The remote working scenario is the new normal of today, and there’s no second to this motion. If we are to believe the experts, this shift to remote working is here to stay with about 25 to 30 percent of the workforce engaging in collaborative working by the end of 2021.
With Work from Home becoming the latest trendsetter, there is a very limited off chance of one being a newbie to the whole affair. However, for someone who is new to this changing trend, exploring the transition can prove to be quite overwhelming. Which collaboration tools do you need? What sort of structure will set you and your team for unmatched progress? What is the surety of being productive while working from home? These are some of the questions that are hovering the minds of all.
One of the easiest ways to gain answers to all the questions posed above is effective management and leadership skills that can help an individual to multiply productivity even while working from home. A good leader has the power within himself to empower other individuals in his team, which further leads to an increased rate of success for the organisation as a whole. For this, however, there is a certain rule or a series of steps that can help in implementing and accessing necessary leadership.
To quote the words of Kevin Eikenberry, a leading expert in remote working, “the three pillars on which effective leadership rests are specifically known as three Os. The role of the leader is meticulously spun around these three Os and to maintain a healthy paradigm amidst these pillars is the true test of a good leader and his skills. These three Os are known as Outcomes, Ourselves and Others.” These three pillars are imperative for efficient growth. For instance, one can never be a good leader if he pushes his people to achieve some improbable outcome, at the expense of either their or his piece of mind.
The very essence of a strong leadership lies in the achievement of an outcome that adds value to the company’s goal, via a systematic series of jobs done by others. Eikenberry also stated thatthe innate characteristics of a leader also pose a significant impact on the said achievement of goals as it shapes how a problem is perceived by the leader and his line of command.
Thus, the three important pillars of Outcome, Others and Ourselves are extremely crucial in remote working scenarios.
In a remote working environment, the significance of a crystal clear outcome to be achieved, along with a proper interaction series cannot be ignored. This is the root cause of building a strong base for the organisation to flourish.
Strategies revolving around these three Os, to increase efficiency and productivity while working remotely are as follows.
- Setting up work expectations:
It is easy to have an update on the progress of a project when the members of the company are operating from a central space, as workstations. However, this is not similarly easy in today’s time when everyone is working from their respective places. This is the reason behind the increasing importance of setting up transparent expectations related to a project, with each member of the team. Start with spinning around information on what work is required to be completed along with the attached deadlines and number of deliverables. Apart from this, it is also necessary to state how the work is expected to be done to fit in this transition to work from home, seamlessly. There are various task management apps available online, one of the best being Crotle that assists in setting up all the goals, expectations, departmental handling and more.
In this blog, however, we will discuss Enterprise collaboration tools (also called Project Management tools), which are a more comprehensive as compared to communication and storage services. Crotle, for example, is an Enterprise Collaboration Tool that creates a structured and efficient framework for seamless business operations. These collaboration tools streamline certain aspects of business like Project management, Team Management, Task management and more to help the organizations become more productive.
It is advisable for the managers to be omnipresent to answer all the pertinent questions of the team members. Questions such as:
● What are the requirements and procedures to adapt to the digital platforms pertaining to project management software?
● What will be the level of feedback and follow-ups?
● What will be the prescribed channel for setting up the internal discussion?
The greater clarity that you can disseminate amongst your team members on the ongoing project, regarding what is the expected outcome from everyone, along with how each of the members can achieve the result most efficiently, the better and more successful this transition towards work from home will be. - Adding on efficiency in a virtual meeting with planning:
Meetings have always been challenging for every lot since time immemorial. The challenge has upgraded itself during these times of remote working, making it an added responsibility for the managers to ensure that every meeting conducted during these times is equally productive, efficient and seamless, if not more. The role of the leaders in these meeting sessions is extremely crucial to help the members in understanding the prospects of the project along with what is necessitated. The leaders should also try to include everyone in the meeting sessions actively, encouraging their participation, thoughts and insights. One of the best ways to implement these tactics is to showcase the entire working of a project on one page, which is easy to access by the team. This will help the members to connect and share thoughts while being on the same page. This can be achieved via Crotle’s single screen Dashboard that provides a macro-view of the entire process and work status of every job going on in the organisation. - Promoting proper work-life balance:
The biggest challenge that circles the life of workers during these times of pandemic is the struggle of keeping a balance between professional and personal life since the home is transformed into a workstation. This imbalance between both creates a ripple that further leads to delayed results and sufferings at both fronts - professional and private. This is the reason behind the growing importance of setting up boundaries and timelines for each process of the project so as to assist the members in keeping a happy balance. The leaders should advise the members to carve out a specific space inside their homes that can be used strictly for work purposes. Furthermore, it is highly recommended to translate the importance of your work to your family members and make them understand that your workspace means unparalleled concentration and attention span, making no room for any kind of disturbance.
These lists of strategies are drawn so as to allow the organisations to make the most of these times in order to increase their productivity and growth in the healthiest manner possible. While each individual is working its best to make a difference, there will be challenges and issues alongside this journey of transition, and it is always advisable for the managers to maintain their calm during such time and stand by the team to increase efficiency, multifold.