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In 2024, work-from-home jobs have become the norm. Workers have come to expect the option of working from the comfort of their own houses or even working from anywhere in the world. For businesses, this throws up an abundance of benefits including a more motivated workforce leading to increased productivity and reduced costs due to not running a physical workspace.
One cause for concern however may be the increased difficulty that comes with managing relationships within a remote workforce. While office jobs are becoming less common, working with colleagues in person can help to build camaraderie which can then have a positive impact on performance.
If you’re the leader of a business that operates remotely, your role comes with various new challenges. Leading, motivating, and inspiring can be more difficult if you are operating from home. With that said, it’s still a very important part of your role as a business leader. Here are a few ways to become an inspiring leader from home.
Create an office-like home workspace
You can’t expect to set an example without being comfortable while working from home. Those who aren’t set up to work from home often find themselves working from a sofa or a dining table, neither of which offers optimum comfort levels for your day/days working remotely. Being uncomfortable while working increases the chances of you losing concentration, feeling stressed and reducing productivity – as a leader, this isn’t the example you want to set.
The first thing you should do as a remote leader is ensure you have an office-like working space within your own home. Dedicate a room to being your working space; this could be a spare bedroom, a converted loft or a conservatory. A conservatory is a particularly good choice as it separates you from the rest of the house and offers pleasant views of the outside while working.
Ensure your workspace is at the optimum working temperature. You may need to look into conservatory insulation options or air conditioning units to achieve this. Invest in a supportive office chair and ensure your home office has all the equipment you need to carry out your daily tasks.
Clear communication line
Businesses that operate fully remotely must still consider standard processes and procedures. One of the most important processes to instil is a clear line of communication, failure to do so could negatively impact your business or team.
In traditional office jobs, raising an issue or concern starts by simply knocking on a door. This is a luxury that remote teams do not have and many workers may feel uncomfortable putting their concerns into an email or text message.
The same applies to communication relating to tasks or work. Poor communication between team members can easily lead to a drop in quality or result in too much time being spent on certain tasks. Avoiding this stems from having clear communication channels, which can be achieved through platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Regular 1-to-1s
Working remotely can sometimes cause a feeling of disconnect within teams. Team members can easily feel like their work goes unnoticed without the physical presence of a leader. If you’re playing the role of a remote leader, ensure you don’t fall into the trap of not having regular check-ins with your team.
Scheduling a monthly 1-to-1 meeting gives your team members time to flag any concerns but also gives you time to praise them for any recent good work. Without praise, workers can easily feel like they are not cared for and become demotivated as a result. This will only increase the chances of your staff looking for new opportunities elsewhere.
Virtual social events
Social events are a great way to improve team culture, but they can be harder to organise if you have a team that’s spread across an entire country or continent. To counteract this, consider hosting regular social events as an alternative. These could be as simple as video quizzes or as advanced as beer and wine tasting from home.
These types of events can be a great opportunity to discuss topics outside of work and get to know your team on a personal level. If you can build a friendship with your workforce as opposed to a conventional employee-employer relationship, staff may be prepared to go further for you.
Physical meetups
Virtual events are good, but if you’re able to meet up in person then you should absolutely do so. As a leader, make it your objective to ensure your team gathers together in person as often as possible. This widens your options when it comes to social events. You and your team can converse over a meal and enjoy a drink together in a swanky bar. You’ll find that getting to know each other in person will create far deeper connections than can be achieved through a screen.