Shifting to remote working has been a real change in the way a lot of us work. For me as a manager, it made me worry about whether I was managing effectively – was I meant to be doing something totally different?
So, what does the era of remote working during COVID (and perhaps beyond) mean for your management responsibilities? Here are my reflections from being thrusted into remote management since lockdown:
1. Remote management is not that different to normal management
Shifting to remote working made me concerned about whether I should be re-evaluating my wider ‘how’ when it comes to management. Fortunately it became obvious quite quickly that just because we were distant, this didn’t actually change the fundamentals – indeed a whole lot of the same practices still worked. As long as my staff had clear objectives and expectations, none of this was seemed that big of an issue.
If anything, wider anecdotal evidence seems to suggest the management basics are more important during remote working. Simple things like catch-ups, setting clear instructions and giving clear roles and responsibilities are now probably more vital than ever. If your management relies on telling people who happen to be right in front of you what to do, or that you need to physically check up upon them, this will likely cause some bumps on the road. However, if that is the case, it’s probably your management style that’s the issue! Technological advances have demonstrated that one-to-one meetings and performance reviews can easily be replicated online, and there is no real reason for anyone to be skimping out on managerial responsibilities or feeling the need to enforce ‘oversight’ based on the idea that management equates to control.
2. connections that would have happened in the office need to be made more deliberately
Remote working does shift the dynamic between how you interact with one another. Unlike when everyone is in the office, people cannot simply get together to chat, or have a quick catch up via the water cooler. As such, having things like informal online chats and where appropriate, more team check-in via web calls may be a useful way to ensure people are working with one another across the whole team. Similarly in larger organisations it becomes trickier to highlight who does what in outside teams, so it is worth making extra efforts to invite other colleagues into your team meetings or encouraging internal coffee connects to build connections outside of your immediate team.
3. Remote working is one thing, remote working during covid is another
Whilst working remotely has worked better than probably many of us expected, there are still additional issues we should consider in the wider context of COVID-19. I particularly relate this to the additional element of your pastoral care of your staff . The additional stress on parents having to home school their children has already been visible, and weighing this up with work responsibilities has personally been a challenge when managing my staff.
However, you should also take the time to speak with your staff on how they are feeling even if they aren’t parents. In particular, carers and BAME staff are likely to feel additional strain due to the higher vulnerability rate they have. It can also be tricky for each of us as individuals in different ways (e.g. someone religious who enjoys going to church may have found it difficult to no longer be able to do so) so it is important to ensure wellbeing of your staff (and yourself!) is a regular topic of conversation. So do remember to be compassionate with your staff, and continue to do so even as the lockdown continues!
If you are someone who has been shifted into managing remotely, how have you found it, and what are the tips you would share?