11 Tips for Work From Home MANAGERS #WFHTips
Many Work From Home professional Managers find themselves thrust into the same situation as their direct reports – not only working from home for the first time, they are also managing direct reports who also are working from home for the first time.
This can, and generally is, an uncomfortable feeling. Without being able to physically watch direct report productivity, how do you know they are working and not playing games (some are), cleaning house (some are), or homeschooling their children (some are)?
Below are Work From Home Tips for Managers of Staff.
Tip #1 – Take care of your work from home physical space. Is it solely dedicated to your work responsibilities? If you spread your work documents, computer, printer, and business calls throughout your home, reminders of your business will spread through your home. The result is your whole home becomes your office – and you never leave work. Not good for Your mental health…
Tip #2 – While you may be capable of working with focus at home, you may need to train staff how to focus on work from home. Remember, for most of your staff, this is their first time to work from home for an extended period. One way is to give them visual clues. When you meet with them on video conference calls, dress professionally. That gets their attention!
Tip #3 – Set your hours, work your hours, and let staff know when you expect them to work or be available for calls. This is a tough time for everyone, including you. You have your responsibilities and they have their responsibilities.
Tip #4 – Let your staff know what you expect from them on a weekly, or even, daily basis. This is a time when for some of your staff you need to help them focus on Exactly what you expect them to accomplish – and then offer to help them if they need assistance. This is the definition of mentoring.
Tip #5 – During your work from home time, inform staff your communication preferences – text, email, phone, or videoconference. When you prefer each type of communication is important to communicate. For instance, possibly you prefer texts for “I need your attention!” messages, emails for documentation and FYI, and phone calls to discuss strategy (no one wants to type a conversation!). Video conference at least once a week to solidify your relationship with your staff – important you see them, and they see you.
Tip #6 – While speaking of communication, remember that electronic communication strips tone and emotion from the sender – leaving the recipient to place their own tone and emotion to the message. This is how email/text wars get their start. The sender did not intend that received tone or emotion when they sent their message. The recipient may feel under the gun and misinterpret the intent. This illustrates the importance of phone/videoconference communication.
Tip #7 – This disruption is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your leadership capabilities and skills. How well are you motivating your staff to follow your lead? It is better to demonstrate your care and concern for your staff than to act like a dictator. People follow caring Leaders because they Want to follow them!
Tip #8 – Even Leaders need to take breaks! Take a 30 minute break to refresh your body and your mind. Take a fresh look at challenges after your break. Our brains still work in the background while we are refreshing. Many times, that is where you find the AHA moments!
Tip #9 – Prioritize your tasks. Identify what needs to be accomplished during Prime Time and what can wait until later. Prime Time is defined as the time to make calls, schedule videoconferences, communicate with co-workers, staff, clients, and potential new clients. Everything else can fill in open time.
Tip #10 – Honor Thy Spouse’s/Roommates’ Workspace and Work Time. Plan your recreational activities around them. Remember they may be working a different time zone than you or a different shift. Honor their space and privacy, if needed. Relationships last longer when filled with respect.
Tip #11 – Properly set goals to assist your successful completion of work. Teach your staff how to properly set their goals. Use my Acronym SCAMPS – Specific with Strategy, Challenging, Attainable, Measurable, Public, Specific End Date. Proper Goal Setting is very important for a Work From Home professional. Properly set goals help you determine if you are on target or need to apply more focus and time on a goal. Without properly set goals, you are like a car without a steering wheel. You know that will not go well. Remember, a goal setting and goal achieving employee is, by definition, an engaged employee.
Utilizing these work from home tips as a manager will benefit your staff, your productivity, your staff’s productivity, and your career. This is my 104th television interview where we discuss Work From Home tips for Managers. https://youtu.be/W3NBzafOy-U
Working from my home has been rewarding for me over the past 30 years. I like the fact that my office is steps away from our living space rather than an hour or more drive away from home. My longest commute was from the eastern edge of Frederick County Maryland to Pentagon City Virginia – 76 miles one way through some of the best rush hour traffic that Washington, DC could serve up – 90 minutes one way on a good day. There are other people who would spend 3 hours per day on their commute. It is so nice to be a minute away.
This TIME means that I may be offering Talent Attraction consulting, preparing for speeches, and writing books and blogs instead of looking at the backs of automobiles, trucks, and buses. Join me if you have the self-discipline!
Bill Humbert is available for Speaking, Talent Attraction Consulting, and Training contracts.
RecruiterGuy@msn.com 435-714-4425
https://www.espeakers.com/marketplace/speaker/profile/23767/Bill-Humbert
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