Our Bowe Digital team knows how much of an adjustment working from home can be under even the most normal circumstances. You and your staff are still producing great work and meeting customer needs, and that’s a great accomplishment by itself. As the leader of a 100% remote company for almost three years, I have been impressed with how quickly many in the title industry have made the shift amid the current situation.
However, if you’re a manager of a new WFH squad (that’s ‘work from home’ if you’re one of the cool kids), it’s time to shift your mindset. Now is the time to make sure your employees aren’t just surviving at home – but can thrive. Continue to be a leader and check in on your team on a human level. Being remote can threaten the human element of an office – and that issue is only magnified when we’re limiting in-person contact in other parts of our lives too.
My First Tip: I try to always greet the team in my first message of the day with a “Good morning” or “Hello” of some sort. Otherwise, all your communications can seem transactional, which may leave people drained and less connected. During this current pandemic, I’ve also added twice-daily video messages to my team as another touch point. (And as an email break for me.) These video updates give them a high level overview of what’s to come today and what they should be prepared for tomorrow.
It’s also important to remember the current global situation. While we’re all rightfully nervous about our economic future, make sure you and your employees are tending to personal needs too. Every part of our lives is being affected by this pandemic. Even if we’re focused on work, we’re also trying to help children, family members and ourselves comprehend this new, temporary “normal.” I’m constantly reminding my team “to do what they need to do to stay safe and support their families” and I know they’re reaching out to each other as well.
My Second Tip: Be the kind of leader who is committed to keeping a positive virtual atmosphere. Remind everyone to take “brain breaks” and plan a group event, such as a video happy hour where no shop talk is allowed. And do it during regular business hours near the end of the workday. Use this time to allow your team to introduce their kids or pets, show off their home office set up or just vent. If the budget allows, consider sending your team Grubhub or Instacart gift cards to help them juggle their new responsibilities during this time.
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Bowe Digital wants to help you get the right messages out to customers and staff during these uncertain times. If you think we can be of assistance to your business right now, contact Bradley Erb, our business development manager, today! His email address is bradley@bowedigital.com.
