Working from home has been a huge trend in recent years but was propelled to another level once the 2020 pandemic hit. Telecommuting, also known as remote work, working from home, work from anywhere, or mobile workplace, has prevailed as the most common form of employment over the past year. These arrangements are becoming more common as companies have realized that they can save a considerable amount of money by not having to provide expensive office space, computers, lunchrooms, training rooms, office staff, secretaries, etc.
However, while working from home offers several distinct advantages to employees and employers, it does have some disadvantages, as well. For example, because a person is working remotely they are not in the same location as their leadership or colleagues. There are many potential negative impacts of this scenario leaders must be hyper-aware of. Because of these distinct disadvantages, managers must ensure that they cater their leadership skills and coaching efforts to the needs of employees working from home.
One of the key struggles to working from home is the inability to maintain a healthy work-life balance. When someone is working remotely they’re not as closely connected to their employer – they might feel isolated because they’re not physically present with the rest of their team. It also proves hard to “turn it off” when your work is so easily accessible during all hours of the day and all days of the week.
In addition, time management is significantly altered for people working from home. With kids home from school, spouses also trying to work from home and other factors involved, time management can be difficult. Be sure to offer your employees support and understanding. You can suggest tips and tricks to better manage a full schedule, you can provide flexible working hours if requested to allow them the ability to deal with other stresses, and most importantly, show compassion and understanding during these difficult times for everyone.
In order for you to provide the support that your employees need, you must ensure that your skills and leadership practice has been developed to cater to this new and constantly evolving workforce.
Now is the time that executives at all levels and professional leaders should be looking to further develop their leadership skills to ensure they are in line with the needs of their employees. With Ahria’s Executive and Leadership Coaching services, we take the guesswork out of the process. Obtain pertinent skills and strategies to apply to your leadership techniques. We customized our coaching based on your specific industry, workplace and employee needs to ensure the skills and guidance we deliver are entirely applicable to your leadership position and responsibilities.
In this constantly changing corporate landscape, one thing is for sure – we must be flexible and adaptable. Everyone’s learning this new way of work. Compassion, leadership development and support are key.
To discuss executive and leadership training further or to learn more about Ahria’s coaching services, please contact Terry at [email protected].