How to be a better (remote) leader

Right now, leaders have a tough task. Leaders are being asked to step up, during a time when no one has all the answers. There is no playbook for the new working environment, which means leaders need to be really in tune with their people, their business and their market.

The way we work is changing. Garter research has shown that 74% of companies plan to permanently shift to more remote work post-COVID-19. This shift will mean that the way we lead will need to change. Leading remote teams requires different strategies than face-to-face leadership.

Leaders need to provide greater clarity, find different ways to communicate, and find new ways to connect with their people.

However, the biggest leadership change needed right now is trust. When you can't physically see your team working hard it can be tempting to micromanage. Leaders are likely to be stressed, working to deadlines, managing budgets and reverting to task-focused styles. However, remote leadership is all about trust. Research from Gallup has shown that trust is the most important leadership quality to employees. My tip for leaders is to be outcome-driven, not hours driven. Don't worry about what is being done and when. Instead, focus on what is being delivered and how. Was it on time, was it quality, did it drive value and were your clients' needs met? If you were able to answer yes to these questions, then you can focus on what is being achieved, not when.

Zoom fatigue is one of the most consistent challenges presented to me by people who are struggling with remote working.

Video chat is harder than face-to-face communication. We are more focused. We are taking in multiple faces all at once and it's a lot for our brain to process. We are also working harder to convey we are paying attention. We can see ourselves, so we feel like we are performing. We are taking in everyone's background. In a meeting we can tune out the little details about the room we are used to seeing on a regular basis. On Zoom, we are noticing everyone's backgrounds - the kids, the pets, the paintings, the bookshelf - it's a lot to take in, and it's exhaustive for our brains.

Are we going to see a shift away from meetings in the future? I believe meetings play an important role for team collaboration, information sharing and connection purposes. This won't change. What will change is the nature of how meetings are conducted.

If we believe that the future way of work will include a portion of our people working from home regularly, we will need to find a way to ensure engagement and input from everyone, at home or at work. Right now, with whole teams working remotely, it's very easy for everyone to contribute. The dynamic changes quickly when you start to have part of the team working together in the office. Leaders need to find a way to ensure the engagement, interaction and collaboration from all members of the team - whether they are remote or in the office.

There's a really easy way to quantify how we're doing as leaders - ask our people. With most teams working remotely, it's more important than ever to keep a pulse on how your employees are feeling. A simple way of doing this is through a confidential 'Pulse Check' survey run through an online survey tool like Survey Monkey. Some questions you may want to ask your people:

• How are you feeling working remotely?
• How do you feel about the quality of leadership shown to you?
• What are we doing right?
• What could we do better?
• What is the biggest issue affecting you working remotely?

Answers to these questions will give you a good baseline to how your people are feeling, and give you an ability to see how the numbers and responses trend over time to quantify how you're going as a leader.

We are living through a defining moment of a generation. Leaders have a unique opportunity to make a real difference to their teams during this period. Gallup research shows that managers account for 70% variability in employee engagement, so it's really up to you.

There are some really simple, practical things leaders can do to make a difference to their team:

• Say thank you - during this period It is likely that leaders are asking their team to go above and beyond. Leaders should use this period as an opportunity to double their efforts on recognition. This will motivate those going above and beyond, and also show the rest of the team the behaviours and outcomes they should emulate. Some ideas - say it privately and meaningful, say it publicly in front of the rest of the team or company, or organise a surprise voucher or give them a day off if they have been putting in extra effort.
• Communicate, communicate, communicate - don't underestimate the importance of communication to your team. In the absence of communication people will create their own narrative. Leaders should consider how to flex their communication style depending on the communication preferences and personality of their team. Introverts may prefer instant messages; extraverts may prefer video.
• Connect - remote workers are likely to feel disconnected, lonely and isolated. This will impact productivity and engagement. Personal interactions are more important than ever. The easiest way of doing this is to check in frequently - send out of the blue texts, emails and chats to check in how your team are doing. Create virtual watercooler moments in your team meetings - start by asking the personal questions you normally would in the office - what movie did they watch on the week, how is their family, what did they do?