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The rise of remote working has led to changes across all industries as companies transition their in-office activities to be handled remotely. Navigating this transition has not been easy for some companies, as many leaders are skeptical about their employees’ productivity in remote work environments, despite the proven success.
Leadership teams that have had to transition their operations to remote working in recent years may need a little more convincing that working away from a centralized office can be just as effective as in-person gatherings, if not more so. Below, 15 businessroundups.org Business Council members share some effective ways to help leaders overcome skepticism and close the understanding gap.
Table of Contents
1. Establish open communication
Closing the gap between leaders and employees regarding remote productivity requires a multifaceted approach. The first step is to build a solid foundation for open communication between both parties. From there, the leader must gain a clear understanding of human motivations. This enables them to understand each employee’s unique circumstances and key psychological drivers. – Alan J Roy, ASTA-USA Translation Services, Inc.
2. Track and communicate performance
One way to close the gap between leaders and employees regarding productivity in a work-from-home environment is to regularly track and communicate individual and team performance. This can provide transparency and accountability, while also improving motivation and engagement, leading to better performance and success. – Jason Saltzman, Relief
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3. Have constant communication
Our company went from a physical location to a completely remote workplace during the pandemic. It went so well that we’ve been doing it ever since. The keys to our success are daily team meetings that mix personal and business, as well as managers working closely with their team on a daily basis. The magic happened through constant communication and a team that bought into our company culture. – Robert Kosberg, Publisher of bestseller
4. Consider the emotional benefits of remote work
The problem is not that leaders don’t believe research. It’s more that they don’t want to accept the consequences of employee preferences, even if it increases productivity. It’s what psychologists call the ostrich effect. Leaders must accept that a short-term solution is now part of a long-term structure. To reduce pushback and perceived risk, companies should promote benefits in an emotional rather than logical appeal. – Nula Walsh, Mind Equity
5. Implement tools to better monitor productivity
Remote work is the future of the workplace, and when executives don’t see it increasing productivity, it’s often because they don’t implement tools and policies that help employees demonstrate productivity. By implementing task management software and holding frequent meetings on Zoom or Slack, leaders can be updated on their employees’ productivity in real time! – Alex Michael, Scalers
6. Strive to achieve goals instead of running out of time
Let there be clear goals at the individual, team and company level. At the end of a period of time, do a quick check or audit to see if these goals are being met. This is a more effective measure of productivity than the number of hours spent at the desk. – Abhinav Girdhar, Appy Pie LLC
7. Increase feedback between leaders and employees
As a fully external organization, we have revived corporate culture and improved feedback and communication between executives and employees. Open communication has been incredibly effective in recognizing employee efforts and success while ensuring that both personal and organizational goals are met during the transition to a remote workforce. – Brian Fugere, symplr
8. Use technology to support employees outside the office
I believe leaders who are skeptical have not developed processes to ensure productivity continues when their employees are away from the office. We started using the available software to make sure our employees feel connected and supported. This has led to great communication that is really no different than if they were in our physical office. Use technology to your advantage! – Chris clear, Clear Storage Group, LLC
9. Find employees suitable for remote work
Remote work is great in many ways, but some workers just aren’t made for it. I believe it’s not so much about closing the gap in understanding between employees who aren’t necessarily self-starters and leaders, but more about making sure your hiring process is strong enough to pick out candidates who might not be a good fit in an external environment. working environment. Target veterans working remotely, not beginners. – Tevin Jackson, Stellar service group
10. Set clear goals for your team
Is the team producing? Is the team satisfied? Ultimately, the results speak for themselves. Therefore, set clear goals for your team. This way you can really evaluate them as they work remotely. Studies will also show that happy employees are also more motivated to work so it is in your best interest to make sure they are motivated and happy in their role. Asking these two questions is effective. – Tim Yelcaninov, Real finances
11. Trust employees to do their job
We are entering a new era of business collaboration and productivity. Leading organizations know that employees need to be trusted with their time and resources. Studies can also sometimes point to opportunities for improvement. Remote work is for the long haul because it is built on the undeniable strengths of team agility, organizational agility, employee empowerment and trust. – Bruno Grapois, Agency Mania Solutions
12. Have a clear company vision
The biggest factor widening the gap between leaders and employees is their different meaning of the word “productivity” itself. For many employees, productivity is just the value exchange of time for money, while leaders see it as progress toward the organization’s goals. A clear vision shared between leaders and employees will bridge the gap by aligning everyone’s goal. – Matthew Davis, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc.
13. Start with a test model
When leaders are in doubt, I often say: start with a pilot and measure the results. Ultimately, they will notice that not only productivity has been maintained or increased, but also employee engagement. Many companies have been completely remote for years and you can clearly see how this has benefited their culture, recruitment and retention. – Jeffrey Roche, Core education PBC
14. Use Statistics
Everyone should have a function, and that function will produce certain results. That result can be measured and must ultimately be aligned with the company’s key strategies. Sometimes a group of people need to be close together to work together, and sometimes working remotely offers space and time to focus. However, if the statistics improve, then you are doing something right. – Jean Paul De Silva Clauwaert, Web content development
15. Have a balance
There must be a balance. Make sure leaders and employees understand that some days they can be more productive remotely, but don’t lose sight of the importance of creativity and collaboration in the office. Managers working with their direct reports must recognize that balance is essential. – Adam Povlitz, Anago cleaning systems
