8 Ways to Adapt Your Leadership Strategy for a Virtual Workforce

Quickly adjusting strategy has helped many leaders keep their businesses afloat and retain employees through the trials of 2020. As remote work appears to be an ongoing reality for many organizations, it’s time to evaluate how successful you are at managing and mentoring your team from a distance.

Whether you are managing your employees from home or you’ve returned to your office workspace, how you lead and communicate impacts employee productivity, engagement, and overall job satisfaction.

Consider These Key Strategies for Virtual Leadership

1. Be accessible and take care of things brought to you quickly.

Improve how attentive you are to the needs of your employees. Check-in with your team regularly about both home and work-related items to identify ways to support overall performance.

2. Schedule regular check-ins.

We all have good intentions to stay connected with our employees, but it’s essential to prioritize those virtual or in-person meetings by placing them on the calendar. Talent is a vital asset, and you don’t want to go weeks without touching base – emailing back and forth just won’t cut it!

3. Communicate openly with your employees.

Transparent communication does wonders to ease anxiety, even if what you have to share isn’t necessarily good news. Be thoughtful about how you utilize various technology platforms to stay connected.

4. Learn when and what to delegate.

As a leader, it’s important to know when delegating tasks is appropriate. Create smaller teams within your organization to encourage regular communication between employees and team leaders. When utilizing remote video platforms, meeting in a smaller group can also increase participation and improve overall productivity.

5. Ask for regular feedback.

Find out what your employees need to be productive during these unprecedented times. Some employees might showcase impressive self-motivation and successful remote working habits, but others may require or even prefer additional guidance and stricter deadlines. The quickest way to hone your strategy appropriately is by simply asking for input!

6. Promote healthy habits.

Eating healthy, getting outside, and exercising are vital for the physical and mental health of your workforce. Consider opportunities to organize events or weekly challenges that encourage or even reward good habits. Think outside the box for creative ways to engage remote workers.

7. Encourage real breaks.

Working from home is not a vacation, especially for your employees who are trying to balance work and home life. Don’t forget to encourage and respect your employees’ desire to utilize a personal day. Time off the clock can spark creativity and innovation – actually improving productivity.

8. Lead with empathy and show your appreciation.

Juggling work and home life may be difficult for many of your employees. A handwritten note, food, a gift card, swag, public recognition, finding time to meet face to face, or just saying thank you can boost employee morale and improve retention rates.

Interested in learning more?

If you’re interested in learning more about tools to improve your workforce’s productivity, engagement, and overall job satisfaction, start a chat with us today. We would love to show you how Built for Teams will help connect your workforce and promote a healthy work-life balance.