Lead Your Business with Confidence – Remotely!

Working remotely is becoming a more common practice than ever before. As many businesses decided to have staff work from home during the pandemic, some businesses have decided working from home is a better long-term option. Our Lake West Chamber of Commerce knows anytime a major change in a business takes place, there are a few challenges that come along. We're going to cover some of the ways you can build your confidence as you lead your team - remotely!

Set your Team up for Success

It's important to prepare for a work from home environment. Make sure all team members have everything they would want or need to complete their daily tasks. This involves internet, computers, printers, notepads, pens -- anything they would typically use in an office environment should be provided for working at home. If you plan to do remote meetings, you will also need to ensure they have a webcam and speakers to be able to conduct virtual meetings in a professional manner.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

When working from home, communication even more so important. Having the proper communication channels and procedures clearly communicated can help set employees up for a better experience working from home. It's also important to check in on your team in a personal manner. With the traditional workspace, you can easily read non-verbal ques to see how your team is doing. Working from home can be difficult for some people and it's important to show compassion and see how they are holding up and how they are doing on a personal level.

Embrace Flexibility

With kids, dogs, and other adults at home, working remotely can be a big change from a traditional office environment. It may not be realistic to sit down and work for a solid 8 hour time-stretch while working remotely. It's important to embrace the flexibility of working from home. You have to build that trust between you and your employees that they are putting in the work, while it may not be from 8:00am-5:00pm, like it would be in the office.

Build a Strong Culture

Going from an in-office environment to working remotely is a big change to your company culture. As a business leader, you have to find different ways to grow that bond and keep employee morale up. Set up employee meetups, schedule regular virtual meetings to check-in, and continue to check in on your team are all effective ways to continue to strengthen your company culture.

Be Open to Feedback

Ensure all employees know you have an open door policy, even if it's a virtual door. Encourage your team members to share feedback about their job, about work from home, about anything. Once you get feedback, try to be as responsive to it as possible. If your team is struggling with something about their new work environment, addressing their concerns can help keep the morale up for your remote employees. It can also help your team feel like their voice is heard and their opinions are important.

Going from an in-office environment to a work from home environment comes with its own sets of challenges. Our chamber supports all Lake of the Ozarks businesses and we're here to make your remote transitions easier. We hope our tips on how you can better lead your remote team can inspire you to make this transition easier for you and your employees.

Building a stronger economy and a better business community since 1987!

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