Striking a Balance Between Autonomy and Structure for Remote Employees

A remote worker's struggle is well documented. Unfortunately, even the best managers struggle to strike a balance between autonomy and structure when managing their remote team. To manage a remote team effectively, managers must strive to achieve a balance between enabling and limiting autonomy. The foundation of any successful remote team starts with clear expectations, regular feedback, and setting goals.

The new Jabra Hybrid Ways of Working 2022 Global Report found that increased autonomy contributes positively to an employee’s work experience, boosting factors such as motivation, productivity, trust, and mental well-being.

One of the primary concerns that leaders have voiced is the lack of ability to make crucial decisions about the future space and technology requirements of the organization if they are unaware of where or when employees will be working.

In our “remote work” culture, employees are happier and more engaged, employers save money, and productivity and output increase. However, a dynamic work environment presents unique challenges for managers and leaders, most notably how to strike the right balance between autonomy and structure. Employers must pay close attention to the balance between autonomy and structure to ensure remote employees feel engaged, empowered, and satisfied with their work. The balance is different for every employee, and managers must determine this balance based on each employee’s goals, skills, and work preferences.

In this article, I will be discussing:

1. Management Structure for Remote Employees
2. Autonomy for Remote Employees
3. Keeping Things Consistent
4. Collaboration and Communication Tools
5. Flexibility

Management Structure for Remote Employees

We're creatures of habit. We seek balance and structure in much of what we do, especially between work and life. This predictability offers us more certainty and allows us to get the most out of our lives. Just because employees can choose where and when they work doesn't mean they'll override these inherent human tendencies. They'll still try to create structures and habits in the day-to-day that allow them to optimize their time.

Here is what the Harvard Business Review conducted research and found out:

In our research, 69% of high-autonomy employees said that if they didn’t have a permanent, regular desk or office at work, they’d still try to sit and work in the same spot every day anyway. This number is the same for low-autonomy employees and only 2% lower for those with limited freedom to choose where they work. Predictability triumphs regardless of the amount of autonomy you’re able to exercise at work. Similarly, knowing what your workday will look like can be a great motivator for coming into the office, and employees will be more likely to do so if they know what to expect.

We found that as the amount of time a given employee spends in meetings goes up, so too does their preference for their home workspace over their in-office workspace. With 80% of all meetings now fully virtual or hybrid, in-office meeting spaces aren’t being utilized to the extent that they were prior to the pandemic. And with the work-from-home shift of the pandemic, 42% of employees have reconfigured their home workspaces for a virtual working world (a number that rises to 68% for those spending more than half their time in meetings). As such, many are better equipped for today’s virtual workstyles at home. The reliability and predictability of their home collaboration experience offer more certainty about the trajectory of their day than the prospect of coming into an office that isn’t optimized for a virtual style of work.

Autonomy for Remote Employees

The remote working model has been gaining in popularity as companies look to cut down on office costs, increase productivity and improve flexibility for their staff. Although it’s an ideal scenario for both employer and employee, bringing work home isn’t always easy. Managing when and how to work, staying focused, and keeping distractions at bay can be a challenge. Remote workers often speak of the loneliness of working from home and the need for structure. Providing the freedom to work remotely is a big investment for your company, and you need to ensure you are getting a return on that investment.

Keeping Things Consistent

Let your business grow and thrive by keeping everything consistent, whether you are in the office or on the ground.

When an employee is working from home, it can be challenging to keep the business running in a consistent manner. Below are some other things you can do to keep your employees consistent while working at home.

1. Set rules and expectations
2. Provide clear instructions
3. Provide them access to tools and resources
4. Give them a set work schedule
5. Encourage them to set deadlines
6. Give them feedback

Collaboration and Communication Tools

A few years ago, work-from-home jobs were mostly thought of as being low-paying customer service gigs. But with the tides changing, more and more people are seeing it as a viable full-time career. Technology has made it possible to get the same work done from anywhere in the world.

Many people are still trying to catch up with the changing technology. Businesses are struggling to keep up with the needs of their employees, and to find the talent they need from around the world.

The amazing tools mentioned below are used by us at my company, tidma, and we couldn't be happier with the results!

1. Slack
2. ClickUp
3. Google Workspace

Flexibility

With the rise of technology, the way we work has also changed. Employees nowadays can work from anywhere as long as they have the needed technology to do so. They can work from home, in coffee shops, or even on an airplane!

Being flexible, though, is an important part of being a successful business owner. Challenge yourself to be flexible with your employees.

Conclusion

In conclusion, companies want their remote employees to be creative, innovative, and risk-takers, but it's just as important to set structure, expectations, and rules of engagement. Without clear guidelines, remote employees won't be able to do their best work, resulting in lower productivity.