The outbreak of coronavirus has forced many businesses to adjust their operating model. Medical workers are essential during the pandemic. However, the non-essential staff is advised to work remotely to limit overcrowding in medical offices. Achieving this requires managers and staff to adjust their workflow and rethink ways of conducting business operations.
Advanced preparation is now the norm for businesses to continue operating normally amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Concessions are ideal to match health and safety demands by working remotely. Managers have a huge task of motivating their team that has a lot to handle in their homes.
Strategies to keep your team motivated while working remotely.
Create a new routine
Regular mornings in the office usually begin with a meeting. This means your team is used to communicating across the open floor plan office. Regardless of your office norm, a new routine is essential for employees working from home. Video conferencing is a great idea when looking forward to holding meetings with your team. This allows keeping everyone looped in the big picture.
To keep all employees on the same page, weekly calls are a great idea. This ensures that no employee is slipping through the cracks. Creating a new routine is only limited by your imagination. However, it is key to implement your new routine with fidelity. For your team to transition easily to the routine, set a regular and predictable mode of communication.
Minimize interruptions
Working remotely is prone to interruptions from kids and spouses. To keep working during these uncertain times, minimizing interruptions is very important at each opportunity. Home-schooling and childcare are inevitable but you can limit interruption from frequent calls. So, getting a physician answering service is a smart idea. This gives your team the freedom to focus on other important tasks on their to-do lists without getting interrupted by calls.
Offer multiple communication options
Everyone prefers a particular method of communication. To be sure that you are in touch with everyone on your team, offer various communication options including:
- Phone calls
- Video chats
- Emails
- Social media
This is very important with limited face-to-face interaction. You have to work with your team to understand their preference. Phone calls allow making direct reports with transcribing recorded messages into word. Giving everyone a chance to use their choice of communication encourages productivity.
Adjust to changes
In these strange times, life is uncertain while the future is not clear. We have never witnessed this before. So, don’s think business is to operate as usual. You have to acknowledge any strangeness that might come with working through the COVID-19 pandemic. Most people are anxious and stressed. This has a significant impact on their morale and emotions. The best way to keep your team motivated is by talking to them about any concerns. You can do this by initiating frank and honest conversations regarding their overall wellbeing and mental health.
This kind of conversation is not common in a regular work environment but working amidst a pandemic is a new experience. Group therapy sessions are hard at the moment but your team needs you for guidance. Be honest about business expectations to make everyone realize their roles. Employees look to their managers for inspiration and motivation to keep going. Helping your team handle emotions will significantly pay off with a boost in productivity.
Encourage remote team building activities
Another way to keep your team motivated is by encouraging remote team building activities. It is not possible to perform trust falls today but there are various activities you can consider. Keeping virtual employees happy does wonder during these dark moments. The lockdown is making everyone crave social interaction. Remote building activities offer a chance to spend time away from work, TV, and home-schooling.
Defined work/life balance
Work-life balance is emphasized in the workplace but the lines separating the two are blurred. During the lockdown, people working from home have to roll out of their beds to log in and check their remote tasks for the door. Perhaps they might have to attend a long-distance meeting before dinner. Working remotely today allows businesses to go on but work and home expectations might clash.
It is very important to give your team space and respect. This requires establishing clear expectations and boundaries. A great start is requiring your team to log in at a particular time. Equally important is to avoid asking your team to respond to emails at any time. Understanding your business goals and allowing for creating policies gives your team free time.
Wrapping up
Amid these trying times, working remotely is keeping businesses going. Medical offices are keeping only essential staff in the office and others are working from home. However, these are prone to various disruptions that might compromise productivity. Enlisting the services of a professional answering service protects your team from getting interrupted by phone calls. It also gives them time to focus on their tasks while ensuring that all calls are attended to.
