Member Article

Getting the best results from remote work.

ONS figures show that 47% workers recorded improved well-being from remote working in some capacity. However, not all people are enjoying remote working with the majority of 16-24 year olds preferring being in the office full-time office.

It is important that companies set out their remote working operating procedures clearly. We can no longer count on looking over our colleagues shoulders to get up to speed with what we should be doing. When a team member working remotely asks a question there are often delays in responses for example, which can cause a sense of isolation for them. A clear operating policy or procedure document should set out clear instructions for the job In hand to alleviate the need for so many preliminary questions needing to be asked and dealt with.

Prioritise what tasks need to be done first and why. Next categorise the task. Is this an income-generating task versus something that is not income-generating, but it’s also required. Remember, if you document procedures for doing those income-generating tasks, you can delegate to others to get them done.

Once you have categorised a task, you can work out the income-generating tasks. Find the single biggest bottleneck within that task and start documenting it. Write out the title of the task/procedure. Next write out the steps and the title of each step. So if you have a task that is five steps, now you’ll end up with five steps with the titles of each of them.

Next, put the details into each step. This is often text describing what each step is, screenshots or a video which demonstrates what needs to happen. Then you can assign it to a team member so that the employee can ask questions and feedback on the tasks in the document and you begin to collaborate. Always remember to install the idea of continuous improvement into your team. It isn’t necessarily about getting it right immediately. It is a collaboration so the team can feedback and also make improvements to the document.

The collaboration aspect of creating a strategic work procedure document like this helps to build a culture within your team. They understand what is required of them and are able to add their voice to it. This aids their creativity, sense of worth and wellbeing. It gives the employee/team member a sense of autonomy. This in turn impacts their productivity and has a direct impact on the companies growth. It ultimately allows the business to operate far more efficiently, to deliver better customer service, add more value and make more money.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucy Hood .