Remote Workers: Do You Know What They Want MOST?
Given the changes that the pandemic brought to the workplace in 2020 it’s no wonder that leaders have had to make great shifts in how they manage employees.
When the pandemic started and remote work became the norm, many managers were focused on just one thing - making sure their teams were getting the same amount of work done at home as they were while working in the office. Little did they realize at that time how much broader the focus of their leadership responsibilities really were.
Today, leaders are expected to be a lot of things to their employees—a source of information, a role model, a supporter of change, a counselor, an IT trouble-shooter, an innovator, and at times, even a mind-reader. It’s no wonder that leaders, regardless of their title, are pulling their hair out as they try to successfully navigate the quickly changing world of their employees’ needs.
But through all the changes and upheaval the number one thing remote workers can agree on that is critical to their success is TRUST. They want to have trust in their leader and they want to be trusted by their leader.
Not only do they need to feel trusted to get the work done on time and done correctly, but they must also believe that their leader stands behind them and supports them when the chips are down.
According to most leadership experts, trust is based on four distinct elements and as all great brilliant leaders will agree, mastering each element may not be easy but the outcome will definitely be worth the effort.
Patience. Practicing patience and avoiding frustration is especially critical when you must wait five or 10 minutes for a call or email reply from a remote employee. Remember that breaks from work are not only healthy but necessary but they can help you move away from micromanaging and make employees feel trusted.
Competence. Leaders are held to a different standard, and part of what your team trusts is that you know what you’re doing and that you’re willing to believe they know what they are doing too.
Consistency. This is one of the most down-to-earth elements of trust. If your team knows what you stand for, then they will believe that you will react in a predictable way to certain situations. Although some leaders may believe that purposely acting unpredictably is necessary to shake things up they have a one-time success but they won’t necessarily be trusted or succeed again.
Loyalty. To a certain extent, your team can only trust you to the degree you are committed to their success and well-being. A hallmark to building trust is the absolute willingness to help your remote workers achieve their goals and to continuously strive to bring out the best in them.
By investing in and strengthening these leadership qualities, you will steadily build and reinforce the trust the people who work for you will have in you. In turn, the trust that you so carefully foster will become the foundation for building a high-performance team.
With remote work looking like it’s here to stay, brilliant leaders know there will always be new technologies to implement, new processes to create, and new challenges to overcome, but building trust - and giving trust - is the ultimate path to long-term success.
Until next week, please be kind, be patient, and always BE BRILLIANT!
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