The world is changing and so is our work environment. Working from home is the new normal and we have kind of got used to it. Technology makes it easier for us to communicate and cooperate, but how do you manage people that you don’t get to see on a regular basis?
Many managers are often worried when they have to manage their people remotely because of a company restructure or some other unforeseen circumstances. This concern is based on an old-school approach where they use their presence to imply discipline.
But is there anything to worry about?
In my opinion – no.
Firstly – you should trust your people. If one of your team members is working in sales and constantly needs to be pushed to work hard, they are not in the right job. The best sales people are self-motivated, they have a clear goal and lots of things they want to achieve in their life.
Yes, motivating and reminding people of their goals is important but if your team member is spending hours on Netflix rather than working, they will be found out sooner rather than later. From my experience, moving to remote work made lots of people realise they are in the wrong industry and if it wasn’t for that, they would have continued for longer, wasting your time and money.
Communicate your expectations and you won’t have to micromanage
Trust your people, when they are working well, you don’t need to check on them every half an hour. Support them with the challenges they are facing and be there when they need you. Set time aside for coaching your team so they can reach their full potential.
Implement simple processes
Sales people hate admin, there’s nothing more soul-destroying than winning a deal and then having to spend hours on paperwork and admin. Keep that to a minimum so that your team spends more time prospecting than doing unnecessary admin work that takes away their energy and motivation.
Make it fun
Catch up calls with your team can get very repetitive and boring after a while. Surprise your team with something new – what worked well for me, for example, was a quiz or a discussion about future plans. Totally not work related. This may cost 15-30 minutes of your time but (especially after lunch break tiredness) can get everyone going.
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