What Can Business Owners Do To Stay in Sync with Your Team During Remote Working?
In the current adversity, there are still ways to stay in sync with your team and have employee engagement. In today’s excerpt, Felix shares with Sylvia what he has been doing with his current team to stay connected.
S: How or why did you decide to implement your Business Continuity Plans?
F: One day, my wife Stacy just told me that we should start practicing our BCPs, for no reason at all. Of course, we know that wives are always right, so I listened! And thankfully I did because it became mandatory in just a few days after. I was glad we got the chance to iron out the kinks before telecommuting became compulsory with the circuit breaker.
S: So how have you been managing the work-from-home situation for your team?
F: We are GSuite users, so we started on Google Meets for our teleconferences. Every morning, we hop onto a Google Meets and go around the table where we update the team on what has been accomplished the day before, and share what we plan to do for the day ahead. The main difference is that after this, we keep our video on for the whole day. Of course, we mute ourselves unless there is a need to talk. This will perhaps be the most controversial part of my BCP, as most managers are worried about coming across as micromanagers. They don’t want to look like they are watching over someone’s shoulders.
S: Why then do you still do it?
F: We’ve been in the events and employee engagement business for 8 years now, running over 2,000 events focused on this exact purpose. The most important thing is that you have to actually see the person’s face. Just very simple things like making a silly face, telling a joke, these watercooler chats help tremendously. It is very boring to work from home. At the end of the day, it is important to stay connected to the team. We have a very close-knitted team. Everyone feels a sense of ownership of the business, and my staff is my family. Besides, this also lets the team see that I, as the boss, am practicing what I preach, cause I am on the call at the same time.
S: What is the thing that would make working from home easier?
F: Strangely enough, the one thing I wish for is not from my team. Rather, I think that if we as responsible citizens have more empathy, it will make remote working easier for everyone. We need to empathize with our neighbors more and understand that they are now working from home. Even if their Zoom call doesn’t affect you, do understand the importance of it and refrain from loud activities like renovation during working hours. A little empathy and graciousness will go a long way.
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