![\"remote](\"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ballpen-blur-close-up-computer-461077-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRemote working has often been the subject of debate, with many employers questioning whether the remote teams can work productivity.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, the demand has never been greater, with the number of remote workers in the UK increasing by 25% between 2008 and 2018.<\/p>\n
COVID-19 has forced sceptics to implement a working arrangement that may otherwise have remained untouched.<\/p>\n
Working remotely isn\u2019t a new concept; rather, it’s a case of adapting existing practice, embracing a new way of working and leading in a dynamic, innovative manner.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In reality, the practice of leadership, management and maintaining a connection with teams remain the same as if we were working together in offices, it\u2019s merely a case of adapting these practices to the new environment.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re currently living in a VUCA environment comprising volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, more so than ever before. Within this backdrop, it\u2019s not uncommon to see unexpected behaviours, prompted by our human biases against VUCA resulting in a fight, flight, freeze response. This can impact team cohesion negatively. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a leader’s responsibility to build an environment of psychological safety for remote teams in times of crisis and help establish a positive mindset to build cohesion.<\/p>\n
Patrick Lencioni identified 5 dysfunctions of a team<\/a> and if we reframe these to positive actions to build cohesion, we can develop the right environment to continue to deliver collectively:<\/p>\n So how do we ensure that we continue to build the environment for our teams to achieve collective results whilst working remotely?<\/p>\n Some employees attribute productivity with remote working; 75% of remote teams work at home because they consider it to be less distracting, while 86% consider the arrangement as an effective reliever for stress.<\/p>\n Moreover, employers continue to reap the benefits, with companies who incorporate remote working within their set up having 25% lower employee turnover than those that don\u2019t.<\/p>\n However, while the popularity of remote working has increased, the pace in which this has been implemented means that some may find the unfamiliar setup daunting, with potential challenges threatening work yield.<\/p>\n When working remotely, it\u2019s essential to stay connected with the other members of the team.<\/p>\n Failing to maintain communication with colleagues could contribute to isolation, loneliness and have a detrimental impact on focus and motivation.<\/p>\n For the vast majority of people, the sudden introduction of a remote working culture will have been surprising; the current circumstances are unprecedented, therefore, companies aren\u2019t in a position whereby they could give workers much time to prepare.<\/p>\n Suddenly, people who are used to working in a \u2018traditional\u2019 office environment are being forced to combine their workspace with home living, whereby they\u2019re sharing their space with partners and children or working alone.<\/p>\n When a person\u2019s routine is interrupted, some members of a team will struggle with such changes.<\/p>\n Adjustments to routine can also influence a business\u2019 decision making. Companies need to assess which objectives should be prioritised and where to invest energy, asking themselves: do we focus on the short or long-term plans, or should survival instincts take precedent over business-focused, strategic objectives?<\/p>\n The current situation has made people question what the future holds, yet nobody knows when this period is going to end and what \u2018new normal\u2019 may emerge.<\/p>\n Therefore, leadership strategies must be introduced to guide your team through this uncertainty, providing psychological safety, ensuring team cohesion and heightening overall productivity.<\/p>\n To successfully lead remote teams, it\u2019s fundamental to take time to build and maintain relationships; we cannot assume that because trust has been formed within the workplace, that these relationships will continue.<\/p>\n Extra energy needs to be applied to check in on our colleagues and workers, on a professional and personal level. Asking people how they\u2019re feeling and checking well-being can provide a distraction and establish strong bonds. Virtual coffee time and personal check-ins are as important as task-focused catch-ups.<\/p>\n Leaders should act as a role model to their team and demonstrate vulnerability; setting a precedent can develop trust, inspire confidence amongst others and enhance relationships.<\/p>\n A meeting with an element of distraction can help people understand each other\u2019s working environments. For example, there may be times whereby a child interrupts a video call, but this needn\u2019t be frowned upon. Instead, this provides a shared understanding of what people\u2019s circumstances are. Taking a virtual tour of home setups can help develop empathy and understanding for each other.<\/p>\n The introduction of new systems and processes could represent a significant challenge for people used to working in large teams, in which case, the introduction of a buddy system can be useful. <\/p>\n Creating smaller working groups gives colleagues the opportunity to check-in on one another and ask questions if needed. This can easily be achieved via video chats or telephone calls.<\/p>\n Technology is helping millions collaborate effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic, with workers using programmes innovatively to accomplish goals; Zoom\u2019s daily active users has increased from 10 million to over 200 million in just 3 months.<\/p>\n Tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx have been used by leaders to provide team members with the opportunity to connect and collaborate virtually; in one instance, a leader used the platform to introduce an open-door policy for staff to discuss personal matters away from a group chat environment.<\/p>\n When using video for longer periods, it\u2019s suggested that leaders encourage their team to turn to audio where appropriate, move freely, even sit outdoors where possible, to stay energised and motivated; if people are sitting at their desks, concentrating on screens and feeling constrained, then this can hinder creativity.<\/p>\n Additionally, technological platforms such as Trello are available that can allow people to contribute and collaborate on projects in different ways. This helps reflectors and introverts within the group to communicate and ensure that these contributions are being harnessed within the group.<\/p>\n Priorities in people\u2019s lives have changed, and workers must be managed by output, rather than presenteeism.<\/p>\n Team members are having to look after children and pets, home school, shop for vulnerable people, and complete household chores, while focusing on their professional responsibilities.<\/p>\n Offering flexibility is essential and leaders may need to reconsider priorities; some tasks may take slightly longer than usual, need to be completed differently and it may be difficult to get all members of their team logged in for the usual time.<\/p>\n Coronavirus has disrupted the structure of our working lives. Nonetheless, some measures can be introduced to maintain organisation and heighten productivity. Whilst flexibility is key to success, running effective meetings remotely needs more structure, not less.<\/p>\n For example, when holding a virtual team meeting, focus on one area, whether this is a catchup, strategy meeting or social call.<\/p>\n When focusing on tasks and objectives, everyone needs to understand what the collective goal is, their role and assume responsibility for how they\u2019re expected to contribute.<\/p>\n Leaders need to introduce a structure to identify essential priorities, focusing on what has to be completed now, and what can be deferred to a later date.<\/p>\n With COVID-19 closing offices, many workers are working remotely; while this arrangement may be familiar for some, there\u2019s a degree of unfamiliarity for others. Therefore, leaders need to manage their teams, accordingly, putting measures in place whereby their team can work productively, while remaining healthy, feeling psychologically safe and creating the environment to build team cohesion; building trust, encouraging healthy conflict, securing commitment and accountability and ensuring a focus on collective results. While the popularity of remote working has increased in recent years, those forced to work at home by current circumstance may find the unfamiliar setup daunting, with potential challenges including lack of interaction, new routine and new working environment potentially threatening productivity. Leaders can introduce leadership strategies to minimise the risk of work yield decreasing, encouraging workers to maintain relationships, manage expectations of their staff and using buddy systems to alleviate stress. Moreover, leaders can also use technology to manage effectively; leaders must manage by output not presenteeism and ensure that they encourage structure amongst their team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3362,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[19,24,25],"class_list":["post-1770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-leadership","tag-remote-working","tag-teamwork"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1770"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1770\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3374,"href":"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1770\/revisions\/3374"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co-creation.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Potential Obstacles for Remote Teams<\/h2>\n
Lack of Interaction<\/h3>\n
New Working Environment<\/h3>\n
New Routine<\/h3>\n
Leadership Strategies for Remote Teams<\/h2>\n
Maintain Relationships<\/h3>\n
Manage Working Expectations<\/h3>\n
Use a Buddy System<\/h3>\n
Use Technology<\/h3>\n
Manage by Output, Not Presenteeism<\/h3>\n
Introduce Structure<\/h3>\n
<\/h4>\n
Do you need guidance on how to lead your team virtually? Contact<\/a> Co-Creation on +44 7876 024555 or email info@co-creation.group, our specialist consultants would be delighted to help.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"