When it’s done right, telework can improve employee productivity, creativity and morale, psychologists’ research finds
These are quotes taken from articles published in Oct of 2019, a few months before the pandemic forced many to move from considering it as a possibility to it becoming the new reality.
“More than 26 million Americans—about 16% of the total workforce now work remotely at least part of the time, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Between 2005 and 2015, the number of U.S. employees who telecommuted increased by 115%. Those workers tend to be older, more educated, full time and nonunion.”
Now as we are facing the “return to work plans” employers are scrambling to cobble together many are finding that remote workers may be a large part of that plan for the future.
“Telecommuting is a management tool just like any other,” Gajendran says. “It’s time for organizations to move beyond seeing it as a family-friendly work arrangement. When done well, remote work has the potential to improve performance, increase employee satisfaction, and benefit a business.”
American Psychological Association
As business owners confront this new normal, many are finding themselves leading a remote team and developing a new company culture that they were unprepared for. This transition into the business world created by the pandemic will present many new challenges for business owners and leading remote teams is only one of them.
Entrepreneurs are nothing if not innovative, persistent, and resilient and nothing motivates them like a new challenge and an opportunity. With some creative thinking, many businesses will come out of the pandemic stronger with new products and services, many will find new ways to accomplish their goals and there will even be entirely new businesses launched.
Leading remote teams whether part-time or full-time will require its own set of challenges and expertise the business owners may not currently have within their organizations. With all of the changes we are facing, we must remember to reach out to our trusted advisors for support, this is what our networks are for. And if leading a remote team is a new challenge it isn’t one that needs to be done alone, if someone with remote leadership experience isn’t already on your team of trusted advisors then now is the time to reach out to your network and find one.
With over 25 years of experience in leadership, the last 10 of them remotely, this is one challenge that isn’t new for me! There are others of course but working remotely has been one of the areas I’ve helped my clients adapt to over the last 10 years.
The benefits are many and telecommuting
arrangements can vary greatly from business to business. Your team can be fully or partially remote; they may work from a home office, co-working space or other locations; and increasingly they may be geographically distant from the organization or clients they serve. Such remote work can benefit both employers and employees. Employers can hire geographically distributed talent and reduce overhead expenses, while employees can gain flexibility, save time, and reduce transportation and some child-care costs.
Now is the time to explore what remote work can mean for you and your team. As a fellow entrepreneur, I find myself looking forward to helping many more teams find their new normal, remote or otherwise.
I have been helping fellow Entrepreneurs to create clarity, remove roadblocks, and overcome the challenges and stresses of running a business since 2010.
Let me know how I can help.
Suzanne Lyon, suzanne@lyon-sfocus.com, 612.801.9320
From Vision to Reality 