Published 15:39 IST, March 19th 2020
Work from home tips to help you manage a team effectively while social distancing; Read
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic spread, companies have started to work from home. Here are a few work from home tips to manage your team during this time.
With the increasing number of cases of the Coronavirus pandemic, everything from people's daily lifestyles to international businesses throughout the world have been affected. It has become a necessity to stay quarantined at home and use sanitisers at regular intervals to reduce the possibility of the novel virus harming the body.
Social distancing is essential and the latest Coronavirus update is that any kind of gathering of people has been strictly restricted. The only solution for most companies in this critical situation is opting to work from home.
Plenty of people enjoy the concept of working from home because of the comfort they can get from a familiar environment while working those stressful hours of the day. But for some, it can be harder to stay home as well as focus on their work. A pile of laundry or a quick binge-watch on Netflix can be more appealing than the boss, or for some who are used to socializing, isolation may become a task for them and hamper their productivity.
These factors especially come into play when you have to manage a team of employees. What can do to prevent all these stressful situations when you are at home and working and expect your employees' full focus? Here are a few work from home tips that can help.
Communication is the key
Isolation might inevitably bring down productivity, so to amp it up, communication is key. The team can use various tools besides face-to-face communication during the pandemic outbreak. Chat apps or video conferencing are some of the simplest ways to communicate. In case a meeting is scheduled, then sharing a screen would help keep the employees remain on the same page.
Bonding is equally important. This can be achieved when people are meeting regularly. But in such circumstances, when meeting in person is not possible, ordering a pizza to be delivered at the same time as others can make the team feel like a unit.
Regular updates
Working from home or remotely is definitely not the same as working in the office. Staying in contact with the team is another essential point to ensure productivity. Get regular updates to ensure that the team is on track and no one is lagging behind their targets.
Flexible working conditions
Many issues can arise to the employees while they are working from home. They might face challenges like connectivity or technical issues that might make it difficult to achieve their daily goals. As such hardships are inevitable, this cannot be considered as an excuse to not to get the job done. However, team leaders and managers can be a little flexible and sympathetic. It is important to focus on the outcome instead of individual activities.
Updated 15:39 IST, March 19th 2020