Remote Working: 3 things to consider for productivity and team cohesion

Now we are going back in the office, the way we interact with each other is going to change yet again!

Team cohesion is one of my favourite things to work on. Once I identify the real issue behind the team relationship and conflicts or dysfunction; with a few small changes in team dynamics I can make a huge impact on bringing balance and harmony to a teams’ spirit.

Well-Being

Managers check in with your team to see how they feel about going back into the office. Some personality types will prefer going back in, others wont. Some have transformed their entire lives to adapt to these new times. They may have more children, have moved away etc.

These conversations will only take place if there is a relationship build on trust between individuals and Manager.

The Manager needs to create a safe space where any opinion or preference can be hurt without judgement, and the individual needs to be honest with themselves and express what will work for them best and take responsibility for this.

Communication

The way we communicate has changed a lot. Reset how you prefer to communicate on which tools for what. I have been shocked to witness conversations on Slack where one had to question if one realised that there was another human being on the other side!

In this disconnected world, I have observed people forgetting that when we share something, there will be a reaction on the other side.  While I like the convenience of voice notes, I have come to learn that they deprive you of the visual queue to see how your message was received, and this can lead to misinterpretations and miscommunications which impact relationships negatively. There is a purpose for voice notes, and this may be more suitable for one way communication when sharing information at work.  

I believe silence is now the biggest threat to companies right now, as people may have lost the habit of adjusting live in conversations to how they feel and how others feel. This will be a significant challenge for Leaders to see and resolve unspoken conflicts which lead to low productivity.

My recommendation is to create time and a safe space to discuss and agree what communication channels to use for what purpose.

Influence

Influence is harder to translate virtually as your physical presence, height posture etc is missing. Leaders now need to become more sophisticated to use language, tone of voice, facial expressions as a means to have more influence.

Leaders are required to show up on social media internally or externally to clients and to attract talent. If you are not clear on your voice and have low confidence in your message, you won't inspire people to follow you. If you can set the example, then your team is more likely to do the same to influence their peers and clients externally. This can be learnt. 

Call To Action

Reset What Your Teams’ needs are  

There is no one best way to manage the challenges of remote working as different company culture will have different values and pains. Adapting to the needs of your team, within the boundaries set by your company is the best way to find a relevant and effective solution.

This is a great opportunity to have conversations to uncover changes in ways of working, and new requirements needed to create the best physical and remote working environment for your team to be at their most effective.