With the onset of the global pandemic, many industries have gone into a work from home mode as employees practice social distancing and self-quarantining. At Valiant Group, we have a great deal of experience and achievement when it comes to working remotely. We’ve outlined our keys to success when leading a virtual team and we hope this information helps you and your team stay focused and productive.
Adherence to a Daily Routine and Power of the Five
The Power of the Five is a philosophy that we follow which states that you must do five things every day to get you closer to your goals.
For example, my daily five items are:
- Reading the Bible and meditating on the Scripture
- Physical exercise and training
- Brainstorming business opportunities
- Reading at least 10 pages of a personal development book
- Spending quality time with my wife and family
Even when working from home, we are always working towards building our personal and business development.
We believe in setting office hours for everyone to stay on task. It must be very clear when everyone is logged on and working—this will coincide with your communication plan. Whether your business uses Microsoft Teams, Zoom, JoinMe, GoTo Meeting, Slack, or other collaboration tools, you must have a simple and direct way for everyone to send a message to get the day started. At Valiant, we use Microsoft’s cloud applications and we send chats and messages to make sure everyone is dialed in for the day.
We adhere to office hours and expect our team members to get dressed just as if they were going into a physical office. This is a mentality that must be maintained to support a positive attitude and a high level of productivity throughout the day. Many people will have family members at home with them so it’s important to set up a dedicated work area that gives you the space you need to focus. It helps to have an office with a door that lets others know you’re not to be disturbed when you’re on conference calls or need quiet time to think.
Company and Individual Scorecards
Each week, every employee should know if they are winning or losing. When working from home, it’s difficult to gauge performance and to provide accurate feedback without an assessment. If you haven’t established a company scoreboard and individual scorecards, now is the time. At Valiant Group, we leverage a company scoreboard that is automated and updated weekly. Again, the intent is for everyone to understand if they were successful in getting us closer to our 90-day objectives and subsequent yearly objectives.
Below you will see an example of the scoreboard we use at Valiant Group. The numbers are automatically populated because they are pulled from one data set within our Smartsheet platform. Nested under each metric is an individual and/or business line goal, which feeds up to the overall company. In this way, each person knows exactly if their actions are moving the needle closer to our goals.
Establish a Clear Communication Policy and Plan
Establish Communication Systems
We use cloud-based software so our files and communications systems can be accessed anywhere. As a part of our communication policy, all of our calls are done via video conferencing. This helps us stay on task, stay focused, and promote collaboration with other team members. Our primary means of communication is chatting through Microsoft Teams, then calling (also through Teams), and the last method is through email.
Set Clear Guidelines for Communicating Deadlines
When setting deadlines, we include the date, time, and time zone on any document. Often times there are virtual team members or clients who aren’t in the same time zone as you. We also establish weekly meetings with direct reports. This includes a clear agenda with ownership and roles for meetings to ensure someone is taking notes and publishing. Below is an example of our meeting and communication agenda.
Working remotely is a team effort. Every member of your staff needs to be invested in your remote work policies to ensure everyone is focused, productive, and that goals are being met. By following a clear communication path and having certain expectations outlined, your business and projects will continue to move along on schedule.
At Valiant Group, we are dedicated to providing the same level of attention and focus to our clients no matter where we are. Click here to read more about our mission, values, and beliefs.
Contact us at any time to discuss your next construction project.