As remote teams have become the new norm in construction, many leaders have learned firsthand that keeping remote employees motivated can be a challenge. Working remotely for the first time can be difficult for professionals who are used to being around coworkers all day. Remote workers who live alone may start to feel lonely or depressed from the social isolation, while workers with families may feel stressed from juggling work, childcare, and schooling, and other responsibilities. Both situations can have a negative effect on employee engagement. Here are 3 effective ways to motivate your remote teams more motivated.
Encourage Your Team to Set Boundaries
It is easier to separate your work life from your personal life when you wake up each morning and drive to an office. When your job and your family are all under the same roof, the boundaries become muddled. Many remote employees end up working longer hours than they normally would, which can lead to burnout. One reason for this is a lack of visibility. Management can’t see the hard work they put in, so they overcompensate by working longer hours. You can help by encouraging your team to establish boundaries for themselves, such as establishing a set schedule and working from a designated office space.
Establish Rules for Meetings
Virtual meetings can be a welcome change of pace when you work from home. You want to make sure meetings are formatted in a way that optimizes engagement. If meetings are too long, employees will become bored. If employees don’t have sufficient opportunity to collaborate with and connect with their coworkers, they feel like an observer instead of a participant. Setting guidelines can help. For example, you want to be strategic about how long each meeting will be and include space that allows team members to socialize and collaborate with one another.
Train Team Leaders
Even if managers have a lot of experience leading in-person meetings, they might not know how to effectively lead virtual meetings. Meetings that involve a mix of in-person and remote employees are especially hard to lead because remote workers can easily feel left out. Training leaders about virtual conferencing etiquette will ensure that leaders have the skills to keep meetings focused, participation equal, and energy levels high. Training about virtual leadership can also help managers better understand how to provide emotional support to their remote teams, which will also improve engagement and motivation.
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