Being the boss of your own small business can offer many benefits such as flexible hours, more control over your workday, and more money in your pocket. However, it can also be challenging to maintain this level of autonomy when you’re working from home or are otherwise unable to interact with coworkers on a daily basis. Flex scheduling gives employees the freedom to set their own schedules and work at their own pace, but as an employer you need to make sure that you’re still able to keep track of what each person is doing at all times.
1) Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
If you’re a remote boss, it’s important to communicate regularly with your team members. This way, you can stay up-to-date on what’s going on and ensure that everyone is on the same page. The worst thing you can do is drop off the face of the earth without any notice. One good idea is to set aside one day each week where you’ll touch base with each person individually. If anything needs attention, this will be an ideal time to tackle these issues before they become bigger problems!
2) Have Time Blocks with Deadlines
One way to approach this is to have time blocks with deadlines. This means that each day, you and your team will have specific times when you are expected to be working on specific tasks. Having this structure will help to keep everyone on track and ensure that deadlines are met. Of course, there will always be some flexibility with this, but it is important to have some sort of system in place.
Let your team know what your availability is like in advance.
Encourage your team to communicate their availability to you as well.
Respect each other’s time and schedules.
Try to be flexible when possible.
Be understanding when things come up.
Have a plan B in case things don’t go as planned.
4) Use Project Management Software
If you manage a remote team, you know that one of the challenges can be coordinating everyone’s schedules. This is where project management software can come in handy. By using a tool like Asana or Trello, you can create flexible schedules for your team and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
5) Review Tasks At The End Of Each Week
As a remote boss, one of the best ways to stay on top of your team’s progress is to review tasks at the end of each week. This helps you identify any areas where employees may be slacking off, and also allows you to give credit where it’s due. Plus, it’s a great way to keep communication open between you and your team.
What tips do you have for managing your remote team? Reach out and let us know!
Working remotely on group projects can be challenging. There are fewer opportunities to connect with the rest of your team, so it can feel like you’re going it alone — which can make it harder to stay motivated and accountable to your goals. While working remotely doesn’t have to be lonely, there are ways to get your team to engage in group projects when working remotely — like these five tips!
1) Set up a collaborative platform
Before anything else, you need to set up a platform where your team can easily collaborate on projects. This could be something as simple as setting up a Google Doc or creating a Slack channel. Once you have a platform set up, make sure everyone knows how to use it and that they have access to it. To create an even more collaborative atmosphere, break up tasks so that different people are responsible for different parts of the project. If someone has questions about their part of the project, they should speak with the person who is assigned to their task instead of contacting someone who might not be working on their task at all. You may also want to designate some time for weekly meetings so people can discuss what’s been done since the last meeting and provide feedback if necessary.
Brainstorming is a key part of any project, but it can be difficult to do when team members are working remotely. One way to make it easier is to create a shared document where everyone can contribute ideas. This could be a Google Doc, an online whiteboard, or even just a shared email thread. The point is that people can work on their own and then share what they’ve come up with with the rest of the group in a place where ideas are easy to reference.
4) Encourage honest feedback
One way to get your team to engage in group projects is by encouraging honest feedback. This way, team members will feel comfortable communicating with each other and won’t be afraid to voice their opinions. Furthermore, honest feedback will help the team identify areas that need improvement. For example, if someone on the team notices a teammate struggling with deadlines or something else related to work, they can offer assistance without feeling like they’re going out of their way.
Once people are more confident in giving criticism, it will become easier for them to open up about things that are bothering them without being worried about seeming unhelpful or negative. After all, these things should be addressed so as not to have an impact on productivity!
5) Make it personal
Get to know your team on a personal level. What are their hobbies? What do they like to do for fun? Getting to know your team will help you find ways to encourage them to interact. Here at HireMyMom we have each of our team members fill out a fun survey so we can learn more about them; we ask them about their hobbies, favorite holidays, and even favorite foods!
What are ways you keep your remote team engaged? Contact us to let us know!
As a manager of remote employees, how often do you need to meet with your team? The answer isn’t always clear-cut and depends on the needs of your business and the success of your employees. Here are some guidelines to help you decide how often you should meet with your team and why it’s important to keep the lines of communication open.
When to Meet
There’s no right answer to how often remote employees should meet, but there are a few situations in which you should be holding virtual staff meetings such as when your company first starts hiring remote workers. Meeting regularly (at least weekly) is an excellent way to keep everyone on track with their work. Plus, when people who work together aren’t in each other’s physical presence, it can be hard to know if and when work gets done. That’s why a weekly check-in for new hires is important, but it can be every other week too.
If it’s your established remote staff that needs attention, you might only need to schedule meetings monthly or bi-monthly. While meeting less frequently can be seen as a sign of neglect, keep in mind that regular meetings aren’t always productive. In fact, having them too often can actually make people less productive. If virtual employees are meeting more than once per month and nothing is getting done, then it may be time to revisit how you’re holding them accountable for their work.
Having Effective, Not Just Frequent, Meetings
Yes, it’s tempting to invite remote workers into every meeting you have. But even though your remote employees might be able to check in at any time and ask questions, these meetings are still valuable opportunities for them to make contributions and feel connected to your team. Aim for meetings that are effective, not just frequent. For example, you can have a weekly meeting on Mondays that is strictly about workflow updates and project planning.
Don’t have a meeting to just have a meeting. Holding meetings that don’t have an outcome or purpose can be frustrating and unproductive, especially when you’re working with remote employees who aren’t in-office. Take time before each meeting to think about what you want to get out of it and jot down topics, action items, and follow-up plans so everyone knows what they need to take care of after the meeting.
So, How Often Do We Need To Touch Base?
The magical number is…it depends. That’s probably not the answer you were hoping for, but it’s the best one we can give you. We do have some guidelines we recommend in general:
Check-in often with new hires. This helps the onboarding process, ensures work is being completed, and establishes a good working relationship. We recommend a regular check-in maximum of once per week and a minimum of every other week. Find what works for you, but make sure you are 100% available to help new hires as needed.
Schedule meetings around project kick off, mid-project check-ins, and after projects are completed to review how it went. Now, we aren’t talking about every little project that comes across your desk — we’re talking about the BIG projects that require your entire team to complete.
Check-in with your regulars. There is no set rule for this. We have seen companies that hold company-wide meetings weekly. We prefer to check-in with our entire team once per month, but we meet individually more often. Find what works for you, and remember that everyone works differently so some folks need more meetings than others to feel connected and productive — but some fall on the other end of that spectrum!
The takeaway is to find what works for you and your team. Meetings with everyone can be difficult with schedules and time zones, so individual meetings are easier to arrange…which might lead to one too many meetings for individual team members. Just keep the lines of communication open and honest to find what works, and go from there!
How often does your team meet? Reach out to let us know!
The holidays are a traditional time to share thanks and appreciation, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to share some love and light with your team as 2021 turns into 2022.
But, when your team works from home–whether across town or the country–some of the traditional holiday options for thanking people are off the table. You can’t easily order lunch for a conference room party, bring in donuts, or drop off coffee.
If thinking about the logistics of thanking your team has you sitting on the sidelines, we are here to help. Over the years, we’ve watched many small business owners with remote teams share appreciation in ways that are big and small.
In this blog, we’ve rounded up our best ideas for saying thank you and appreciating your team members from afar. Some of these ideas require an investment of time, money, or both. Some are free or low-cost. All say “thank you.”
The key is to find the right mix for your team and your budget. And, since we understand that you’re busy, check out our quick-and-dirty checklist at the end for a step-by-step guide to making the process of holiday appreciation a cinch.
Find a way to show your appreciation
There are so many ways to thank your team. Consider these options, all of which can stand alone or be mixed and matched depending on the size of your team, your budget, and your relationships.
Write heartfelt notes to each team member. Appreciation doesn’t have to come with a price tag. Taking the time to write and mail and note to each team member can go a long way to making team members feel appreciated. An email can work, too. But, a physical card serves as a tangible token of your appreciation.
In your note, include specific things you appreciate about the person. Stick with sincere appreciation for particular qualities that person brings to the team. For example, saying: “I appreciate your daily dedication and knowing that you’ll cheerfully complete any task on-time and with accuracy,” is more effective than “I appreciate all the things you do for us.”
Host a virtual holiday party. Set up an hour for everyone to come together for a holiday lunch. During the party, ask people to share their holiday and end-of-year plans, reflect on the year and offer your sincere thanks for the work everyone has put in during the year. If it fits your budget, send gift cards out in advance and ask team members to order lunch to make the experience more festive.
Keep the mood light with a few easy games. Steer away from work talk as much as possible. Your holiday party is not the occasion to provide a quarterly update or launch a new idea.
Share regional tastes. Food gifts are a holiday staple for a reason–people love to receive them and share them with their families. We love the idea of sharing regional specialties with your remote teams to provide the flavor of your locale with your team. For example, if you are in Chicago, share some world-class pizza by mail. If your office is in a southern state, your team members in the north will be thrilled to get some locally-grown citrus fruit this holiday.
If regional tastes prove difficult, many companies offer treats to ship. Options range from baked goods to charcuterie platters to bacon flights. There’s something for every taste and budget.
Send a group gift. Selecting the same item for everyone on your team will make your gift-giving easy if you decide to go the route of a holiday gift. For virtual teams, we like gadgets that make it easier to work at home. For example, a wireless mouse pad or a unique coffee mug that won’t spill. If you have a large budget or want to splurge, consider a standing desk or a gift card for a new office chair.
Subscriptions work well in this space, too. You can find monthly international snack boxes, seasonal home decorating kit subscriptions, and coffee clubs. Magazine and app subscriptions are always welcome gifts. A subscription is an excellent way to let your team know that you appreciate them all year long.
Share a personal gift. If you have a small team and know each person well, a personal gift can be a great option. This approach may take a little longer but can make a lot of sense on close-knit teams.
A modest by meaningful option is to arrange to have flowers delivered to your team member. (A festive centerpiece right before a holiday is always a welcome surprise.) Likewise, a candle or piece of home or office decor makes welcome gifts that can be sent to your team member’s home.
Handbags and accessories, like winter gear and trendy jewelry, are lovely gifts if you know the recipient well.
If you have a larger budget, consider experiences you know your team members might enjoy, such as concert tickets, a spa day, or even a weekend away.
Offer a holiday bonus. A holiday bonus is a classic move. This is a tried-and-true option that employers have done for years. Cash is always appreciated. But, it can be expensive and can seem impersonal. Also, extra cash in a paycheck has a way of blending in with other money and may get lost in the holiday shuffle.
Gift cards are a nice variation on the holiday bonus. Virtually every retail and online establishment now offers a gift card, making them easy to purchase and deliver electronically. If moms comprise your team, consider a gift card for a service that they might not buy for themselves–for example, a massage or a manicure.
Surprise your team with time away from work. Give your team an extra paid vacation day to be used in the upcoming year, or offer a few unexpected days off during the holidays as a way to share appreciation. This unexpected gift of time will tell your team that you value them, appreciate their time each day, and encourage them to recharge with an extra break.
Create an action plan
This is not the year to wait until the last minute to plan for holiday activities. This is especially true if you plan to send gifts and need to rely on shipping. Supply issues and shipping delays could turn your end-of-your gifts into Valentine’s Day gifts.
Here’s your holiday appreciation playbook:
Make a list of all the people on your team. Compiling a list prevents you from inadvertently leaving anyone out of your holiday appreciation efforts. As part of this step:
Decide if you want to include part-time employees and contractors. There’s no right or wrong answer to this question and will vary based on factors like your relationships, how long you’ve worked together, and your budget.
Ensure that you have up-to-date physical addresses for people on the list.
Commit to an approach. The ideas listed in this blog are a great place to start. Consider if you want to:
Take a one-size-fits-all approach, which is popular for larger teams.
Send more personalized gifts, which can make sense and feel more intimate for smaller teams but is likely to take more significant effort.
Pursue a hybrid approach with different options for long-term employees and part-time team members or contractors.
Either can work. It’s really a matter of preference.
Establish a gifting budget. You can set an overall budget, one for each team member or both. Starting with a budget will make it easier to find the right items and prevent splurging.
Schedule time to take action. Add time to your calendar to put your plans into motion. Whether you need to shop, schedule virtual parties, or write out cards, showing your appreciation at the holidays takes time.
How do you say thank you?
We love to hear about all the ways people appreciate each other. Tell us what you do! Tell us about the best gift you’ve ever given or received.
When you lead a team, you set the tone and establish the tenor. Strong leaders know that what they say and do can change the trajectory of a team’s future. As the owner of a small business, you are the leader for that business–and chances are you have a lifetime of leadership experience to call upon and guide your interactions.
But, when you lead a virtual team, the equation changes. Your leadership must be tweaked to ensure your efforts travel over the miles to guide, inspire and lift up your employees.
At HireMyMom, people leading businesses with workers spread far and wide across the country, spanning multiple time zones, inspire us each day.
Sages have shared millions of words about the traits of effective leaders and how those traits translate to leading virtual teams. Along the way, we’ve noticed a handful of consistent traits and habits among those who do it well. Here’s a roundup of our observations.
A Long and Wide View
Vision is an essential trait of a remote leader. An effective leader looks further and broader than her team or business to see the bigger picture. This perch gives her a peek at upcoming trends–and issues–before others see them and provides the advantage of acting sooner rather than later.
In many cases, this translates to being prepared to leverage new business opportunities. Sometimes this comprehensive view helps a leader spy a weak spot on the team and act before an issue develops.
John Maxwell, author, speaker, and pastor who has written many books, primarily focusing on leadership, says that having the ability to see more than others before others allows great leaders tremendous advantages. One of the benefits of this skill is that great leaders can move into a cycle of test, fail, and improve. This cycle is a crucial component to keep businesses growing and reaching new heights of success.
When you lead a virtual team, acquiring the vision that drives the success cycle takes special care and commitment. In our experience, openness to feedback, industry engagement, and frequent team communication help open this field of vision for business owners. Attend webinars, go to conferences and keep the lines of communication wide open. Overall, aim to be approachable and broadcast that you want to hear from people and welcome all ideas.
Authenticity
Authenticity is one of the characteristics that we often see among highly effective leaders. Those who inspire others embody the qualities and habits they promote. And, more importantly, they model those qualities and practices in public and private ways.
Team members see this match in words and deeds and find inspiration. It’s easier to follow along when team members know their leader really believes in something and isn’t just paying lip service. This creates cohesive teams.
It can be challenging to show team members these qualities when leading a virtual team because of limited in-person interactions. However, in our experience, leader authenticity still shines through the phone, email, and instant messaging- it just shows in subtler ways. For example, meeting with people individually by phone or video chat, sharing your enthusiasm and honest assessment as you discuss projects, providing constructive criticism, and jumping in to help when team members struggle are ways to show authenticity.
Another way you can exhibit authenticity as a remote leader is to share positive stories and anecdotes about company culture when you talk with your team. It can be tempting to gripe, especially with a long-term team member. But, the best leaders of remote teams make a point to share their beliefs and positive messages with gusto.
Building People to Build Business
Maxwell says that great leaders intentionally add value to people through skill development, and that’s been our experience, too. Great leaders see potential in people and invest in them so they grow. At HireMyMom, we see this in action when employers call us to replace a person who has grown into a new role at the business.
Investing in skill development for your team is good for people and business. Employees who know they are valued stick around and tend to be fiercely loyal to the leaders who helped them grow.
Looking at a team member and knowing how and where to invest in development can be trickier when managing a remote team. Mark Murphy, author of “Leadership IQ,” suggests that leaders of remote teams look for ways to extend their energy to be more open to coaching and meeting with employees across time zones. He says that leaders who successfully manage remote teams are “indefatigable” when it comes to coaching team members. If you find your energy waning, he suggests building breaks and flexibility into your day, so you have more time and energy for working with team members.
Also, this is an area where vision matters. Having a wide and long view helps you find the right people and invest in cultivating the right skills.
Instead, it means that great leaders know their people and share common ground as a way to connect. In some cases, leaders and team members connect over personal matters first, sharing experiences about parenthood, hobbies, or pets. That connection quickly spills over to a shared purpose around the business.
When you lead virtual teams, take the time to connect with your people and show that you care about them and value them as people and team members. Your remote team members need as much–if not more–encouragement than those who you see regularly. There are several ways to do this. For example, discuss big projects as opportunities and help to paint the long-term vision.
Remember that remote workers aren’t surrounded by a team, and it can be difficult for them to put mistakes into perspective without the benefit of seeing in-person reactions. When things don’t go as planned, show support by acknowledging the problem and providing assurance that you have faith in the employee or the team. For example, consider saying something like, “that project did not go as planned” when a mistake happens. Then, you can provide perspective by saying: “while we are all disappointed, I know you gave it your all. I’m certain that we will learn from this and get back on track. We will work together to make it happen.”
These types of reassurances can help team members feel valued and appreciated.
Courage
All teams and businesses–no matter how well run–eventually experience challenges. And, when those challenges pop up, whether they are big or small, great leaders exhibit courage.
When thinking of leader courage, we are reminded of the old saying that no one ever drifted to their desired location. Indeed, success is a road–sometimes a long one. Travelers need the grit to traverse the trail, and those travelers need a strong leader to drive and encourage. When leaders exhibit courage in the face of adversity, team members notice.
When leading a remote team, courage comes in a lot of forms. Sometimes, it means sharing constructive feedback that might be sensitive. In other cases, it means changing business directions or revamping teams. But, when leaders display courage, teams can solve problems, come together and thrive in the future.
Challenge yourself to be brave by practicing in everyday situations, like sharing constructive feedback or trying new ideas. This experience can prove valuable when things go sideways, and you need to dig deep to find all the courage.
Please Share
The small business owners and entrepreneurs we see leading teams each day inspire us. And, we never get tired of hearing your stories. Tell us what leadership qualities make you an effective leader. Your observations and tips for growing leadership skills help us learn more and share what we see with others.
As a savvy small business owner, you are always looking for new ways to gain a business advantage. One option you may be considering is moving to a fully remote workforce. For many businesses–large and small–this move makes a lot of sense.
As the labor market tightens, a fully remote workforce can make it easier for you to source high-quality candidates from across the country. Also, offering remote work leads to greater flexibility, which can mean greater productivity and increased retention. Finally, if your entire team is offsite, you can save money by cutting back on or eliminating office space.
Whether you dipped a toe into the remote office waters during the COVID-related closures or if it’s new to you, a few key strategies can make it easier for your business to thrive. Here are our top tips from the team at HireMyMom.
Build the Right Team
Many people–especially moms–love working from home. The right people make it easier for your to build a remote team that works.
Before moving to a remote work model, talk with your current employees and explain your plans. Outline the vision you have and give people a chance to share their thoughts.
If the prospect of a nationwide search daunts you, consider our concierge service to help reduce the amount of leg work you need to do. We created HireMyMom’s Concierge service for busy entrepreneurs and small business owners, like you, who need to hire help but don’t have the time or desire to go through the time-consuming process.
With our full-service Concierge service, our HR Specialists will do it all for you from start to finish and present you with the top candidate(s).
Let Communication Flow
Effective communication can be a challenge when your team moves from on-site to remote. The challenge is on two fronts–keep track of the work and maintain the critical relationships that connect staff members to you and each other and make it easier to work through issues, solve problems and innovate.
When you are accustomed to leaning over for a quick, impromptu chat, it can feel unnatural when you can’t do that. And, if you use email for all your conversations and requests, reading and responding to email can quickly take over your workday.
As teams move offsite, it’s easy for you and your team members to feel isolated from each other and miss the cues and camaraderie that comes with being together in the office. Trust is an essential element for remote teams, and relationships build trust.
Luckily, there are many ways to keep the lines of communication open and nourish the relationships among co-workers. Here are options we’ve seen work well to keep teams connected, talking, and growing:
Host stand-up calls where everyone joins to share updates. Timing can vary, with most happening either daily or Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Weekly can work, too.
Start these calls with some small talk to help grow personal relationships that ease overall interactions. When people know each other personally (even just a little), those connections make it easier to establish and maintain working relationships.
These calls are also a great time to share feedback about the work process and highlight great work that an employee or team member is doing. It’s also fun to celebrate birthdays, talk about weekend plans, and briefly swap stories or pictures. For example, ask people to share pet pictures or back-to-school snaps. Closing the meeting with talk of schedules and near-term objectives is a great way to get everyone on the same page.
Pick up the phone and call your team. Sometimes, a live, one-on-one chat is precisely what you need. Talking by phone provides an opportunity to check in, connect on a relationship level, and work through options. Depending on the size of your team, you may want to schedule regular one-on-one calls or have impromptu conversations as needed.
As a leader, aim to make phone chats familiar enough that team members are comfortable talking with you and sharing in an open environment but not so common that people feel micromanaged.
Communication is also key to keeping track of the workflow. Here are some communication tools that we’ve seen help make workflow and tracking more productive.
Use an online project management tool like Trello or Asana to track work and communicate with your team. These programs help all team members stay up-to-date with the workflow across the team and provide an online forum for questions, comments, and updates. These tools offer each team member a broader context and make it easier to know where things stand.
Add instant messaging to your suite of work tools. It’s a great way to replicate the instant communication you may miss in the office. Also, sending short requests via chat helps to cut down on email.
Set up a text group that makes it easy for people to share with co-workers and exchange information back and forth, even when away from their desks.
Establish Boundaries and Let it Go
One of the most challenging elements of switching to a remote team is learning to be more hands-off as a leader and a manager. A lot of the battle is mental–changing your expectations for control over the work. Here are four concrete steps to make that switch easier:
Establish boundaries that increase your comfort level and share those boundaries with your team. For example, if it’s important to you that everyone maintains certain core hours, share that expectation and collaborate to find the core hours that make the most sense. Likewise, if you prefer to keep specific hours open, let your team know how and when to reach you best. Understanding expectations makes it easier for team members to manage their days avoid mixed signals that can lead to issues.
Set expectations and share them. For example, consider how to approach time zone differences. Using the context of deadlines is an excellent way to consider this issue. Is a 5 p.m. deadline in New York a 2 p.m. deadline in California? Or, does the end of the day mean, end of that person’s day or before you log in the next day? Addressing these types of expectations upfront makes workflow more manageable.
Adjust as needed. Remote work arrangements throw up gray areas. A process that works well now may not work as well next summer. Be open to making adjustments as needed. Tell your team that you expect things will change and that you are open to their feedback about tweaking the system.
Let it go. The final (and possibly most difficult) step is to exhale and let the magic happen. You have a great business, a fantastic team, and all the building blocks for success in place. Time to relax and see what happens.
Share your Experience
Tell us about your experience building and maintaining remote teams that work. What steps did you find most valuable? What would you do differently?
A stellar team can help move your business in the right direction. As a small business owner, you know that finding and keeping the right staff is critical for daily and long-term success.
But, how do you hold on to your people when America is amid a “great resignation” that affects small and large businesses?
As the pandemic wanes and people start to evaluate their lives and careers against a new backdrop, you want to ensure that your employees decide to stay with you. Understanding why people leave jobs and knowing a few key retention strategies can help keep your best employees on board, even when the job market is sizzling hot.
Understand Why People Leave Jobs
People leave jobs for as many different reasons as there are jobs. As an employer, some of the transitions are expected and outside of your control. For example, an employee who finishes a degree may decide to move on to a job in her field of study. Sometimes people have new family obligations–or family commitments change–and they choose to scale back or increase work obligations. Likewise, sometimes interests just change or curiosity drives people to try new things.
In these cases, there’s not much you can do as an employer. Generally, the best option is to thank the employee for her service and end the relationship positively. Doing so means you are poised to continue a good relationship with that person. In some cases, the employee may return to you later or suggest an equally great friend as a resource.
However, some resignations are closely linked to employer actions and policies. Many times, employers are blind to the things that frustrate employees. For example, a lack of day-to-day flexibility or a strict vacation policy might send some employees packing. Employees who feel under-appreciated or sense conflict in the ranks also may leave.
The key is to know which issues are within your sphere of influence and which are not. If the problem is one you can control, proactive planning can prevent resignations and keep your all-star staff on board.
Communicate Clearly with Your Team Members
Like so many aspects of life, communication is the key to a productive working relationship. To know what matters to your employees, keep the lines of communication open. It may feel awkward, but a simple call every few weeks to ask your team members what’s working and what’s not working can go a long way toward enhanced communication.
When you call, express that you are open to feedback and changes based on what you hear. Take input from employees in stride. When an employee is brave enough to share her thoughts and frustrations with you, respect the courage it took to speak up. If the feedback hurts or is contrary to what you expected, take a deep breath and vow to consider it.
When team members share frustrations, ask them to suggest ways to address concerns they have. An employee with a concern often has a solution in mind, which relieves you from solving the problem. If you hear the same feedback from several employees, encourage them to form a committee to address the issue and bring potential solutions to you.
In some cases, employees just want to be heard and know that you care. Making the call and asking the questions is an excellent step in that direction.
Share Feedback
One way to show your team love is to provide feedback on the regular. No need to wait for a performance review to talk about skill development. When employees see that you have taken the time to notice their work, provide feedback, and suggest new ways to grow, they know you care and feel valued.
When you see an employee struggling, encouraging feedback can make a huge difference. Likewise, when you see an employee thriving, mention that to her. Finally, if you sense an employee is bored or restless, finding a growth opportunity can help provide a challenge that keeps her engaged and highlights possibilities for future opportunities.
Recognize, Recognize, Recognize
In the workplace, recognition can fuel your team through challenging projects and encourage them to keep up the excellent work. It also serves as a reminder that you see each employee and appreciate the work they are doing.
Recognition can be as easy as a phone call or an email that says, “hey, I notice what a good job you are doing.” Another strategy is to thank people at the end of a workday or after a challenging meeting.
Recognition can also take additional forms. Having a wide range of recognition tools makes the practice easier for you. But, when you manage a team of remote workers, the traditional ways of thanking your team and showing appreciation may be more difficult. Team lunches, impromptu gatherings, or stops at the local cafe for a quick “well done” treat are tougher to pull off when your team is scattered all over the country.
Check out this blog for tips to make recognition a habit and to find no and low-cost ways to recognize your team.
Keep Pay and Benefits Current
At the end of the day, your employees are generally working to support families. So, keeping pay and benefits current is an essential factor in retaining staff. It’s easy to forget about pay adjustments when you are busy doing good work with a great team. But, if your employees have been receiving the same pay for a year or more, it’s time to do some research. Here’s how:
Ask around to find out what like-businesses are paying for similar jobs.
Inquire about benefit offerings, including vacation time and flexibility.
Compare the data you gathered to your pay structure.
Make adjustments as needed.
Communicate the changes–and the thinking behind them–to your team.
Be open about pay and benefits as you talk to your team members. Explain the research you did and the cost pressures you are facing in discussing pay. If you can’t increase pay or change benefits, be open with your team about that and explore whether other forms of compensation might be mutually acceptable.
Be Flexible and Offer Flexibility
As the pandemic winds down, people (especially moms!) may need new and different types of schedules. Be open to looking at and discussing new options. Offering a little additional flexibility in the short term could help you retain a valuable staff member for years to come.
How Do You Retain Staff?
I’d love to hear your tricks for keeping staff on board. Drop me a line and share your best tips.
People are like flowers. They bloom when they get attention. In the workplace, recognition often serves as the sun that helps feed your team and encourages them to keep up the excellent work. But, when you manage a team of remote workers, the traditional ways of thanking your team and showing appreciation may be more difficult. Team lunches, impromptu donut days, or stops at the coffee shop for a quick “well done” cup of joe are tougher to pull off when your team is scattered all over the country.
So, what to do instead? Here are our tips for making appreciation part of your business’s culture and a list of suggestions to help you find the right tokens of your appreciation to share with your team.
Learn the Love Language of Your Employees
The first step is to do a little homework and find out what types of appreciation your employees find meaningful and what things don’t resonate–or worse, backfire. For example, some people love to hear their praises sung publicly. But, one person’s moment of glory can be a cringe-inducing experience for someone else.
To find your team’s temperature, start by asking team members how they feel about recognition options as part of a regular conversation. Asking these questions may feel a little strange at first, but can be quite natural with practice. As you have meetings with each team member, casually ask about specific recognition preferences and file each person’s thoughts away for use later.
Ask about specific options. For example, a team shout out, an afternoon off with pay, a spa gift card, a new chair–throw in whatever you are considering as part of your recognition plans to get a good sense. Also, ask each employee for ideas.
If that feels uncomfortable, another option is to send out a team survey asking each person to rank specific recognition options in terms of preference to get a pulse of what your team members genuinely appreciate. Include a write-in box so team members can contribute ideas, too. (If you take this route, consider sharing the survey results with your team so that everyone knows what matters to each other and recognition can become a team sport.)
As you are in the information-gathering stage, observe the way your employees recognize others. Do they start calls with a round of thank you’s? Are you often copied on notes where one team member praises another? These are clues about your current recognition culture. You may find that you want to build on it or head in another direction.
Finally, consider what makes the most sense for you.
What’s your comfort level with recognition? Does it come naturally, or is it a muscle you need to build?
What does your budget allow? If you don’t have a specific recognition budget, don’t worry. There are several ways to acknowledge good work and effort without spending money, and they are all appreciated. (See our ideas for recognizing your team below.)
Answering these questions will help you frame your thinking around recognition options for your team. Make a list of the ways you want to acknowledge others.
Make Recognition a Practice
Now that you’ve done the research to determine what matters to you and your team and considered how you’d like to see a recognition culture grow for your business, it’s time to make a plan. Pick a few ideas from the list below and commit to sharing recognition at specific intervals. The right amount of recognition will vary based on your personality and team size. Find the right cadence and add the practice to your calendar. Don’t worry if it feels forced at first. It will get easier.
Ideas for Recognizing Your Team
First, let’s look at low and no-cost recognition ideas:
Say thank you often. It seems simple, but it’s easy to forget when you are in close contact with someone, and it goes a long way. Hand-written thank you cards, greeting cards, and emails are all effective.
Start or end each team call with shout outs for good work.
Schedule quick one-on-one meetings with team members to share positive, encouraging feedback. When on these calls, make a point of not sharing constructive feedback or talking shop. Keep it to a few minutes of personal chit chat and a big helping of thanks.
Host a virtual award ceremony to recognize a great quarter or completion of a big project. Ask team members to present tributes to each other or serve as the MC who praises each person.
Praise your team via social media. You can use your business accounts, so all your customers see it, or you can add an endorsement of a person on LinkedIn.
If you have a small budget, want to recognize a significant contribution, or celebrate a milestone, here are some ideas to get the most bang for your buck.
Embrace the value of the surprise gift.
Send flowers for a job well done.
Treat the employee (or team) to lunch with a gift card to a local restaurant.
Personalize it! Order a personalized commemorative object, such as a nice pen, a plaque, or coffee mug, as a thank you for work on a specific project.
Consider workplace perks as a thank you.
Offer increased flexibility.
Give the employee an unexpected afternoon off with pay.
If you have a bigger budget or just feel more comfortable using cash or gifts as a thank you, there are many options available.
A cash bonus is always welcome. Services like Zelle or PayPal can instantly deliver a cash boost as a thank you. Even a relatively modest amount of cash is welcome. Everyone enjoys finding an unexpected $25 deposit in their account.
Gift cards for travel are fun ways to say thank you. With a gift card, the size is not that important–it truly is the thought that matters. (Bonus idea: With travel difficult due to COVID-19, many people dream of their next vacation. Enlist a strategy of sharing travel-related gift cards as thank-you’s over the next few months to help your team see clear to a time when vacations and travel will once again be part of life. When they finally take the vacation, they’ll remember how you helped to make it possible.)
If your team is home-based and you want to go big, consider using home office equipment as a thank you. Options include standing desks, comfortable chairs, or other office pieces that can make your team member more comfortable and productive each day.
What Do You Do?
Recognizing your team members goes a long way toward building an effective team and keeping people engaged. I’d love to hear more about how you acknowledge your team and the results you’ve seen.
With the new year here, it’s time to set goals (if you haven’t already) –business, personal, and professional. The act of looking to the future and considering business possibilities is inherently optimistic and exciting. However, you may feel trepidation as you move forward with this process for 2021. This last year may have changed the way you view your business and the opportunities on the horizon. Your team may be larger or smaller, and rather than sitting together in the office, they may be scattered across the town, state, or country.
These changes mean that practical goal setting is even more critical than usual this year. Connecting with your people to discuss the business and plans for the coming year may look different; but, the elemental process is the same. With a few strategies, setting goals for remote employees can be every bit as smooth and successful as it is when you all sit together in the office. After years of working from home and leading a team, here are my best tips for success.
Take the Time to Talk Live
When employees are in the office, the discussion around goals often flows naturally. You see each other in the halls or grab an impromptu lunch, and talk of business, projects, and plans naturally flow. You can create the same feeling with virtual team members by setting up virtual coffee dates or lunches via video conference to talk broadly about how things are going.
Consider Process Information
Set yourself up for success by considering the process you want to follow to set your team goals. Admittedly, the process discussion is less exciting than discussing the future and potential accomplishments. But, a few minutes of process-related thinking offers a big payoff in the end.
Determine how formal a process to follow. Before you start the goal-setting conversation with your team, decide how you want to proceed after the call. Do you want to see a written action plan, or is a casual decision based on a few conversations the right approach? Past precedent can serve as a guide here but consider if other staffing changes may affect how well your past process works going forward. Be ready to share process information as part of your goal-setting conversations.
Establish deadlines for finalizing goals. Ideally, you have a day a week or two out where all goals are plans are completed, and you and your team are all working toward personal and business goals in short order.
Consider the progress check-in process. Based on the goals, you may want to check in weekly. In some cases, a monthly or even semi-annual check-in is in order. The important thing here is having a sense of the timeline and sharing it.
Once you’ve settled on the right process, send a general note to all team members that it’s time to start thinking about goals for 2021. Explain that you will be reaching out to them to talk. This step sets the table and lets people start thinking about their goals and prepare for your call. Then, send invitations out a few days before the meetings, so people have time set aside expressly for goal setting.
Collaborate
As you start your calls, keep the conversation light at first, much like you would if you were chatting around the copier. Then, segue into discussing the future and potential goals. To help the conversation flow naturally:
Outline the goals you have in mind for the business. Knowing what’s on your mind helps your team think more clearly about how they fit into the business and your goals for the next year. So, don’t be afraid to share what’s on your mind here.
Share your initial thoughts on the goals you have in mind for each role/person. Whether the goals are a continuation of prior goals or a fresh way of doing business, sharing some initial thoughts can help set the table for the direction of the discussion. Also, people feel appreciated when it’s clear that you’ve been thinking about them and how they fit into the team. Capitalize on this opportunity by sharing your vision. If you’ve recently completed performance reviews or shared performance feedback, that discussion can catalyze a broader conversation around goals and objectives.
Solicit feedback and employee thoughts on goals. Once you’ve shared some ideas, ask your team member what he/she is thinking about in terms of the next year. You may find that some people are hesitant to share their thoughts. You can combat this by pointing out that this is a safe space for brainstorming.
Remember the Basics
The basics of good goal-setting still apply. The long-standing business advice of setting SMART goals applies every bit as much now as it does when you work side-by-side in the office. When thinking about SMART goals for remote teams and employees, set goals that are:
Specific– Be very clear on particular goal elements. Without face-to-face interaction, it’s tough to know if you and your virtual employees are all defining common goal terms like “execute with excellence” and “quick turn around” the same way.
Measurable-Know what success looks like in terms of metrics and share the metrics with your team so each member can track accordingly.
Actionable-Set goals that a virtual team member can efficiently act on. Take into account any access concerns that the two of you may have discussed—brainstorm ways to overcome any hurdles that appear on the horizon.
Relevant-Ensure that the goals you have in place for your virtual team members align with broader organizational goals and that your remote team knows those goals and why they matter. Understanding how specific work actions ladder up to overall goals brings more meaning to your staff’s day-to-day activities.
Timely- Specific time frames for success help all team members, but especially remote team members, stay on track.
I’d love to hear how you set goals and how they lead you to success. Drop me a line to share your stories.
Working from home has many benefits, from more freedom and flexibility to a quick 10-step commute to your home office. Although it’s mainly a positive experience for most, there can be challenges involved, especially to those new to working remotely . . . or maybe when we’re in the middle of a pandemic!
Here are our tips on working through those challenges successfully.
Expectations
Working from home with kids or family around is not the same as the bliss of a quiet home or corporate office. Not surprisingly, your day is going to look different, and you’ll have to be proactive about planning your schedule and tasks. It may be helpful to start with a list of what needs to get done (the night before preferably so you can plan accordingly) and hit the ground running in the morning. Circle or star the tasks that require focus and uninterrupted thinking. For me, that’s writing, creating content and talking with clients so I like to do those first thing in the morning while everyone is either sleeping or busy with their own tasks. Other work tasks like email, social media or research do not require as much deep focus so I can plan those for the parts of my day when I know I’m more likely to be interrupted.
I’ve also found batching my work helps my productivity and allows me to get more accomplished. When you get zoned in on a certain tasks and aren’t stopping and starting by checking email, taking phone calls and things like that, you can knock out a week or month’s worth of blog posts, social media or other similar tasks.
Distractions
Whether working from home or a traditional office, distractions are part of every job. When working from home those distractions include family members, postal deliveries, social media alerts, and things like podcasts that can be a little too tempting. If you struggle at all with independent work, it can be even more challenging.
Instead of eliminating these things entirely, give yourself breaks to do what you’re tempted to do during work time, such as listen to your favorite podcast, play a quick game with your kids, put in a load of laundry or start dinner.
Your distractions can become a healthy part of your life, as long as you work to manage them while still getting things done. Create a schedule that allows time for the extras or “distracting” parts of your day while still completing your work.
Kids and Family
While kids and family can be a huge bonus to the remote work life, they can also cause distraction and maybe even a bit of frustration when you’ve been together 24/7 for months during a pandemic. Sometimes you’ll need to have focused work time, meetings or conference calls that demand your attention and that’s where having a plan is imperative.
When possible, set clear boundaries such as if the door is shut, it means no coming in. You may want to put a post-it note there if you are on an important call or recording a video interview as I’ve had to do. In my home, my family knows if my office door is shut and they need something, they can text me and I’ll respond as soon as my call or interview is finished. It also helps that I do most of my calls on speaker phone so they can hear me talking and know not to come in. If you have small children, it may mean swapping focused time with your spouse or hiring a neighbor to help out so you can have some uninterrupted work time.
To help manage your home, create a list of what needs to be done. Consider age-appropriate chores and tasks for each family member. Have a family team meeting and discuss the tasks, chores and expectations. Knowing your family, you can decide if assigning tasks to each person is better or if allowing them to choose what works better for particular needs. Take advantage of meal prepping services if you need a break from meal planning and shopping.
For the never-ending snack needs for younger kids, consider “meal-prepping” some ready to go snacks each night — or weekly if they are non-perishable. Create a shelf in your pantry or in your fridge where they can grab a snack if you are busy.
For your kids play time needs, ask the moms of your kid’s friends if they’d like to swap play times so the kids can play at their houses one afternoon and at yours another day. Or you may find a high school or college kid that is home that can take the kids to the park or pool or even play games with them. When they are with you, you may need some fresh ideas and extra activities to keep them busy.
When the weather is beautiful, consider taking your work outside! Take the kids and go to a park while you work on those tasks that don’t require intense focus.
Isolation
Whether you have family around you or are at home alone, we all need social interaction from others. Be proactive in engaging and interacting with others you work with and those you don’t. Instead of simply waiting for schedule meetings, sometimes it is helpful to have that “virtual” face-to-face coffee break or an informal face-time chat with a friend or colleague. They may also be feeling isolated and will appreciate you making the effort to visually connect with them.
Another way to fight the isolation blues is to work on your goals. Setting goals and actively working on yourself, your marriage, your parenting and your business will bring positivity to you as well as those who will appreciate your determination and accomplishments.
And don’t forget about the importance of getting outside for some Vitamin D. There are real benefits to taking breaks, getting some sunshine and going for walks. Fresh air and sunshine can be helpful to clear the mind and help reset your mood. If you can’t get outside, then any kind of physical activity can help you feel healthier and invigorated during your day.
So there you have it, knowing what to expect and being proactive to overcome these challenges makes all the difference. Each day is likely to be different and when you have a bad one, simply learn what you could have done differently and vow to do better tomorrow.
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