Are your teams ready to work remotely?

Many people dream of finding a job that lets them work from home part-time or full-time. 

However, companies have always been reluctant about this kind of arrangement  and, in general, prefer their staff to carry out their work on site.

But why? 

Under the old work paradigm, productivity was closely tied to controlling employees. In other words, if an employee works outside the office, they will face more distractions, be less accountable and, therefore, their productivity will drop.

But 2020 brought with it a new work paradigm: remote work.

This new paradigm has caught many companies by surprise, but it need not become a  stumbling block if it is given the importance it deserves.

What is the key to success?

A Team's success lies in coordination, in learning to think as a group rather than as individuals, so as to achieve great goals together.

Often, in an on-site team, problems with listening, acceptance and communication tend to surface. 

With the team working remotely, all these problems become more pronounced and can create tension both for the members of the group and for the manager who leads them. 

A remote team will therefore require more attention and preparation from all of its members.

Patrick Lencioni, in his book “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”, helps us understand why teams fail,  and one of those reasons is the absence of trust.

Trust is the key to the success of any Team, wherever they may be.

Without trust, information is not shared, and if information is not shared, we end up with individuals working alone without a clearly defined objective.

What can a Manager do to build their Teams’ trust?

First of all, lead by example.

If the person in charge does not trust their people… they will not value their employees’ opinions, nor will they know how to delegate decision-making. 

The manager is responsible for giving meaning to each worker and to their role as an individual within a group.

If team members lack a work context, and the manager does not foster a feedback culture, work loses its meaning and this breeds demotivation.

While it is true that workers must arrive motivated from home, it is equally true that the manager must keep that motivation alive.

We cannot treat our team as if they were children who need to be constantly monitored and corrected. 

We must give them the guidance they need to develop, express themselves, take part and learn to make decisions that add value to the company.

How does remote work affect our Teams?

Human beings are mammals. And, as mammals, we are genetically wired to live in community, in closeness and contact with others.

When we work remotely, we spend many hours alone.

This can create a feeling of being disconnected from the company.

And the main problem is that companies are not giving it enough importance. They believe the situation may be temporary and, as a result, are failing to empathise with their workers.

Remote work is not a passing fad. It is here to stay for a long time, and it is not enough to hand your employees a portal, a pat on the back and expect them to work from home without any emotional follow-up.

We have to train ourselves in letting go, and we cannot do so without support. We need one another to make it more bearable..

Working from home, yes. Working in isolation, no.

Important: Foster a sense of belonging to the group

There is only one possible recipe: Communicate. Talk. Express. Only in this way will we bridge the distance.

And technology can help a great deal in this respect. 

For example, video calls let us see our colleagues and feel closer to them. Looking at someone through a screen is not the same: we will not be able to touch them, but the gestures, the eyes and the chance to observe our colleagues’ body language bring us closer to them.

The company must invest in new technologies and also in new generations that help put this new way of working into practice.