Post on 06-Nov-2021
Successful Leadership in Times of Crisis:Supporting Remote Teams
Dr. Laura Hambley & April DyrdaApril 15, 2020
Who We Are
16 years of research across industries in North America and Europe; WE launched in 2014Team of Organizational Psychologists devoted to help drive remote workplace successCommitted to supporting and developing the human elements of distributed work
April Dyrda, M.Sc. Laura Hambley, Ph.D.
What We Do
Ground Rules
“Be here now” Make use of the Q&A and chat optionsConfidentiality
Names will only be visible to moderatorWebinar will be recorded and sent to those who signed up
Agenda
Distributed Work Opportunities & ChallengesIntroduction to Helpful Assessment ToolsHabits to Lead Remote Teams:
Work-life wellnessTrustCommunication
Conclusion and Q&A
What Is Distributed Work?
Impact of COVID-19
What Are The Opportunities?
Wellness/BalanceEffectively manage work and life activitiesStay healthy during the pandemic
Focus & Performance Manage distractions and work productivelyProvide strong remote leadership to others
Your Performance
Productivity increases 10-30% for those working away from the traditional office
What Are The Challenges?
Spillover & Crossover EffectsEffects of work are felt at home (and vice versa)
Competition for EnergyConflict between priorities in work and life
Susceptibility to BurnoutNegative impact on health and productivity
Poll Question #1
What do you struggle with most when leading remotely?
a) Establishing clear boundaries between work and lifeb) Maintaining communication with my teamc) Ensuring productivity stays strong in my teamd) Setting my own structure, and organizing my teame) Other?
Leading in a Mobile World
Compared to face-to-face leadership, the skills required to lead remotely are similar, but additionalAll of the skills required to lead face-to-face are necessary, but not sufficient
Skills
Attributes
Capabilities
Elements of Leading Remote Teams
Relationships
Accessible and Supportive
Building Trusting Relationships
Creating Team Unity
Fostering Collaboration
Flexibility
Achieving Work-Life Balance
Exploring and Learning Orientation
Promoting Work-Life Balance
Versatile Communication
Culture
Cultural Awareness and Respect
Cultural Communication
Productivity
Driving High Performance
Managing Work and People
Strategic Alignment
Distributed Leader Capabilities
Distributed Leader Profiler
Distributed Leader Profiler
Distributed Teams
“…the structural conditions that foster the effectiveness of face-to-face teams are
just as critical for virtual teams – but with one caveat: It is much harder to create
those conditions in virtual teams.”
Hackman, 2002
Habits to Support Remote Teams
Improving Wellness
Poll Question #2
When it comes to your remote work-life wellness, what do you most
struggle with?
a) Forgetting to take breaks b) Not taking time to move, stretch, or get fresh airc) Working long hours (evenings/weekends)d) None of these are a struggle, I feel better than ever!
Practice Boundary Control
Set and communicate your working hoursEnsure that your staff know the best way to contact you (and when urgent)Take breaks and let employees know when you’re unavailable
Practice What You Preach
Avoid scheduling meetings over lunch or that could extend beyond work hoursLimit email responding to certain times of the day (e.g. two sessions per day)Make use of a “delayed send” feature when emailing outside of work hours
Improving Trust
Trust and Remote Work
Remote Work
SuccessTrust
Effectiveness
Productivity
Collaboration
Poll Question #3
What is the most important aspect of building trust when working
remotely?
a) Getting to know your colleagues on a personal levelb) Keeping others informed of your progressc) Keeping and delivering on your promisesd) Taking time to acknowledge everyone's contributionse) Transparent communication
Consistently being inconsistent with promises and deliverablesSaying one thing, doing another Going silent or sending mixed messagesNot acknowledging others’ contributionsTaking credit for others’ work
How Can You Damage Trust?
Put People First
Minimize distractions to be here and nowTake time to ask about someone's day
How are you doing during the COVID crisis? How are your children?
Be willing to share your personal experiences and challenges
Practice Inclusivity and Transparency
Say the same things to different peopleWork to keep others in the loopNever assume that someone has received something and understood it as intended
Be Proactive, Not Reactive
Give your trust and believe people want to do a good job until proven otherwiseKeep your promises and deliverablesCommunicate delays in a timely manner
Improving Communication
Use Regular Check-Ins
Establish weekly personal and professional touch points
20-minute “virtual coffees”15-minute team huddle or “drive-by” during high intensity periods/projects
Use Versatility in Communication
Don’t over-rely on any one communication method (e.g., e-mail)Tailor amount/type of communication to individual needsOne-size-does-not-fit-all when it comes to communication preferencesMatch the communication medium to the purpose (“Media Match”)
Poll Question #4
What is one area you could most improve communication with
your remote team?
a) Scheduling more regular huddles/drive-bysb) Relying less on email as a form of communicationc) Running more efficient virtual meetingsd) Better utilizing team software to chat (e.g., Slack, MS
Teams)
Communication
Coordination
Leadership
Collaboration
Team Climate
Trusting
Committed
Accountable
Results Driven
Strategic
Distributed Team Effectiveness
Distributed Team Diagnostic
Measure overall team effectiveness through a “diagnostic assessment” for remote teamsDiscover strengths and immediate areas for action
Distributed Team Diagnostic
Your distributed team’s climate is moderate
Questions?
Try a demo of an assessment for free during the COVID-19 crisis.
Contact us:Laura Hambleylaura@workevohlution.comApril Dyrdaapril@workevohlution.com
www.workevOHlution.comPh: 587-354-3444 (Canada)