WFH, remote, hybrid… These are terms that are becoming all too familiar. They are likely here to stay so it’s time to embrace the new reality and move forward with confidence.
Many managers and leaders would prefer not to have their teams be fully remote or even hybrid, but it’s quickly becoming a requirement by job seekers and employees. Whether you choose to allow/enforce WFH, hybrid, or in-person environments is completely up to you so be confident with whatever you choose.
There will be people upset no matter what you do, so be aware of that and stand strong with your choice. Move forward strategically and with the best intentions for your organization to reach success.
If you do choose to go the WFH route moving forward, here are 6 strategies to make it work and continue to build long-term success:
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- Trust your people
Trust is and always has been the key to solid relationships and successful organizations. Without trust, you won’t see the results or success you hope to see. As you implement changes in the workplace, it will be especially important to create and grow trust within your teams and organizations. Make it easy for employees to trust you and also remember you need to be able to trust your employees. This isn’t easy to build, but it is well worth it once you find what works best for you.
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- Allow for flexibility
Flexibility can be the most difficult aspect for some to adjust to, as most people like to feel like they’re in control. Allowing your employees flexibility means you’re not able to easily monitor how employees are using their time, how many hours they are truly putting in, the methods being used to work toward organizational/team goals, etcetera.
If you are a chronic micro-manager, allowing flexibility could be a challenge as you move forward, but it doesn’t have to be if you employ the right mindset. Focus on outcomes rather than keeping such a close eye on in/out times, hour-to-hour activity, etcetera.
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- Communicate clearly and frequently
To put it simply, talk to your people. Encourage clear and frequent communication. Ask employees about their projects, ask them about life outside of work, be transparent about organizational/team happenings. Of course, you don’t want to go overboard and damage productivity, but keep the line of communication open. If you encourage communication filled with honesty and transparency, you will see results climb in your organization.
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- Grow your empathy
Employees no longer solely care about how big of a paycheck they can secure. They seek deep support for their well-being, for professional development, and for personal situations. Be a decent human being and tend to your employees’ needs using empathy and emotional intelligence. This will be a game changer as you move forward in the new reality, helping you retain your best people.
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- Re-onboard employees to new environment
An interesting concept to consider is re-onboarding employees during the transition to a WFH, hybrid, or in-person environment. Like onboarding new employees, get your employees together for introductions, offering refreshers on policies, answer questions, address concerns, and make employees feel comfortable and confident.
Now, employees don’t know exactly what is expected of them or what the norms are now that they’ve shifted to a new work environment for good. It will be beneficial to get everybody on board and moving in the same direction sooner rather than later.
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- Prioritize company culture
Your company culture should act as the foundation of your company and all your employees should know that’s the case. Whether you currently feel your culture is strong or you feel it’s gotten lost, it will be vital to put it back on the front burner. Building or rebuilding your culture will strengthen your teams and organization again, as employees are likely feeling disconnected with all the new changes.
Get creative on how you want to prioritize your culture, doing what feels right for your company and what aligns best with your mission and values.
At the end of the day, there is no fix-all or checklist that will give you all the answers as you move forward with the new reality, enforcing WFH, hybrid, or in-person environments. You need to do what’s best for your company, putting your people and culture first. The results will follow.
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Looking for some guidance as you move to the new reality? Chat with a CoreCoach today about how we can help you feel confident about where your organization is headed.
Chat with a CoreCoach: https://www.corecounts.com/pricing
More on this topic: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/remote-working-is-here-to-stay-these-eight-strategies-can-make-it-more-successful-for-everyone/
