Winning At Remote Work Requires Flexibility And The Right Technology<\/h1><\/div>![\"Remote](\"https:\/\/iesmartsystems.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/technology-for-remote-work-scaled.jpg\" "\\"technology-for-remote-work\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div>Remote work has been around for a lot longer than it seems. The pandemic just pushed millions of people out of their offices and into their homes. Many people who believed their organizations couldn\u2019t survive with a remote workforce discovered that they could. In fact, some companies discovered they could work more productively and with happier employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cInformation workers\u201d have a clear advantage in a remote-first environment. Their work can zip across the internet and create the same effect it would have if delivered from a computer in a cubicle in an office building. Service-sector and manufacturing jobs obviously don\u2019t have the same flexibility.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re able to run your business remotely, you need to think strategically and comprehensively about the tools you use. One key to managing a successful remote workforce is providing the right technologies and support to your distributed team. We\u2019ll talk about some of those technologies at a high level \u2014 in the end, you need to think through what your needs are and evaluate software and equipment based on internal criteria.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Remote Work Can Open Huge Doors<\/h2><\/div>Once you\u2019ve overcome the cultural resistance to working remotely, i.e. \u201chow will we make sure everybody gets their work done?\u201d and \u201cwhat if I need to get ahold of someone right away?\u201d, the potential is tremendous. Take recruiting, now that you\u2019re no longer tied to a single city or region, you can attract amazing talent from all over! You may also find, as many businesses have, that remote workers are actually more productive (up to a point) because they\u2019re skipping the commute as well as other barriers to getting into a flow at the office. If you\u2019re willing to look for the opportunities, remote work might just become your new favorite thing.<\/p>\n
In general, it\u2019s vital that your tools and software are compatible across the organization. When different teams use different tools to accomplish the same thing, you can run into major headaches. It can also cause you to waste money on redundant capacity. Seek to strike a balance between giving teams autonomy to choose and the good of the organization as a whole.<\/p>\n<\/div>
The Differences Are Real, And That May Be Difficult to Accept<\/h2><\/div>If one of your first thoughts about remote work was to worry about employees goofing off and effectively \u201cstealing time\u201d from your company, then you may have deeper issues to contend with. Remote work relies on trust and support, not micro-managing and surveillance. Accountability for results can and should be an expectation that you set with your team \u2014 you\u2019ll find out quickly who is ready to take ownership of their work.<\/p>\n
As the employer, your goal should be to think through how you can equip your employees to do the best job and remain cost-effective (don\u2019t worry, we\u2019re not recommending VR goggles for everyone). Asking for input from your team is a non-negotiable step in choosing technology and equipment. If they refuse to use the tools you pay for, it doesn\u2019t matter how objectively \u201cgood\u201d they are. And \u201cgood\u201d doesn\u2019t need to equate with expensive.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Here\u2019s What You Need To Build A Remote Ecosystem<\/h2><\/div>The market for remote team software and tech has exploded thanks to the pandemic. It was already growing quickly and nearly overnight the demand skyrocketed. We\u2019re not going to recommend a \u201cbest-of\u201d list for these technologies. Odds are you had some in place before the pandemic and have learned to make do. We are highlighting some specific areas where careful consideration can make or break your team.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Asynchronous Communication<\/h3><\/div>Especially if your team spans multiple time zones then it\u2019s critical that everyone can communicate without needing to be present at exactly the same moment. Of course, email might be the original asynchronous communication technology, but chat tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams provide ways for your team to stay in touch without feeling chained to their home-office desks.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Video\/Telephony<\/h3><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>Remote work has been around for a lot longer than it seems. The pandemic just pushed millions of people out of their offices and into their homes. Many people who believed their organizations couldn\u2019t survive with a remote workforce discovered that they could. In fact, some companies discovered they could work more productively and with happier employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cInformation workers\u201d have a clear advantage in a remote-first environment. Their work can zip across the internet and create the same effect it would have if delivered from a computer in a cubicle in an office building. Service-sector and manufacturing jobs obviously don\u2019t have the same flexibility.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re able to run your business remotely, you need to think strategically and comprehensively about the tools you use. One key to managing a successful remote workforce is providing the right technologies and support to your distributed team. We\u2019ll talk about some of those technologies at a high level \u2014 in the end, you need to think through what your needs are and evaluate software and equipment based on internal criteria.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Remote Work Can Open Huge Doors<\/h2><\/div>Once you\u2019ve overcome the cultural resistance to working remotely, i.e. \u201chow will we make sure everybody gets their work done?\u201d and \u201cwhat if I need to get ahold of someone right away?\u201d, the potential is tremendous. Take recruiting, now that you\u2019re no longer tied to a single city or region, you can attract amazing talent from all over! You may also find, as many businesses have, that remote workers are actually more productive (up to a point) because they\u2019re skipping the commute as well as other barriers to getting into a flow at the office. If you\u2019re willing to look for the opportunities, remote work might just become your new favorite thing.<\/p>\n
In general, it\u2019s vital that your tools and software are compatible across the organization. When different teams use different tools to accomplish the same thing, you can run into major headaches. It can also cause you to waste money on redundant capacity. Seek to strike a balance between giving teams autonomy to choose and the good of the organization as a whole.<\/p>\n<\/div>
The Differences Are Real, And That May Be Difficult to Accept<\/h2><\/div>If one of your first thoughts about remote work was to worry about employees goofing off and effectively \u201cstealing time\u201d from your company, then you may have deeper issues to contend with. Remote work relies on trust and support, not micro-managing and surveillance. Accountability for results can and should be an expectation that you set with your team \u2014 you\u2019ll find out quickly who is ready to take ownership of their work.<\/p>\n
As the employer, your goal should be to think through how you can equip your employees to do the best job and remain cost-effective (don\u2019t worry, we\u2019re not recommending VR goggles for everyone). Asking for input from your team is a non-negotiable step in choosing technology and equipment. If they refuse to use the tools you pay for, it doesn\u2019t matter how objectively \u201cgood\u201d they are. And \u201cgood\u201d doesn\u2019t need to equate with expensive.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Here\u2019s What You Need To Build A Remote Ecosystem<\/h2><\/div>The market for remote team software and tech has exploded thanks to the pandemic. It was already growing quickly and nearly overnight the demand skyrocketed. We\u2019re not going to recommend a \u201cbest-of\u201d list for these technologies. Odds are you had some in place before the pandemic and have learned to make do. We are highlighting some specific areas where careful consideration can make or break your team.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Asynchronous Communication<\/h3><\/div>Especially if your team spans multiple time zones then it\u2019s critical that everyone can communicate without needing to be present at exactly the same moment. Of course, email might be the original asynchronous communication technology, but chat tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams provide ways for your team to stay in touch without feeling chained to their home-office desks.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Video\/Telephony<\/h3><\/div>
Once you\u2019ve overcome the cultural resistance to working remotely, i.e. \u201chow will we make sure everybody gets their work done?\u201d and \u201cwhat if I need to get ahold of someone right away?\u201d, the potential is tremendous. Take recruiting, now that you\u2019re no longer tied to a single city or region, you can attract amazing talent from all over! You may also find, as many businesses have, that remote workers are actually more productive (up to a point) because they\u2019re skipping the commute as well as other barriers to getting into a flow at the office. If you\u2019re willing to look for the opportunities, remote work might just become your new favorite thing.<\/p>\n
In general, it\u2019s vital that your tools and software are compatible across the organization. When different teams use different tools to accomplish the same thing, you can run into major headaches. It can also cause you to waste money on redundant capacity. Seek to strike a balance between giving teams autonomy to choose and the good of the organization as a whole.<\/p>\n<\/div>
The Differences Are Real, And That May Be Difficult to Accept<\/h2><\/div>If one of your first thoughts about remote work was to worry about employees goofing off and effectively \u201cstealing time\u201d from your company, then you may have deeper issues to contend with. Remote work relies on trust and support, not micro-managing and surveillance. Accountability for results can and should be an expectation that you set with your team \u2014 you\u2019ll find out quickly who is ready to take ownership of their work.<\/p>\n
As the employer, your goal should be to think through how you can equip your employees to do the best job and remain cost-effective (don\u2019t worry, we\u2019re not recommending VR goggles for everyone). Asking for input from your team is a non-negotiable step in choosing technology and equipment. If they refuse to use the tools you pay for, it doesn\u2019t matter how objectively \u201cgood\u201d they are. And \u201cgood\u201d doesn\u2019t need to equate with expensive.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Here\u2019s What You Need To Build A Remote Ecosystem<\/h2><\/div>The market for remote team software and tech has exploded thanks to the pandemic. It was already growing quickly and nearly overnight the demand skyrocketed. We\u2019re not going to recommend a \u201cbest-of\u201d list for these technologies. Odds are you had some in place before the pandemic and have learned to make do. We are highlighting some specific areas where careful consideration can make or break your team.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Asynchronous Communication<\/h3><\/div>Especially if your team spans multiple time zones then it\u2019s critical that everyone can communicate without needing to be present at exactly the same moment. Of course, email might be the original asynchronous communication technology, but chat tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams provide ways for your team to stay in touch without feeling chained to their home-office desks.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Video\/Telephony<\/h3><\/div>
If one of your first thoughts about remote work was to worry about employees goofing off and effectively \u201cstealing time\u201d from your company, then you may have deeper issues to contend with. Remote work relies on trust and support, not micro-managing and surveillance. Accountability for results can and should be an expectation that you set with your team \u2014 you\u2019ll find out quickly who is ready to take ownership of their work.<\/p>\n
As the employer, your goal should be to think through how you can equip your employees to do the best job and remain cost-effective (don\u2019t worry, we\u2019re not recommending VR goggles for everyone). Asking for input from your team is a non-negotiable step in choosing technology and equipment. If they refuse to use the tools you pay for, it doesn\u2019t matter how objectively \u201cgood\u201d they are. And \u201cgood\u201d doesn\u2019t need to equate with expensive.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Here\u2019s What You Need To Build A Remote Ecosystem<\/h2><\/div>The market for remote team software and tech has exploded thanks to the pandemic. It was already growing quickly and nearly overnight the demand skyrocketed. We\u2019re not going to recommend a \u201cbest-of\u201d list for these technologies. Odds are you had some in place before the pandemic and have learned to make do. We are highlighting some specific areas where careful consideration can make or break your team.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Asynchronous Communication<\/h3><\/div>Especially if your team spans multiple time zones then it\u2019s critical that everyone can communicate without needing to be present at exactly the same moment. Of course, email might be the original asynchronous communication technology, but chat tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams provide ways for your team to stay in touch without feeling chained to their home-office desks.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Video\/Telephony<\/h3><\/div>
The market for remote team software and tech has exploded thanks to the pandemic. It was already growing quickly and nearly overnight the demand skyrocketed. We\u2019re not going to recommend a \u201cbest-of\u201d list for these technologies. Odds are you had some in place before the pandemic and have learned to make do. We are highlighting some specific areas where careful consideration can make or break your team.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Asynchronous Communication<\/h3><\/div>Especially if your team spans multiple time zones then it\u2019s critical that everyone can communicate without needing to be present at exactly the same moment. Of course, email might be the original asynchronous communication technology, but chat tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams provide ways for your team to stay in touch without feeling chained to their home-office desks.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Video\/Telephony<\/h3><\/div>
Especially if your team spans multiple time zones then it\u2019s critical that everyone can communicate without needing to be present at exactly the same moment. Of course, email might be the original asynchronous communication technology, but chat tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams provide ways for your team to stay in touch without feeling chained to their home-office desks.<\/p>\n<\/div>
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