How to Manage Your In-Office & Remote Employees With Visual Communication
Managing employees is never an easy task. Managing in-office AND remote employees in the new world of work is a whole different story. Managers, human resourcers, and executives — we don’t envy you.
Yet the work must go on!
Everything is changing, fast, and we are all being forced to change too. Whether someone is making moves to get back to the cubicle, or is committing to their kitchen table for a little bit longer, it’s crucial to assure all employees that you see them, and support them through this transitional time.
Managing teams today can feel extra overwhelming, but there’s no reason to add more stress to your plate. By adding visual communications to your team toolbox, managing in-office and remote employees can be super simple, streamlined, effective…and actually AWESOME.
How can you as a manager maintain balance, meet your KPIs, and manage your people? The key is to support in-office and remote employees by ensuring that they all feel included, updated, and orientated.
There are just five things to remember when it comes to managing your employees, no matter where they work from, that will support you, and the team to achieve what needs to get done — AND have fun while doing it.
1. Show employees that you care
Let’s remember, employees are humans, not machines. The world has been through quite a trauma and while it is easy to get caught up in what needs to get done, treating employees like humans should always be first on the agenda.
In fact, “Half of all employees who say that they do not feel valued at work report that they intend to look for a new job in the next year according to a survey by the American Psychological Association (APA).”
We all know how crucial it is to retain employees, not roll them over. Showing a sense of care, having a personal check in, sending a welcome back or thank you video message, can shift the world of any employee.
Not only will this give you valuable insight about the status of your employees, but it will ensure they feel seen. The same report mentions that “almost all employees (93 percent) who reported feeling valued said that they are motivated to do their best at work and 88 percent reported feeling engaged.”
Use these video templates to show your employees you care.
2. Manage expectations and goals
As a manager, take on your role with a capital M and Manage. It’s crucial teams feel ownership over their own responsibilities; however at this point in time, teams also need to know a captain is steering the ship. Teams need guidance and direction during times of unrest, so be the rock of resources for your team to turn to.
Make sure everyone is on track towards the same goals by sending a consistent weekly video update. Instead of lining up video call after video call, create a weekly framework for your employees to return to a sense of routine. Maybe Mondays and Thursdays are for video updates to bookend the week! This allows employees to better prepare, feel productive, and creates a focused timeline to set clear goals, and meet necessary deadlines.
Employees will enjoy the sense of routine, and you will enjoy creating, tracking, and updating video templates as goals get achieved. This allows for a macro-view of the company, and ensures every employee, in office or remote, stays on track with the larger vision.
Use this video template to manage your teams expectations and goals.
3. Update the latest health and safety standards
With such a rapidly shifting world, any kind of stability is helpful. While you might be tired of hearing about restriction after restriction, passing that information along to your employees is crucial, for transparency, trust, and open communication purposes.
Whether employees are travelling the roads or into their living room, it is essential to send company reminders to ensure that all employees are aware of the current environment and expectations.
During such turbulent times, leadership is key. Communicating the latest safety and security regulations through video creates the most effective way to get your message across to all.
Use these video templates to communicate your latest safety and security measures.
4. Be a magnificent project motivator
Part of being a manager means ensuring your team stays motivated. This includes crafting clear goals, projects and updates, and being there to motivate your employees to follow through. Being a manager also includes providing encouragement and incentives, enabling you and your team to check off those goals and projects, one by one.
Often meetings take place and decisions remain unmade. By taking control of the project kickoff, creating a framework can be a powerful way to kick employees into gear. Highlight important deadlines, make plans known to the masses, and get your team excited with this absolute awesomeness!
5. Celebrate the small wins
Especially during a time of teams not always being in the same place, employee recognition can be the make or break when it comes to team cohesion, creativity, and productivity. Time and time again, studies show that employees value recognition over money. Recognizing individuals is a crucial aspect of keeping workers motivated to move, engaged at work, and feeling full of purpose on the daily.
And celebrating team wins can be just as important. One study shows that 40% of employees feel isolated or disengaged at work — and this study ran before the global pandemic. Imagine how teams feel now, with a more complex need to understand, communicate, and collaborate under such emotional duress — the small wins are the big wins.
So make sure to celebrate them! At least once a week, or even twice a week, use these video templates to shout out the small wins.
By making the time to communicate with your employees, no matter where they sit, you’re making the time for team success!
Click here to see more video templates for the future of work
Zo Flamenbaum
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