84 / LEADING FROM A DISTANCE
Transitioning your
sta to remote working
Talking to your team
Start by speaking with your sta.
Nobody knows how to do their jobs
better than they do. Ask how they feel
about the move, listen to their concerns,
and find out what tools and technology
they’ll need. Agree on your “rules of
engagement:” how you will stay
in touch, how often, and which
methods you will use. This will help
to give your working days a defined
structure and establish boundaries,
which is particularly important if you
are working from home. Your sta must
feel able to take breaks and understand
that working remotely doesn’t mean
being on call around the clock.
Migrating a team to remote working for the first time
requires openness and collaboration. Seek your colleagues’
and employees’ thoughts, agree ground rules, and address
their concerns to make the process as pain-free as possible.
Talk
Do it early and do it often.
The more notice your sta
has about the transition,
the better they’ll feel.
Trust
Your sta members will
look to you, so they need
to know you’re on board
with the changes as well.
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TRANSITIONING YOUR STAFF TO REMOTE WORKING / 85
Time
Some members will
adjust to the new setup
quicker than others, so
be open and patient.
Tools
Establish the essential
tools and put them in
place before any
transition begins.
CONTAGIOUS LEADERS
Organizations are
increasingly recognizing
the importance of emotional
intelligence in leaders. The
eect that managers’ moods
can have on those around
them is significant. This
is known as “emotional
contagion,” and a 2005
research paper found that
it plays an important role in
leadership. Your employees
will take their emotional
cues from you, so while you
need to show empathy and
understanding, you need
to display confidence, too.
In focus
Continuing the conversation
As with any other major management
change, keep your sta updated and
check in with them to ask how things
are going. Be aware that employees
struggling with either the practical or
emotional changes of remote working
might not feel comfortable initiating the
conversation. Set up regular check-ins
as safe spaces in which people can tell
you how they feel.
Agile working (see pp.46–47) often
uses the concept of “fail fast.” This
is sometimes misunderstood, but
the emphasis is on the second word.
It means identifying and eliminating
problems as early as possible, allowing
the team to learn quickly and move on.
Before you can deal with any teething
issues, you need to know about them
first, so liaise with sta regularly.
of leaders believe they involve
employees when managing
change, but only 42% of
employees feel included
74%
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