Tips on How to Manage a Smart Working Workforce
Do you manage remote or smart working teams? Do you struggle to effectively manage their performance or engagement?
Today, we’d like to share some tips on how to bring out the best in your Smart Working workforce!
80 to 90% of workers say they would like to Smart Work. It’s easy to see why. For employees it offers reduced commuting hours and flexibility. For companies, it reduces cost and provides access to wider talent pools. Sometimes managing people from different locations, timezones and cultures can be challenging and requires strong communication.
Managers need to adapt to overcome these challenges. Using the right tools, processes and approach can make all the difference to building a strong and effective team. Have a look on our top tips:
Explore the Locations
Smart Working doesn’t mean sitting in front of the computer 40 hours a week. Think remote as well as local. The remote work can be an excellent strategy to expand your business to new markets. Stimulate your Smart Workers to attend local events, meet potential clients and partners, and also understand their local community. It’s also an essential to get their input and make them feel motivated.
Schedule Regular Meetings
Meetings are important for the workflow and to ensure everyone is on the same page. When Smart Working weekly team meetings are essential. At Abodoo we use Zoom video conferencing to communicate and we love it! Definitely as (if not more) effective than meeting in person.
Trust the Goals
Everyone has a particular style of working. That’s one of the best things about Smart Working. Employees are able to manage their own hours and preferences which enables them to work more efficiently and more productively! When managing Smart Workers, it is essential to set clear outputs and goals so that expectations are aligned and that results and performance can be clearly measured.
Connect
One of the myths about Smart Working is the idea that you don’t really connect with your team. According to Gallup poll, remote workers revealed to feel more connected than on-site workers. We totally agree! It’s a warm and friendly atmosphere whenever Abodoo team meets in person! If you happen to live nearby some of your team members, going for a casual lunch or coffee every now and then can also be a great was to stay connected!
Communicate
A productive and effective Smart Working team must have strong communication skills, channels and engagement. Understanding a team’s needs is essential. Therefore organizing guidelines of communication is key. Also, this constant interaction is really positive to workers engagement and makes them feel valued. Tools such as slack (for quick messaging and sharing links), zoom (for video calls), Trello (for project management updates), email (for longer more formal messages), google/ shared docs and drive, are all way to ensure teams can communicate regularly, can share updates and ideas and feel connected on an ongoing basis.
Be supportive and inclusive
When looking to increase engagement, managers should see their team as a community. Creating a community inspires a dynamic and healthy culture. Show empathy for every employees beliefs, ask about their lives and support their personal success.
If you would like to be part of a Smart Working team, register with Abodoo.com today!