managers, it is also important to help your team prioritize by being clear about the essentials and deadlines. When working from home, it’s a mistake to take things for granted when it comes to defining tasks and priorities. People are isolated! The risk of double working is increased. And since it’s more complex to ask questions to your manager, employees can often decide to work on one thing rather than another because they don’t want to be on hold. That said, they are not necessarily working on the right priorities.
Some employees also don’t dare to validate priorities if they are new, shy, etc.
It comes down to the role of the manager and the characteristics of the people they manage.
Your management style must be adapted to your reality.
5- Forgetting meaning
Meaning, in short, is direction. And this direction must be clear and inspiring.
Meaning is just as important in defining your teleworking policy as it is in your rules for collaboration in the team. Why do we do this? What does this relate to? What motivated such a decision?
In today’s world, communicating the meaning of decisions related to vision is key.
Conclusion
To conclude, when the time comes to regulate teleworking, do not react to determine new ways of working. Take the time to look at the issue and you will be much more successful. Spend your energy consciously and increase your efficiency as well as the commitment of your teams!