Tips for Working as a Remote Team in a Small Business

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• Remote Team, Remote Work, Small Business

When employees hear the phrase “working remotely” they immediately leap to its perceived benefits—setting your own schedule, lounging at home, and attending conference calls in your pajamas. But working remotely presents new challenges for both employees and their managers. Urgenci itself recently shifted to remote working for an extended period, and with that in mind, we thought we’d share some of our top strategies for succeeding in the virtual workplace.

Tips for Remote Employees

The main goal for remote employees is to establish workflows that provide structure, support creativity, and maintain flexibility from day to day.

• Establish a routine: Employees need to a follow a morning routine just as they would in an office job. Shower, brush those teeth, get dressed, and eat breakfast. This helps remote employees mentally prepare for the work day and signals that it’s time to get busy.
• Stay flexible: One of the best things about remote positions is their flexibility. Employees can make time during the day to hit the gym, pick up kids, or take breaks as needed. Establishing a regular work routine is important, but flexible scheduling can be leveraged to maximize productivity throughout the day.
• Get outside: Working in the same house or apartment day after day can become monotonous and creatively draining. Consider getting a change of scenery and working from coffee shops, libraries, or anywhere else that gets those creative juices flowing.

Tips for Managers

The responsibilities of those managing remote employees include maintaining the structure of virtual project management and enabling communication among parties.

• Maintain structure: Without a physical location, it’s important for managers to maintain the structure of day to day process. Have standing times set aside each day for company meetings or one-on-one discussions, and make sure that all employees have their responsibilities clearly laid out ahead of time.
• Use technology: Tech is a must for managing remote employees. Consider using project management tools such as Slack, Basecamp, Trello, and Skype in addition to standard emails and phone calls.

Tips for CEO/C-Suite

C-Suite executives must work from the top down to establish organizational goals and maintain the overall company culture.

• Push the culture: CEOs and C-Suite executives in remote enterprises are tasked with maintaining company culture, which, for remote working, means finding ways to reach out to employees and foster positivity wherever you can. Happy hours, early Fridays, bonuses, and finding time in the day for casual chitchat can go a long way towards helping employees stay happy and motivated.
• Consider a virtual office: Consider finding a virtual office space to use for monthly or bi-monthly meetings. Remote communication is simple these days, but nothing can replace face-to-face interactions in a business setting.

Remote Productivity

Team communication in remote work settings relies on the coordinated efforts of employees, managers, and top level decision-makers. Use technology as needed to enable dialogue and handle projects in the same way they’re handled in-office. And if all else fails, feel free to reach out to a consulting company with experience in remote workplace optimization (such as Urgenci) to help you get things done.

Urgenci

https://urgenci.com