Success at work has become much harder to define. Now that many of us are working from home due to the global pandemic, the playing field is level. We can track sales metrics, or the number of tasks a worker completes in a week, but intangibles (like being a team player, encouraging others, thinking of new strategies, or going the extra mile) can be easily overlooked. . People who work in a company are not close. They all perform different tasks with different levels of complexity. And while we can see and hear our best video chat with everyone on screen, it's hard to tell what someone is doing off screen. That's why every business needs to start rethinking how they measure the success of a remote team. It's a different world. The loudest kid in the break room talking about his incredible success as a salesperson can no longer outshine the calm and responsible accountant. At the same time, this responsible worker who keeps checking off tasks may seem incredibly successful, but could be good at completing team projects. The challenge is to think about remote worker success in a new way, and to follow some simple principles to encourage and measure that success in this radically new environment. For your remote team to succeed, you will need to make big changes.
First strategy: over-communicate with your team
Good communication leads to more success. The problem is that in this new world of remote work and home lockdown due to the pandemic, workers will be isolated and alone. They will not be able to go to another department and discuss projects. Although some companies plan to broadcast live video chat all day, most are not exactly a good working condition. Most employees will probably only attend Zoom or Skype meetings a few times a day, and won't like the intrusion otherwise. That's why one of the keys to success with distant teams is to communicate too much. Texting more, posting to Slack or other collaborative messaging apps, sharing more documents with each other can help. Interestingly, from a leadership perspective, over-communication has always been a good practice to help teams get their projects done, know what is expected of them at work, and understand the basic goals of the workplace. Now it is even more important. By over-communicating, you make sure everyone knows what to do at work and what the business goals are. You could argue that a simple video chat call is only 10-15% of the value of an in-person conversation. You can't read body language as much or see what might be causing distractions. This means that even more effort is needed to consult with employees, for departments to hold regular meetings, and to share even more documentation and planning with each other than ever before.
Second strategy: follow more than tasks
It is very easy to follow the checkboxes in a remote work environment. To measure success, it helps to use an app like Asana to see what people are doing, but that's only part of the picture. Companies that only track tasks can be fooled into thinking they are succeeding with remote workers when in reality what they see is that some employees are actually very good at demonstrating what they can finish in a day. It's not enough anymore. Businesses need to track everything in a remote environment. This could include who has offered innovative solutions, who has made the most customer calls, if there is an increase in website traffic. There are other intangible assets such as the one that generates the greatest motivation and encouragement, if employees set the example and if customers feel committed to their products. There's a reason a business dashboard is useful for tracking certain parts of a business like finances or website traffic, but it falls short when it comes to employee morale, innovative thinking, and teamwork. Interestingly, this is where technology can also help. There are corporate dashboards that just track website traffic or tasks and finances, but survey tools like SurveyMonkey or even Google Forms can help you gauge morale and engagement. employees Other apps like TinyPulse help you track employee sentiment – they're much more important these days.
Third strategy: focus on wellness
As already mentioned, success is not limited to checking the boxes. It's all too easy to measure employee engagement this way when everyone is far away. However, success is more than what the worker accomplishes during the day. There are many other factors, including commitment, sentiment, teamwork, and general morale. Success is now harder to define, as focusing only on what employees produce won't give you a clear enough picture. Instead, it is better to focus on general well-being and well-being. For example, any business that changes its thinking to promote employee well-being will find that the entire business improves, not only financially but also in terms of the ideal workplace and the opinions of its employees. customers Teamwork is also enhanced because employees who feel safe, healthy, and aware of their coworkers tend to work harder and smarter. Here is the most important reminder of all. Success is not a number. The pandemic reminded us of one thing: we cannot measure success on a spreadsheet. Mindfulness and a healthy approach to life, reminding employees of a good work-life balance, and focusing on personal relationships is a much better way to succeed. There's a well-worn cliché about success: A rising tide lifts all boats. Companies tend to use this expression when it comes to financial health or product sales. However, it also comes into play in a remote work environment: a healthy, balanced work approach creates a healthier, more dynamic business, and one that often leads to long-term, sustainable success.