The flexible working landscape  

With access to powerful communication and collaboration apps, more and more existing companies have switched to remote or flexible work schedules. COVID-19 has accelerated that trend, but even after the current crisis ends, remote work is not going anywhere. Looking forward, the business landscape will be more flexible, more agile, and more geographically dispersed.

That said, going remote comes with a unique set of challenges for management and company culture. It’s important to recognise the real concerns that many managers have.

• Employee engagement

• Loneliness and lack of human interaction

• Communication Issues

• Technology Hiccups

• Distractions: Family, pets, doorbells

A 2019 survey found that 43% of business owners were concerned that remote or flexible work arrangements would negatively affect company culture and productivity.

Micromanagement kills remote culture

Micromanagement: A style where management closely observes, controls and reminds employees of their work. Comes with negative connotations due to lack of freedom in the workplace.

A majority of remote businesses have recognised a jump in productivity, which gives sceptical company leadership a reason to feel a bit less anxious. With evidence showing that it’s possible to run a highly efficient remote organization, then the question is… what stands in the way of your organization unlocking that productivity boost?

Many leaders find themselves tempted to micromanage their teams, and with remote settings, it can appear reasonable to add surveillance and control. However, instead of boosting productivity, remote micromanagement uses up managerial time and destroys employee trust.

Some managers resort to using invasive employee-tracking software. These tools let managers see through their employees’ laptop webcams at any moment, or review the details of their work web-browsing sessions. While this may offer managers a degree of confidence that their employees aren’t slacking off, this can sabotage morale. Micromanaging, whether remote or in person, does not result in increased productivity or work quality. Instead this can increase disengagement.

Building trust and freedom

How can organisations successfully increase and embrace a remote workforce, rather than just surviving the temporary inconvenience?

The key to making the switch is building a company culture that emphasises, encourages, and prioritises trust and transparency between leadership and employees. Instead of a culture of surveillance and micromanagement, remote work succeeds when employees are given a high degree of self-determination and flexibility.

Concrete strategies that can support a remote working environment:

Encourage creative problem-solving  

Give people the freedom to approach problems in their own way—and when possible on their own schedule. This allows team members to find solutions that suit them better. One solution doesn’t solve every problem. Your employees may even surprise you by finding ways to improve on existing company standards or processes. When you open the door to creative solutions, your entire company can benefit.

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