Seemingly overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic has expanded the boundaries of how far organizations thought flexible workplace policies could stretch. In these unprecedented times, leaders are trying hard to manage staff while being miles away. While some of the companies have had to furlough staff or make cutbacks, others have been able to maintain operations by asking their employees to work remotely to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
For a virtual organization to function, geographically dispersed teams need the ability to communicate effectively. But that's only half the story. Decision-making has to be delegated and decentralized as well — and that means using data to shake up your culture.
We have listed down a few tips for ensuring employees and employers have the tools and support they need to be effective, productive, and connected while working remotely.
1.Communicate Effectively and Often
Set up regular calls with your employees to offer company information and share project updates. Consider conducting conference calls that feature video as well as audio. It can be therapeutic for team members to see each other, even though they are physically far apart. Communication is the key to everything, and virtually operating your company demands communicating effectively is necessary.
2.Build a Robust Virtual Workplace Infrastructure
At its core, a virtual workplace comprises many of the same elements as a physical one: places to collaborate, share ideas, and get work done. Yet, it can take a Herculean effort to make sure each employee has the technology and tools to be operational in a virtual environment. From private chat and messenger apps to video conferencing solutions, equipping employees with tools to communicate—and providing training on how to use them—can make all the difference between a connected organization and a collection of people working in silos.
3.Keep Teams Motivated and Accountable
It's essential to identify that employees will have questions and concerns about altering to the new work environment. Whether they need extra equipment or feel disconnected from the team, creating a dialogue with your employees and being sympathetic is critical in this disruptive time. Additionally, creating a structure can help to establish a sense of normalcy and help keep employees accountable.
4.Provide Practical Tips to Enhance Employee Productivity
Your employees may have trouble with children home from school or numerous people needing quiet space for conference calls at the same time. Contributing to ideas to address specific challenges is needed, along with offering tips for safeguarding some semblance of work and life balance.
5.Develop Clear Policies
Remote work looks different for each employee, depending on their needs and those of their families. With daycare and school closures, many employees are multitasking throughout the workday. Empower teams by providing flexibility to balance their conflicting time demands.
Will COVID-19 Change the Way We Work?
It is impossible to forecast the long-term insinuations of today's sudden, huge shift to remote work, but a few outcomes are possible. One is that employees and business leaders alike will open their eyes to the value that can be unlocked when each individual has the freedom to work where and when it makes the most sense—which may be from home at least part of the time. Yet it's just as likely that we will arise from this period craving the face-to-face interaction that has been deeply missed and with a greater understanding of how physical space encourages the way we all feel and work each day. Workplace tacticians and designers will have an ever-more vital role to play in influencing the future of places and spaces where we can come together to connect, work efficiently, and be inspired.
How can Commitbiz help you during the COVID-19 crisis?
Tough times need tough measures; hence, we at Commitbiz have come up with a #STARTFROMHOME initiative to help businesses in the UAE. We have fine-tuned our business setup procedure so that you can register your business from the convenience of your home. Your company can be incorporated in just ten days, and what's more, you can also apply for an offshore bank account from your home.
Utilize these weeks to register your business in the UAE, and once this pandemic is in control, your company will be up and running. Also, don't forget, with the present economic situation, we're giving away special quarantine discounts on our business setup packages.
Contact us today to incorporate your business in the UAE.
