As business leaders, we’re still experiencing the effects of COVID-19 on the economy, and we likely will for some time. It flipped hiring and recruiting to an employer’s market; it pushed all events online turning the event planning and production companies into technology and digital media businesses; and it expedited the global era of remote work.
It’s possible to go fully remote quickly without hindering productivity or team culture and what possibilities emerge as a result, and we’ll show you how.
In this episode, we’ll be discovering how the company Pushpay went 100% remote almost overnight and never missed a beat with clients or team members. We’ll be joined by their Chief Ambassador Troy Pollock to guide us through their experience, what they learned, and how it’s changing work at Pushpay permanently.
Here are some takeaways he shared:
1. The key to successfully transitioning to remote work is for team members and leaders to establish a new flow for their day and week.
Much of the organization’s rhythm is dictated by everyone arriving and departing at the same time.
Leaders can help their teams by defining key elements of the workweek, such as times when everyone is expected to be available or specific times when everyone gathers for company-wide or department meetings.
With just a few constraints, team members can begin developing a new structure and rhythm to their work.
2. Team members appreciate the pros of remote work so much that they're more than willing to navigate the challenges.
There are many pros to remote work — no commute time, flexibility for life’s demands, decreased overhead costs, efficiency and an expanded talent pool.
However, communication and interpersonal connection are the greatest challenges with remote work. To ensure communication around projects doesn’t stall, build systems that facilitate overcommunication.
And remember, when you work remotely, you should communicate 10 times more than you would at the office.
3. Swap out the word 'change' for the word 'opportunity.'
View the challenges of business today not as mandated, unhelpful change but as an unexpected opportunity to rethink and improve your business.
Start maximizing the opportunity by documenting the pros and cons of your business going remote, defining the strengths of your business, and listing ways to ensure those strengths are still effective in a remote (or socially distanced) environment.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would take to lead your workforce into the virtual beyond, we have done this for years and want to share what has worked for us and what could help your organization.
It just so happens that we know a thing – or a million – about leading a remote workforce, so here’s everything you need to know to successfully do the same.
Start building your approach to remote work with the help of our e-guide, How to Remotely Manage Your Team.
This guide will walk you through the essential tools, systems and strategies you need. It also outlines the key decisions you must make and questions you must answer as you successfully set up your team for remote work.
Also, consider these questions as a next step after this episode.
What could remote work make possible for you, your organization, and your customers?
What value has an office with co-located team members provided to your organization’s leaders and team members? How could that value still be experienced in a remote or socially-distanced environment?
If your organization is still working remotely today, what’s one simple thing you do from your position in the organization to improve your remote work experience and the experience of those who work with/for you?