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Leader's remote working handbookHow to support dispersed teamsApril 2020

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© PA Knowledge Limited

Contents

Adapting how you manage for remote teams 10

How to support your people 12

How to develop effective habits 16

How to embed the right technology 20

3Introduction

Get in touch 23

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All too often, the workplace exerts a constraining force on our natural creativity, purpose and ingenuity. Unlocking the ingenuity stifled in our organisations isn’t going to be easy. Yet it’ll be worth it. By harnessing human creativity, innovative technologies and a drive to do things differently, we can reimagine our businesses. Not just in isolation by focusing on our own success, but in considering our teams, organisations, societies and planet.Key to this will be embracing the emerging modern workplace. Remote working will be particularly important, enabling teams from offices across geographies to collaborate and team members to work from home to better manage their work-life balance. While the COVID-19 pandemic has made this an overnight necessity for many organisations, remote working is here to stay and will be a key factor in long-term success.That’s not surprising when an increasing amount of research shows that remote working employees are more engaged and productive. Our own global research into organisational agility found that the most successful organisations are more likely to embrace flexible ways of working. We also know that being flexible about where people work reduces an organisation’s carbon footprint and contributes to significant cost savings as it minimises travel and office space.

INTRODUCTION

To help you capitalise on the opportunities of remote working, this handbook contains all the tools and guidance you need to better understand what it really means and how to lead your teams from afar while maintaining productivity, cohesion and wellbeing. It also addresses common misconceptions of, and challenges around, remote teams.

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Four aspects of great remote leadersDue to the specific challenges of remote working, such as communication and visibility of work, leaders need to show some different capabilities to on-site working. So, we’ve developed the guidance and tools in this handbook around four key capabilities of great remote working leaders:

INTRODUCTION

They are self-aware – they lead by example, listen, work together and are open.

They are visible and communicate effectively with their teams.

They understand and can identify human responses to change.

They are resilient and accept responsibility for delivering remote working.

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Dispelling myths

When it comes to remote working, it’s common for leaders to become distrustful of what their people are doing. Some of the comments we’ve heard from leaders include:

INTRODUCTION

But these are myths rather than common issues, and there are actions leaders can take to further encourage the right behaviours.

If I can’t see them at their desks, how do I know they’re working?

Remote working is never as effective as face-to-face meetings.

People get less done during working hours when they’re at home.

Teams can’t function as teams when they’re not together.

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Myth 1 – Remote workers aren’t actually workingOne of the biggest myths around remote working is, if you can’t see your team at their desks then they aren’t working or delivering value.The truth is, it doesn’t matter if someone’s in the office or working at home, if they want to avoid work then they’ll find a way. The trick to ensuring team members are working is to manage based on people’s output rather than how long they’re at their desks. Leaders must clearly communicate their expectations and agree deadlines. If you set people tasks, clear delivery responsibilities and deadlines then it quickly becomes clear who’s working.

INTRODUCTION

Line management tip: Try setting up a mix of formal and informal reward mechanisms to recognise when a member of your team delivers.

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Myth 2 – Video meetings aren’t effectiveWhile this myth may have been reality 10-15 years ago, both video technology and internet connection speeds have vastly improved, making video conferencing highly effective.While in-person meetings have additional benefits, video conferencing saves both time and travel. And that means it can offer significant increases in productivity. Video conferencing also offers an opportunity to reduce or avoid unnecessary meetings that often distract people from delivering work.

INTRODUCTION

Line management tip: Create a list of the types of meetings your team has and run them using video conferencing by default, using voice calls as a last resort.

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Myth 3 – Remote working still means standard hoursAll your team members are different. Some will be early risers, while others will be night owls. It’s easy to assume that standard office hours cover the time when most people like to work. But remote working offers people the opportunity to work when they feel they’re most effective or at times that suit their lifestyle. You might find that allowing people to work flexible hours improves their engagement and overall performance. If you communicate individual working hours well and set clear guidance on attending team meetings, then you can empower your team to work the hours when they’re most productive.

INTRODUCTION

Line management tip: Get your team to mark out their available working hours on their outlook calendars, or in whichever collaboration platforms you use

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Myth 4 – People and teams need to be physically with each other to form real connectionsRemote working doesn’t mean the quality of communication or team building must go down. Many behavioural studies have found that people feel anonymous when communicating through a screen, leading to them being more open and establishing better group cohesion. And we’ve seen this is true even when using video calls.When communicating face-to-face, people tend to unconsciously monitor the behaviour of others around them and adapt their own behaviour to match the group. When communicating digitally, we don’t do this and let ourselves act more naturally than we would in physical office settings.

INTRODUCTION

Line management tip: Provide digital methods of informal socialisation, such as setting aside specific blocks of time for non-work-related chat

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As the way we work changes, leadership methods must evolve too. Many of the management skills required are the same as always, leaders just need to apply them with more discipline to ensure people working at a distance aren’t treated differently, forgotten or excluded.You’ll need to make it clear that changes in your management style will also involve your team taking on more individual responsibility. And you’ll need to lead by example to instil the desired practices and behaviours in your team.

ADAPTING HOW

YOU MANAGE FOR

REMOTE TEAMS

Anticipate and address common remote working issuesThere are common hurdles leaders will need to overcome when teams start remote working. Many are easy to anticipate, letting you address them before they become real problems. So:• engage staff who might feel isolated or

face particular challenges, such as caring for family members, when working remotely

• provide guidance on the technology available and where to find support when working remotely

• outline clear expectations around working hours to avoid 24/7 working and work intruding on home life

• facilitate conversations about managing performance aligned to the new ways of working.

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People, habits and technology

In recent years, a range of remote working methods have become popular amongst both public and private sector workforces. Your way of working will need to suit your organisation and teams, but you should carefully think about the key areas of people, habits and technology to frame your solution.

ADAPTING HOW YOU MANAGE FOR REMOTE TEAMS

People• Build trust-based

relationships• Focus on clear deliverables,

rather than time spent at a desk

• Embrace the opportunity to increase productivity

Habits • Explore how your people

want to work• Maintain your team’s health

and wellbeing• Run effective remote

meetings

Technology• Increase the flexibility of

available technology to suit many uses

• Make an array of solutions accessible and user-friendly

• Find technology to increase collaboration with colleagues

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Your priority is your people. And when working in dispersed teams, your people need more support than when working in a centralised office. You need to overcome mistrust, manage the distinct challenges of working in different environments and build good lines of communication.

HOW TO

SUPPORT

YOUR PEOPLE

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Build trust-based relationships

Trust is at the core of remote working and effective collaboration. Teams made up of people who trust each other increase productivity and decrease financial overheads. They share knowledge and communicate openly. And, as teams take on the characteristics of their leaders over time, trust accelerates the adoption of good behaviours.

To build trust, focus on purpose, communication, commitment and honesty:Put purpose firstA clear purpose is an anchor that helps you sense-check your plans, make good decisions and organise what you do. It’s a compass that helps you choose the best course and navigate through opportunities and challenges. By putting your organisation’s purpose first, everyone will be able to trust the decisions being made.Communicate openlyOpen, continuous discussions that clearly share important information give everyone a full understanding of what’s happening, letting them appreciate the reasons behind decisions.Follow through on commitmentsFor people to trust you as a leader, you need to commit to modelling desired behaviours and following through with what you say. Once you’ve demonstrated your commitment, you can better encourage others to do the same.Promote honestyTackling new challenges is uncomfortable, whether it’s changing how you work or innovating what you offer. So, be honest about how you feel and encourage others to confront their doubts and anxiety over change to build deeper relationships.

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR PEOPLE

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Manage your team through output

To get the best from remote working, you’ll need to manage based on output. Your team will have the ability to work more flexibly, adjusting their hours to align with when they feel most productive and to fit around their other commitments. This is a daunting prospect for leaders who see presence as the biggest indicator of productivity, but it doesn’t need to be a problem. The key is to shift your management style to be able to assess team members on what they deliver.

While you do need to ensure your people balance their preferences with the organisation’s needs, you might find that letting people work flexible hours improves their engagement and overall performance. If you communicate individual working hours well and set clear guidance on attending team meetings, then you can empower your team to work in the way that suits them.


That means putting renewed focus on:• providing clarity on responsibilities, tasks

and deadlines• building trust-based relationships• maintaining communication and

collaboration by being clear on essential hours of work.

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Boost your people’s productivityWorking away from a structured office setting comes with challenges for many people. Some, like childcare arrangements, are also reasons why adopting modern working practices is so important. Others, like people’s comfort with communicating solely through digital channels, are entirely new. The key is to confront them honestly to ensure your people maximise their productivity.When people are honest about the fact their children are home and will occasionally need attention, meeting interruptions turn from an unexpected irritation into an amusing way to learn more about your colleagues. Honest discussions will also identify opportunities to embrace flexible hours to fit around family needs without losing productivity.Similarly, we must be honest about the fact that some people don’t know modern communications technologies well. As a leader, you need to ensure everyone has a good working knowledge of the tools available. One way of doing this is to identify team members who understand and model effective communication skills and behaviours, and ask them to share their knowledge with their colleagues.

Consider who your team will be working withMap your stakeholders and think about what’s important to them, the interest they have in your team and the level of influence they have on you achieving success. This will help you decide how and when you need to engage them, as well as for what purpose. Remote working is just as much about what communications work for your stakeholders as what works for your own team.


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From working at a dedicated workspace to using video calls as standard, there are a host of good habits remote workers need to have, and you need to ensure your teams are embracing them.Explore how your people want to workConsider your available and preferred collaboration channels and ways of working so you can build shared habits across the team. Maintaining productivity when surrounded by distractions and missing face-to-face interactions can be difficult. So, discuss:• how to make meetings creative with

interactive tools• how to prepare a workspace so everyone still

‘goes to work’• why computers are essential for meetings

(they have more features than phones, like messaging and screen sharing).

HOW TO

DEVELOP

EFFECTIVE

HABITS

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Maintain your team’s health and wellbeing

When running their 2019 Mental Health at Work survey, Business in the Community found 62 per cent of UK managers had put their organisation’s needs before the wellbeing of their team. Due to the detachment that virtual engagement can create, it’s even more critical you support the health and wellbeing of your team. Your primary concern is ensuring they can effectively juggle their professional and personal lives, which can include social isolation and anxiety. Creating conditions where employees feel supported, valued and able to perform while working remotely means focusing on three actions:

HOW TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE HABITS

Provide point-of need resources and support Your people will need access to wellbeing resources and support at different times through different devices. So, create an online, mobile-optimised hub for wellness content. Then share key updates and answer common questions with tailored learning resources. You could even use a wellbeing chatbot to answer questions and push relevant content to groups and individuals, which would provide insight into wellbeing needs so you can tailor future resources.

Make it socialPeople need active engagement. When remote working, video calls provide a window into our teams’ lives, bringing opportunities to connect in more meaningful ways. We should embrace these moments rather than cling to traditional office etiquette. So, consider setting up initiatives like peer support programmes and virtual communities, and run social events that encourage new hobbies and wellbeing skills to maintain morale and a sense of belonging.

Create and communicate a wellbeing culture Leaders must define a wellbeing culture that’s sustainable. Recognise the needs of each of your team by taking the time to understand as much as possible about what works for them and where the biggest challenges are. You’ll need to work with your people to agree working patterns around any new and anticipated pressures, and to restructure or review new processes with a wellbeing lens.

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Run effective remote meetings

As with office meetings, digital meetings should follow a set format and agenda. The well-known ‘5 Ps of Effective Meetings’ work just as well online as they do physically:• Purpose – Be clear about the objective of

the meeting and why it needs to take place. Set an agenda and key goals that the meeting should aim to achieve.

• Participants – Make sure you only invite those who need to attend the meeting. Ask yourself if they’re the right people to support the meeting in achieving its stated purpose.

• Preparation – Set out what preparation needs to happen before the meeting to ensure it runs effectively, such as creating materials or pre-reading.

• Process – Set out how the meeting will run and think about how to keep it on track to achieve its purpose.

• Product – Describe the intended output of the meeting.

Make the most of the technology at handTechnology can make online meetings much more productive. For example, if the meeting’s goal is to review a document, share the screen with other participants to ensure everyone is on the same page/slide all the time. If the meeting is a brainstorming session, use a shared whiteboard so everyone can contribute. For small meetings, ask everyone to turn mute off and encourage people to jump in to keep the conversation flowing. If it’s a large meeting where you want to keep questions to the end, use the ‘mute all’ option.Keep the team engaged When people are staring at a computer screen for the duration of a meeting, it can be easy to drift off to look at emails or work on something else. To help your team engage, always start with informal chats about non-work topics. Then, when screensharing, give control to other people. If there’s a presentation, have multiple presenters deliver it to keep the call dynamic. And instead of ‘telling information’, ask attendees open questions.


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Avoid misunderstandings onlineCommunicating digitally can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, particularly if you’re not using video conferencing. So, you and your team will have to adapt how you give and receive information from others, becoming more measured around how you think and respond. Having open and honest conversations with your team about common ways we misinterpret things can help people consider how they talk and how they should approach understanding what others are saying. You should also embed these habits:Use videoFace-to-face is always best. It lets you use facial expressions and body language to communicate the meaning behind your words more clearly. So, ensure you have conversations with webcams turned on.If in doubt, askWe all communicate in ways that make sense to us. If you want to know why someone said something, ask them. Honest questions are better than assumptions.Run emotional intelligence workshopsOne person’s enjoyable debate can be another’s combative argument. Building up emotional intelligence can help spot the difference between the two.Don’t bottle things upIf there’s a possible misunderstanding, don’t ignore it. Doing so could lead to resentment and will almost certainly affect the delivery of work.


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It’s tempting to think of the technology side of remote working as a concern for the IT team, but leaders have a vital role to play in embedding the right technologies to support their people. By embracing and embedding the right technology for the modern workplace, leaders can attract the best talent, organisations can reduce their carbon footprint and businesses can save on office space.Focus on outcomesTechnology should enable business outcomes. So, determine your teams’ priorities and provide information on which tools to use for each. This is better than simply listing the capabilities and features of a tool as that puts the responsibility on team members to decide what to use, and you might find dependencies can’t join up. Focusing on outcomes also lets you set clear metrics to measure progress, making the processes and tools a secondary consideration.

HOW TO EMBED

THE RIGHT

TECHNOLOGY

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Democratise technologyYou’ll need to discuss and agree tools and ways of working with your teams, but don’t get bogged down in trying to replicate old ways with new technology as that will minimise its benefits. Instead, understand the context for using the technology and build training around those common uses to promote new and better ways of working. While technology is making work more flexible, it has limitations. So, be honest about limitations to reduce unnecessary frustration with the tool.And start simple. Experiment with richer functionality when everyone is used to the new ways of working, but start with the basics, like multi-user editing on shared documents or using video cameras on conference calls.Share the new ways of working with other people and teams, asking for their input, agreement and understanding to get the whole organisation on the same page. Be security consciousLarge-scale remote working brings an increase in security vulnerabilities. While Chief Information Officers must review their security approaches and ensure they’re up to scratch, everyone in the organisation needs to more security conscious. Remind people of the existing security and compliance policies around vulnerabilities like phishing emails and sharing information through unapproved communication channels. But also highlight the new risks, such as the privacy of the family living room or home Wi-Fi networks still having default passwords.

Support your people through technology challenges When working from home, people need to tackle some of the issues IT teams normally would in the office. Over-stretched domestic broadband connections, for example, can negatively impact productivity. Let people know what remote technology support is available and how they can access it. And work with IT to create basic troubleshooting guides for home issues, such as repositioning Wi-Fi routers and disconnecting unused devices to improve signal strength. While equipping everyone with an office-like set-up is a challenge, consider where some additional equipment could add the most value. A simple laptop stand, for example, will improve posture and wellbeing when your teams aren’t using desktop screens or dedicated desk space.Develop continuous feedback loopsEnsure people can provide feedback on the technology they use while working remotely. You need to be able to consider and act on any issues people raise, and clearly communicate any changes. By developing a clear feedback loop, you’ll be able to continuously improve the technology and ensure people feel engaged despite being dispersed.

HOW TO EMBED THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY

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Key to effective remote working will be reaching a consensus with your teams about people, habits and technology.

It’s vital everyone is on board with your new way of leading, so discuss the areas above with your teams and document agreed practices in a team charter.

Team(s) Senior leader

Date Line manager

PEOPLE HABITS TECHNOLOGYDocument the practices that relate to the

‘People’ element of remote working.Document the practices that relate to the

‘Habits’ element of remote working.Document the practices that relate to the ‘Technology’ element of remote working.

You could consider:• that trust is necessary in remote working• what managing by outputs means in

terms of reporting on tasks and responsibilities

• how you will challenge poor behaviours as a team

• that remote working might not be an option for certain activities

• how your team will stay in touch• how your team will onboard new joiners.

You could consider:• what regular activities will support

everyone’s mental health• the essential aspects of all online

meetings• how you can create the feeling of ‘going

to work’ remotely.

You could consider:• how the team will store documents to

help accessibility and collaboration• when it’s best to use email or video

meetings• what etiquettes to follow.

CREATE A

TEAM CHARTER

Team remote working practices charter

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At PA, we believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future in a technology-driven world.Remote working is a challenge but using technology in the right way to enable it unlocks opportunities. Contact our experts to discuss how we can help you make the most of leading teams from a distance.

GET IN TOUCH

E: [email protected]

Katharine HenleyWorkforce transformation expert

Andrew JaminsonIT delivery expert

Will RackhamCultural transformation expert

Sophie HarrisonIT delivery expert

mailto:[email protected]

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10 Bressenden PlaceLondonSW1E 5DN

+44 20 7730 9000

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© PA Knowledge Limited 2020

This document is confidential to PA Consulting Group and may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without the prior written permission of PA Consulting Group. In the event that you receive this document in error, you should return it to PA Consulting Group, 10 Bressenden Place, London, SW1E 5DN. PA Consulting Group accepts no liability whatsoever should an unauthorised recipient of this report act on its contents.

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leader's remote working handbook - pa consulting...remote working will be particularly...

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