Remote Workforce Tip #1: Create a Basic Framework and Set Expectations

There has been a massive trend towards a remote and mobile for many years now, and for those businesses that have largely adopted or prepared employees for Working From Home, this current situation is not as disruptive as they have been able to make a quick switch to remote working.

For other businesses, they may find the whole remote working situation forced on them with little or no preparation at all. This can seem a little scary.

It does not need to be overwhelming.

You can start with a simple framework and a basic set of expectations, go from there and improve on it over time. The reality is the more basic or simple you keep your systems, the easier they are to train other people on and the more likely people are to follow the system…

“Systems run businesses and

people run systems.”

-         Michael Gerber

The eMyth

In this series of articles, I will take a step by step look at what a business needs to do to fast track their operations over to an effective Remote Workforce model.

So, let’s look at the first step in the process...

 It is just like at the office only more efficient. There are far less interruptions and no people dropping by to stick their head in your office, heads popping over partitions like a meerkat or parking their butt on the edge of your desk while having a quick chat because you happened to be in an open plan office and they were walking past.

Here are 5 Simple Steps to get you started...

Create a Basic Framework and Set Expectations

1. Spend 20 minutes planning at the start of each day (or better still the night before)
2. Have no more than 6 key outcomes that you allocate time in your diary.
3. Do a Daily Team Stand-up Meeting covering goals/objectives
4. Have a 15-minute mid-morning meeting
5. Have a 15-minute mid afternoon

If you follow this simple system, you will stay engaged with your team on a consistent daily basis around a process that is highly efficient without losing that need for personal contact.

The accountability this approach creates, will reduces distractions and procrastination. Rather than constantly messaging or emailing people every time you have a question, you can just write the questions down and have them answered in the 15 minute stand up sessions.

Keep an eye out for the next article in the series.