Many people dream of finding a job that allows them to work from home part-time or full-time.
However, companies have always been reluctant to this type of collaboration and generally prefer that their employees perform their tasks in person.
But why?
In the old work paradigm, productivity was closely related to employee control. In other words, if an employee works outside the office, he will have more distractions, will not be as responsible and therefore his productivity will decrease.
But 2020 has brought with it a new work paradigm: telecommuting.
This new paradigm has taken many companies by surprise, but it should not be a blocking factor if it is given the importance it deserves.
What is the key to success?
The success of a team lies in coordination, in being able to think as a group and not as individuals, in order to achieve great objectives together.
In a face-to-face team, problems of listening, acceptance and communication are often detected.
With the team working remotely, all these problems are accentuated and can cause tensions both for the team members and the manager leading them.
The remote team will therefore require more attention and preparation on the part of all its members.
Patrick Lencioni, in his book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" helps us understand why teams fail, and one of them is the absence of trust.
Trust is the key to the success of any team, wherever they are.
If there is no trust, information is not shared, and if information is not shared, we will have individuals working alone without a clearly defined objective.
What can a Manager do to increase the confidence of his Teams?
First, lead by example.
If the manager does not trust his people... he will not value the opinions of his employees nor will he know how to delegate decision making.
The manager has the responsibility to give meaning to the worker and his role as an individual within a group.
If employees do not have a work context, and the manager does not promote a feedback culture, the sense of work is lost and this generates demotivation.
While it is true that employees must be motivated from home, it is also true that the manager must keep that motivation alive.
We cannot treat our team as if they were children who need to be continuously monitored and corrected.
They must be given the necessary guidelines so that they can develop, express themselves, participate and know how to make decisions that add value to the company.
How does teleworking affect our Teams?
The human species are mammals. And as mammals we are genetically prepared to live in community, in proximity and contact with others.
When we telework we spend many hours alone.
This can generate a feeling that you are disconnected from the company.
And the main problem is that companies are not giving it enough importance. They believe that this situation may be temporary and therefore they are not empathizing with their workers.
Telecommuting is not a fad. It's going to be around for a long time and it's not enough to give your employees a portail, a pat on the back and expect them to work from home without following up with them emotionally.
We have to train detachment, and we can't do it without support. We need each other to make it more bearable.
Working from home yes. Working alone no.
Important: Fostering the feeling of belonging to the group.
There is only one possible recipe: Communicate. Speak. To express. Only in this way we will be able to break the distance.
And technology can help a lot in this regard.
For example, video calls allow us to see our colleagues and feel closer to them. It's not the same as looking at someone through a screen: we won't be able to touch them, but the gestures, the eyes and the possibility of seeing the body behavior of our colleagues brings us closer to them.
The company needs to invest in new technologies and also in new generations to help implement this new way of working.
