How do you balance team productivity and well-being in a remote setting?

One supervisory style does not work for everyone, and we can be more accommodating in remote/hybrid settings through the frequency and intensity of engagement. It's vital to understand management needs, giving more attention to those who find it helpful, and space to those who don't: some people thrive on additional interaction, while others feel stifled, finding it unnecessary or even patronizing. We've all felt "over-managed" at some point: remote work gives us the flexibility to tailor this aspect of the workplace, leading to better performance, improved mental well-being, and healthier teams. Understanding how often to engage with your people is at least as important as the engagement itself: less meetings does not mean less value.

There's no line between our work & home life. There's just life! Here are 6 questions to assess your team's needs to ensure they're achieving their business objectives while honoring their priorities & values. 1. How are you managing/balancing your personal responsibilities & priorities while staying productive at work? 2.Walk me through how you manage your day? 3. How have you set boundaries & expectations when you’re working at home to ensure you’re productive & not distracted? 4. What’s your daily self-care regimen? (Physically, mentally, spiritually) 5. How do you turn off work at the end of the day to enjoy & be present with your family & live from a place of gratitude? 6. How often do you want to talk so you don't feel isolated?

In order to ensure that everyone is on the same page, it is also essential to communicate with coworkers and superiors regarding expectations and availability. As humans, we must utilise the power of language and communicate more effectively rather than remaining silent, which could result in misunderstandings. People can be kind and understanding, but we don't always give them a chance to support us due to feelings of guilt, shyness, or overthinking. It is preferable to communicate your working style as soon as possible in order to build trust.

Ask About Workload and Stress Levels: Inquire about the volume of work, deadlines, and any excessive overtime. Are team members consistently feeling overwhelmed? Ask open-ended questions to understand the specific sources of stress and how it affects their daily lives.

With more and more people working from home, it's more important than ever to set clear boundaries and manage your time well to stay productive and avoid burnout. Setting specific work hours, taking breaks throughout the day, and creating a separate workspace can all help to separate work from personal life. Employers must now prioritise productivity over hours worked, as spending more hours at work is glorified as being a better employee. This mindset can lead to burnout and decreased productivity in the long run. Encouraging employees to take breaks, prioritise their mental health, and establish clear boundaries can ultimately benefit both the employee and the company.

Use SMART Criteria: Ensure that goals and expectations are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). This makes it easier to track progress and evaluate success.

Two things I've found helpful are weekly one-on-one meetings (which help me hear about issues while they're small and manageable, while getting to know my people) and avoiding telling people how to do their jobs. The first largely speaks for itself. The second involves remembering that you hired someone for their expertise: you likely cannot do their job, certainly not as well as them, and may not even fully understand what they do! Trust your people, ask them about their needs, and show respect for their knowledge and abilities. To that end, I also try to avoid assigning deadlines; instead, I ask them to give me an estimate of when they realistically think something can be done. Trust goes both ways, and is the foundation of support.

Leadership Commitment: Begin with leadership commitment and alignment. Leaders need to be on board with the idea of flexibility and supportiveness as core values. Flexible Work Arrangements: Offer flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options, flexible hours, and compressed workweeks, when possible and suitable for the nature of the work.

Healthy habits and boundaries are often words on paper - it takes real leadership & meaningful action from ALL levels of the company to ensure employees are adequately achieving positive work/life balance. This is especially true of employees in C-level or executive roles who really set the tone for what work/life balance means inside of a company. If the executives are constantly breaking this rule, or quietly (or not so quietly!) expect their reports to also step over their boundaries, the company will not be successful in helping employees prevent burnout, dissatisfaction, and ultimately, leaving the company.

It's also important to leverage technology to allow us to set and retain those boundaries. Companies like Microsoft have enhanced their productivity suites with features to delay emails so that they are sent during work hours, silencing notifications after work, blocking lunch time and focus time any many more. Technology is there to support our healthy habits and boundaries.

It is critical to learn and practise saying no. Learning to say and hear "no " when necessary should become the norm. We should not feel bad about making a choice and taking charge of our productivity. Setting limits with your coworkers and bosses can also help you find a good balance between work and life. It is important to understand that saying no does not make you a bad employee or colleague. It is a necessary skill to have in order to avoid burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Additionally, setting boundaries can actually increase respect and trust from those around you.

All of my 1:1 and team meetings have a "humanity" component in the agenda. It's typically the first 10 minutes of the call and the goal is to connect first as humans before getting into work. This practice builds substance and trust into our relationships and aids with overall alignment when the time comes to shift to business related topics.

Klaxoon is a great collaboration Software you can use internally & externally. Using icebreakers starts off meetings strong, as they’re lighthearted & enjoyable. Collect feedback & temperature checks from people easily, gamifying features, & almost all of the above that was mentioned! 😊

Remote working requires a lot of time spent staring at a screen, which can be unhealthy if not broken up. We could include communicating your availability outside of work hours and prioritising self-care activities such as exercise or hobbies. Meeting for socials or sending treats to remote workers on special occasions such as festivals, job anniversaries, and birthdays would make a significant difference in making people feel connected.

Create Collaborative Spaces: Design physical and virtual spaces that encourage interaction. Arrange office layouts to facilitate teamwork, and use collaboration tools and platforms for remote teams. Team Building Activities: Organize team-building activities and events that promote bonding and trust among team members. This could include team lunches, outings, or virtual team-building games. Cross-Functional Teams: Form cross-functional teams for specific projects or initiatives. This encourages employees from different departments or roles to collaborate and share expertise. Regular Meetings: Hold regular team meetings to discuss ongoing projects, share updates, and brainstorm ideas.