Management at the workplace has never been easy. COVID-19 pandemic has even made it more challenging. Due to social distancing restrictions, several businesses have had to go remote or balance remote working and in-office operations. Navigating these realities come with new challenges for business managers. Here are some tips for managing both remote and in-office teams.
Have periodic all-hands meetings for team members.
Regular flow of communication and ideas is a great way to ensure peak efficiency among a workforce. But how do you keep ideas and information flowing when half of your staff are home? Keeping conversations where both teams can participate conveniently can help a great deal. This might be a good time to have a giant screen in your conference room for all your Zoom business dates.
The screen and a speedy internet connection are among the essentials needed for your remote team’s meeting needs. For in-office groups, it pays to ensure the office is conducive enough. You don’t want issues with an inefficient HVAC unit while you discuss progress on your business goal. Your office’s HVAC system, to a large extent, determines its comfortability.
An inefficient HVAC system might result from many issues—a dirty air filter clogged with debris or mold, to name but a few. And there are many ways to identify an inefficient HVAC system, including a sudden spike in your energy bill. Note that it’s better to enlist a professional HVAC technician for HVAC faults instead of going DIY.
Familiarize and sensitize both teams on the new realities.
The global pandemic altered the way businesses operate. In the pandemic’s early stages, many workers anticipated the business world to bounce back unscathed. But it’s safe to say there’s no turning back to how things were in the past if we consider current trends. Many businesses have already begun charting new ways of ensuring agility in operations.
Agility means individuals may have to consider soft skills in complementing downgraded salaries. Businesses may also need to prioritize staff training and development for both in-office and remote teams. Now more than ever, employee training or general upskilling has become more crucial.
Keep up with workload to minimize stress.
Life during this pandemic hasn’t been what we used to know. And it’s very likely a post-pandemic world will come with its challenges. So as you go big on development programs, do well to ensure your human resources professionals monitor employee stress levels.
As a business owner, you can implore both remote and in-office team members to take periodic breaks. Unfortunately, remote workers, in particular, may be victims of overworking. Having to balance all the oddities of using the home for work can be a daunting task. Business owners may have to devise proactive measures to acknowledge the implications of remote working and mitigate its adverse effects.
Don’t measure both teams with the same scale.
Working from home is a different game compared to in-office work. In-office teams may have all the tools and resources at their disposal to ensure productivity. More so, the office environment has a lot of promise in churning out results. But for remote workers, you may never know when a neighbor decides to trim a tree or try out an inherited car that just got itself to start. So, modern business leaders may have to mind the disconnect and not treat both teams equally.
Adopt companywide collaboration tools and platforms
Companies need to be firm on the tools and resources required to facilitate business operations. Multiple team members using different tools for the same task may result in output differences or lags in workflows. The bottom line is that collaboration has taken a new turn due to COVID-19. There are now several tools and platforms available for collaboration. Being level-headed about tools and collaboration platforms can be helpful for both remote and in-office teams.
