Everyone Reacts Differently to Isolation
As most managers, contractors and partners know, everyone responds to different motivators. For some, it’s money. Others thrive on praise. Still other workers prefer to be left alone and successfully thrive in their independence.
Juggling all the various motivational styles is a major task in the best of times, but when you’re trying to keep at-home workers on task, your skills demand a little more creativity and a bigger toolbox of tricks. Keeping at-home workers productive is both an art and a science.
Learn the Wiles of Their Ways
The first step in effectively managing at-home workers is to learn:
- How they first react to a new work environment
- Whether they adjust appropriately
- How quickly they adapt to changes
- What motivates them to stay on task
The worker who is vigilant with deadlines and always on time for meetings may in fact turn into an entirely different creature when away from the office. Some people need a time clock and a place to go before they can don their working caps. Some require an overseer who’ll notice if they slack off. While these employees may perform admirably during working hours in the office, they may flounder without the schedules and supervision.
Then you have those staff members who turn into hyper-vigilant workers when they lose the safety net of the office. These people may really shine as at-home workers, as they draw on their well-honed self-discipline. When they are given the freedom to create their own schedules and working environments, their creativity and productivity flourish.
You’ll quickly learn how each of your partners and employees reacts when placed in a work-at-home situation. To get a handle on the new arrangement, give your entire staff a project with a one-day turnaround time and see how they respond. Then, keep communications open and check in to find out how they’re doing with the project.
Tips for Motivating At-Home Workers
Once you’ve deduced the various styles of at-home workers you have to manage, you can devise ways to keep them motivated for however long the situation lasts. You may even discover that for those who excel as at-home workers, continuing to allow them to work from home may be best for them and for you in the long run.
For those who need a little extra push and too easily give in to the distractions of home, try giving them a little push with motivational techniques geared toward their specific needs. Make sure, however, that you give those great at-home workers the same (or even better) benefits and rewards that you offer the needier workers. A few ideas that might work for your staff:
- Recognize their efforts regularly. Send short emails and texts of gratitude and praise. Tell them how important they are to the continuing success of the company.
- Make it very clear that your virtual door is open. Respond to questions as soon as possible. Answer your phone when they call. Let them know when you’ll be available.
- Offer bonuses or gifts for beating deadlines.
- Arrange for video meetings. Talking while looking at people makes the work seem more real. Too much isolation encourages minds to drift and lose focus.
- Ask for suggestions for making the at-home workers more productive. Take their feedback seriously and incorporate their ideas whenever possible.
- Walk your talk. An effective leader doesn’t ask her staff to do anything she wouldn’t do. Whether you’re quarantined for health reasons, moving your company to a permanent virtual workspace or just trying out different ways to save your business money, you need to find your own motivations and put them to use. And let others see your progress too.
When All Else Fails
While threats are not the most positive form of motivation, there are those at-home workers who respond to nothing less. Fear can be a great motivator for some people. And fear of losing their jobs may be just the final straw that gets them moving.
The problem with that style of motivation is that once the threat has passed, slackers tend to revert back to their former work habits and you often find yourself back in the same quandary about how to get your project completed on time and how to keep justifying the relationship. When positive motivations, warnings and threats land you in the same dilemma over and over, it may just be time to cut your losses and part ways.
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