FM CAREERS - TRAINING
APRIL 2020 49
The Coronavirus outbreak has
been described as a massive
work-from-home experiment,
with many organisations instigating
remote working policies for the
first time. While some people will
have experience of working from
home, others won’t and may find
it challenging. By setting out some
clear guidance, early on, the process
can be made as pain-free as possible
for everyone; and there is no reason
why sta can’t keep up to date with
training and personal development
while working from home.
Here are 10 ways to make home-working
work:
1 Over-communicate: There’s no such
thing as too much communication
when you’re working as a dispersed
team. Schedule 1-2-1 check-ins with
the team every day and make sure
they’re doing the same with their
direct reports to discuss daily tasks
and long-term goals. Don’t forget
to ask about how they’re feeling
during this unusual period.
2 Manage expectations: If people
are fit and well – and working
in distraction-free home
environments – then it’s reasonable
to expect them to work at their
normal capacity. For parents who
can no longer send their kids to
school, however, it’s going to
be tough. Likewise, individuals
self-isolating because they have
mild symptoms may feel that they
want to do some work, whereas
those with more serious symptoms
won’t be able to. And don’t forget
about the people who may not
have the best internet connection.
Reassure those in crowded or
under-resourced homes that you
appreciate that they won’t be
working at their full capacity and
spread the workload accordingly.
3 Invest in some ‘quick fixes’: While
many people are accustomed
to working on a laptop for short
periods, they’ll typically drop into
a docking station with a screen,
second screen, keyboard and
wireless mouse when they’re in an
o ice. Making sure that everyone
has access to these types of
accessories at home is an important
consideration for successful remote
working. Many homeworkers
also swear by noise-cancelling
headphones, especially if the rest of
the household is self-isolating.
4 Swot up on comms platforms:
Collaborative tools like Slack,
Basecamp, Microso Teams and
Google Docs are e ective ways
for people to work together when
remote working – so now’s the time
to master these. Consider informal
communication tools like WhatsApp
groups or Messenger, too, as these
can temporarily replace the chat
across the desk and make people
feel connected.
5 Turn those cameras on: Seeing
people helps to reduce a sense
of isolation and improves
communication. It also allows
people to receive visual feedback.
Keeping in touch with what’s going
on in people’s lives helps to build
cohesion and closeness.
6 Stick to a routine: Anyone
who’s ever worked from home
understands the power of
distraction. Whether it’s laundry,
cooking, daytime TV or the latest
Coronavirus chatter on social
media, it’s easy to become sidetracked
when remote working.
Support your people to remain
productive and focused by
suggesting that they adopt similar
routines as they would in the o ice.
7 Give yourself a break: Organise a
virtual co ee break for your team
or company. By getting everyone
together on camera with a cup of
co ee and a slice of cake at a set
time once or twice a day, you break
the monotony of the 9-5 and boost
morale as people share experiences
of remote working.
8 Encourage self-care: Consider
producing a self-care guide. This
could include top tips on how to
avoid back and eye strain as well as
exercise ideas that people can do
at home, advice on good nutrition,
and tips for a good night’s sleep.
9 Celebrate success: It’s easy for great
work to go unnoticed when teams
are working remotely. Celebrating
successes and rewarding people
for their performance in a public
way helps to maintain morale while
people feel recognised for the work
they’re doing.
10Keep people updated: Throughout
this whole period, keep people
up-to-date with the latest news
and plans. This is a fast-moving
situation and Government advice
will change. Be open and keep
people informed but acknowledge
that you don’t have all the answers
– nobody does.
For more ideas, download Magenta’s
guide to communicating with remote
teams. https://bit.ly/2xwq0xs
HOME-GROWN With most of us WFT (Working from Home), Jo Sutherland, MD of Magenta Associates
and IFMA UK Director off ers some useful tips on maintaining good communications with
colleagues and continuing our self-development
The FM industry is pulling out the
stops to help ensure we survive
this war.
The International Facility
Management Association (IFMA)
has launched a Coronavirus
Preparedness Resource Centre.
https://bit.ly/3dHidgY
CoreNet Global is running pop
up webinars, Tuesdays 8:30 a.m.
EDT https://bit.ly/2JmCXN5 and
Thursdays 12:00 p.m. EDT through
April. https://bit.ly/2Jqiw1D
The Advanced Workplace Institute
has launched the ‘Working AWAy
Series’ – online workshops that
outline the processes and tools
required for managing home
working teams.
https://bit.ly/39sYT3y
Leesman, with support from
RICS-IFMA, is building the CREFM
Covid-19 Response Group to help
develop a resilient home-working
model that safeguards the
industry’s future.
Leesman has also developed a
research tool that employers in
both private and public sectors
can use now to fully understand
the experience that their newly
home-based employees are
having. This front-line intelligence
will enable organisations to better
support employees promptly and
provide critical feedback to inform
business continuity plans as they
develop.
https://bit.ly/39vAzhE
Through these combined e orts we
will ensure home-working works until
the time comes to return to a closer
version of normal. Until then, let’s
look a er ourselves and each other.
/2Jqiw1D
/3dHidgY
/2JmCXN5
/2xwq0xs
/39sYT3y
/39vAzhE
