26 March 2020
Virtual Working

Virtual Working

With these unprecedented times, with the global impact of COVID-19, the impetus for remote/virtual working for organisations has never been greater.

As a socially responsible organisation we want to share with you some of the learnings from our ‘Leading and Creating Virtual Teams’ course, to make your transition to this new, and in some situations a completely different way of working easier.

  • Change: in some cases, if you are not doing this already, this may be a huge change for the organisation, you and other individuals who are going to work from home/remotely. There will be some apprehension, many questions to answer and possible issues around infrastructure logistics. Listen to those who have knowledge in this area (social media, IT systems, team software, etc., – without being ageist – probably your Gen Y and Z employees). This is what we call ‘Reverse Mentoring’ – and is adopted by all successful organisations; ‘ego defers to knowledge’. They will be valuable sources of information and engaging can make the transition easier.
  • Communication Infrastructure: whatever system/software is used – make sure it is compatible to all. Make sure that people can access/log on remotely and there are no problems with the Internet/ Internet Provider, Bandwidth, etc., (do a check now if not already – don’t leave it until everyone is sent home, and it’s too late.)
  • Team orientated software: whilst we cannot recommend a specific team orientated software – there are a number out there, e.g. Microsoft 365 Planner, Microsoft Teams, Monday.Com, etc. Use the technology! I cannot emphasise this enough.  Review and select the best one for your organisation – but, as above – make sure that it’s compatible – and that everyone can access/download the system.  You may also need to factor in some training – but most are fairly intuitive – and should not require a lot. (There will something on YouTube I guarantee.)
  • Communication and Isolation: Working remotely, some people (especially if they live in a remote area or have little contact with neighbours, etc.) can feel isolated already, and this situation may amplify that fact. For many, the first few days of having the ‘freedom’ to work at home may feel like a novelty, but if this prolongs then some can go into communication ‘shut-down’. Keep in regular contact with the team/each other, but strike a happy balance – too much and it can become annoying, too little and things may get missed.  If you create, for example, a ‘WhatsApp’ group for the team, make sure you do not leave anyone out – and check that they reply (see Ground Rules below).
  • Ground-rules & routine: Create some ground-rules – times of contact for ‘working hours’; times when you will all be on group chat, for example, and that they must respond to some messages (for their welfarenot that you are checking up in a work capacity/output).

Remote working brings with it the flexibility. Depending on the organisation/nature of work – stick to the normal/regular times of a normal working day (e.g. 8 till 4, 9 till 5, etc.) – or agree specified times. But remember – if you yourself decide to work on a project at 10pm, because you have some free time/not tired – don’t start contacting your team to log on and help you.

  • Motivation: without doubt, this is an area that requires attention and limited in this article, but is a key aspect of working remotely. It is often a myth that a more relaxed, laissez-faire attitude works best, however, it actually requires a great deal of discipline – and more importantly – routine!).

When your home becomes your office it is very easy to work past your ‘normal’ work times, starting earlier/finishing later – or – not having the motivation to start your work. This is mainly down to the disruption of your normal ‘social / environmental behavioural’ routine. You already have a ‘social / environmental behavioural’ routine (get up, get dressed, travel to work, breaks, lunch, etc).  However, with remote working these ‘social / environmental behavioural’ triggers are now gone, or disrupted.

At home, you may not have the social pressure to put your ‘business’ clothes on, you no longer need the time and effort to commute (the physical and mental effort this involves – e.g. driving in high traffic, walking, etc). As you have no commute, for example, the effort of leaving home say an hour earlier – may actually now get you ready to work earlier (and finish later), as you may have more energy/less stress. Or – it can do the opposite – as the ‘social / environmental behavioural’ trigger has been removed – it can take away the motivation to actually start work (this is where procrastination starts to take hold!)

In the workplace itself we have environmental / behavioural signals that tell us to stop (e.g. other staff getting lunch, drinks, etc) We have meetings to go to, visit bosses in their office, clients to see, – all of these breaks up our day (without you realising it). At home we may not have these social cues or the luxury to get away from our surroundings.

  • Being in a routine, actively managing your time, taking appropriate breaks – are very important – as well as good communication channels with your team/co-workers.

So, get into a routine – set your timer/ diary for regular breaks – and take time out to get away from the screen/phone – and do something (exercise, cross-word, etc) during your ‘breaks’.

As a Manager/Team Leader not only do these for yourself – but ensure that your team are doing this through your intervention and guidance.

We hope these small insights into some of the key factors help with your remote/virtual working, and more of these are covered in our programme ‘Leading and Creating Virtual Teams‘.

AZTech is offering online coaching and mentoring and are developing online course materials, to support leaders and managers during these difficult times. If you would like help, please get in contact.  You may call +971(4)4275400 or send email to info@aztechtraining.com.


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