For remote work to "work", you need to be intentional
Chris Coladonato, CPTD
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Last night, I read this article on the SHRM website: Why Are Companies Ending Remote Work and have to say it saddens me when I hear about companies ending remote work. I understand that it's not for every everyone, but I feel that many organizations do away with remote work without giving it the chance it deserves.
The article made some really great points that I wanted to share:
- Managers and employees are often not given the tools or opportunity to build their skills to work and lead effectively from a distance.
- Collaborating at a distance can be more difficult than in person at one location. It can put a strain on the team relationship.
- Employee engagement and higher morale isn't guaranteed just by offering remote work.
What can organizations do?
This doesn't that an organization can't or shouldn't have remote employees. Here are a few things to consider in relation to the above points from the article:
Skill Building:
You shouldn't expect your employees or managers to know how to work or lead effectively from a distance. It's different than leading in person. There are some nuances in distanced relationships that don't come naturally to everyone. It's a skill that needs to be built. Organizations owe it to their managers and employees to help them build these skills instead of deciding to just do away with remote work.
Collaboration:
There are a lot of tools out there that can help people collaborate from a distance. You just have to find the ones that work best for you, your team and your organization. And that may mean a few different tools. What it also means is that you have to keep checking in with each other about what's working and what isn't. If the tool isn't working, try another one. Collaborating at a distance takes more effort on both parties, but it can be done well when everyone uses the technology they agreed on and fully engage and participate in the distanced collaboration process.
Engagement:
If an organization offers remote work but doesn't engage with the remote employees, their morale and engagement will suffer. Just like any other employee, remote workers want to participate in organizational and team events, be in the know about what's happening in their team and the organization, improve their skills and continually develop and know that the work they do matters. However, there are many ways that organizations forget about remote employees which can lead to disengagement. Here are a few examples:
- Organizations only engage with on-site employees. I know that remote employees can't always (or ever) come to the fun location events or participate in on-site volunteer events; however, you can ensure they have their own way of participating whether that is virtually or in their own area. What about virtual coffee chats? Or bringing together a group of remote employees to volunteer in their own area during the same time the on-site employees are volunteering.
- Organizations don't put the systems in place to ensure their remote workforce continues to stay in touch and understand what's happening in the organization. This is more than having a static company intranet. Do you have an enterprise social network or even a online community tool which allows people to connect and converse? How about posting regular video updates (even if it is just to the intranet) so people can see their leadership? What online meeting tools do you have and do they include a video option? If they do, do your employees have webcams (either integrated or plug-in)?
- Managers don't partner with remote employees on growth opportunities and ensure they provide on-going feedback. Remote employees often feel like they are out of sight, out of mind. And sometimes that is true. However, it doesn't need to be. Regular one-on-ones and development conversations should be the norm regardless of where the employee is located. Their development opportunities may look different than the on-site employees; but they can still grow and develop their skills.
Final thoughts:
Organizations need to be intentional about how they go about remote work. They can't just put a policy in place and expect it to work. There is more to it than that. Without the right tools, systems and skill building, remote work won't work.
You need to build the skills of your employees AND put the systems in place for remote work to be successful within an organization. It doesn't just happen.
??We unfurl the improvements within organisations through strategic learning design and targeted capability uplift ??Co-founder ??GAICD
5 年Great article! A couple other things I’ve experienced are/ -Shifting the focus of work to be on output or value rather than time. - ensuring the culture sees remote work as work. I’ve seen so many times when people work from home suddenly they are “working” from home not taking the day off. -establishing boundaries- what is and isn’t permissable from home (e.g. fixed or flexible hours) and collaboration mechanisms like daily stand ups, etc.
Learning & Development Leader | Passionate About Empowering Sales Teams | ERG Servant Leader | #BandMom | #ATDAustin | #FootballMom
5 年Not only can it work but it increases employees work life balance, promotes autonomy and goal setting to meet timelines and be more efficient in your day and allows people to work within their pace. I find some days I accomplish more from home than at my office desk. Accountability can be built into any environment.
Senior Consultant | Industrial and Organizational Psychology | Organization Development | Team Dynamics
5 年Great piece that you’ve written, Chris Coladonato, CPLP! Way too many people managers don’t leverage work from home properly. Like any tool, it must be used strategically. There still needs to be expectations and understanding about how the team will communicate using xyz platform(s). Simply being remote will not boost employee engagement or create a better team. The key lies in the ability of the manager or leader to create an effective team, let’s not blame the remote environment... sadly, I’ve seen how even people who are in the office can be poor communicators and inefficient.