Motivation at remote work Short guide for managers Managing a team is not an easy task, and even more so when you are dealing with a team that works remotely and you're not trained for it and what is more you're not paid for it. For some managers, it is still a complete novelty, which requires quick adaptation to new conditions, because very often the decision to switch to remote working is made overnight. Below we present a guide for managers to help them organise their work and manage their team while working remotely. It contains information in points that should be kept in mind in order to maintain high work efficiency and employee satisfaction. 1. Empathy It is important for managers to have a good understanding of the factors that can make remote working particularly challenging, as employees may have different housing circumstances and not everyone can afford a dedicated separate space for remote working. Very often the places where employees work remotely - most often private flats/homes have children and a partner or partner and neighbours behind the wall. This can cause annoying noises or lack of concentration. Work can also be disrupted by a sudden drop in internet speed or general irritability. Although supervisors are concerned that employees will not work as hard or as efficiently, understanding that we are all in a new reality should be obvious and unquestionable. 2. Respect for the employee's free time When working remotely, separating time spent on work and free time may be a major problem. The reason for this is that we often relax and work in the same place, so the boundary between work and home becomes blurred. A supervisor should not call or text their employee after their work time has ended. A well-rested, relaxed employee will perform better on tasks and will have a higher resistance to potentially stressful situations during the course of a normal day, so their free time should be respected and not disturbed. 3. Daily team meetings Establishing daily meetings with your remote workers may have multiple benefits for both parties. Such meetings might have different forms, for example one-to-one calls if employees are doing more individual work, or team calls if their work is highly collaborative. It is important that these calls take place on a regular basis and provide a forum where employees are able to consult with their manager, ask and receive answers to their questions, as well as to express their concerns or problems. One of the most interesting tools for such meetings is the Microsoft Teams platform. During a meeting, it is worth using not only audio communication, but also video transmission or screen sharing, so that the participants can feel as if they were at a normal meeting in person. 4. Integrations Take care of group integration. It is possible even when working remotely. If all employees are in one city, organise joint outings once a month - to the cinema, restaurants or joint physical activity, e.g. playing basketball or football. If it is not possible to meet in stationary, you can still use online platforms for shared games such as puns. In addition, you can organise discussion meetings on employees' favourite things or arrange thematic meetings, e.g. online cooking together. If the group feels closer to each other, they will work better together. Employees will be able to rely on themselves and not be afraid to ask others for help. Individual tasks will turn into goals of the whole group, which will translate into the will to achieve the satisfaction of the whole group. Good idea is also creating a kind of fundraiser for going out to the city. The fee could be PLN 20 per person and the amount collected would be spent on an organisational event, where it would be possible to get to know each other better between the members of the organisation. The amount would be collected for 2 months, it would be of course voluntary, and thanks to the possible systemicity of all willing members, it would allow us to organise a very interesting event every 3 months. 5. Anonymous comments box The opinion of employees regarding various content is very important for managers. Nowadays, some people are reluctant to share their insights with others - fear of being ridiculed, shy, reluctant to express themselves in a crowd, or thinking that employees' opinions do not count. When working remotely, this problem may even worsen. Create an anonymous comment box, a place where every employee can share their opinion without fear. A prepared mailbox or forms in the form of a survey with an empty comment field should not collect data about the person filling it out. The employee will then feel completely at ease with expressing their thoughts. Let it be a place where each person can send information to managers without the need to talk to four people. It can be a new idea or solution, an opinion on project leaders, or even a complaint if the employee feels uncomfortable in a certain situation. Managers can collect responses, analyse them later together and then discuss the messages also in front of the group. This inbox would help to solve problems on a regular basis and allow each employee to feel more comfortable at work. 6. Define your goals Setting goals is a very important element of work and it is important to establish according to specific rules. Of course, applying it to real life will be difficult for sure, but it is important that it is realistic to do. The SMART principle - it is a method that supports the correct definition of goals in the project, thanks which increases the chance of achieving them.The program of goals should define milestones, i.e. key steps that will set our goals on a different level, which must be achieved within a precise time frame. In practice, the goals are often too general, vague and often imprecise. Such poorly set goals lead to a lack of results. Correct setting of goals through the principle of S.M.A.R.T. can bring tangible results. The goal setting process is difficult, but it can be facilitated by asking simple questions like "How can I best help you achieve your goals?" From this answer lies the essence of setting the goals of the individual. 7. Additional benefits The case for the employee to have new goals beyond the achievements in everyday work. Propose a system of benefits such as rewards in the form of theatre tickets, discounts to shops, free access to movie platforms or winning a book. Employees will feel additional motivation to stand out from the group. In addition, it's worth praising the staff for a great job done. Each month, distinguish one person who stands out from the group - such a person may receive a small gift from managers as a reward. It will surely make employees more willing to work and also feel that they and their work are appreciated. In the case of working in a non-earning work environment, it is very important to find a motivating element. According to most employers, CV entries informing about doing such work in the past are highly appreciated and the employers look very favourably on them. Think how you can help to create a background for your employers to succeed in the future.
