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Optimum Performance From Your Remote Team

Why clear policies – not close supervision – are the real key to a remote team that thrives.

We’ve all heard the worries about remote working. Are staff really putting in the hours? Are they even at home? For a manager it can feel like a leap of faith, while the team themselves often see homeworking as the best thing since sliced bread. The truth usually sits somewhere in between – and it comes down to getting the groundwork right.

The secret isn’t keeping a closer eye on people; it’s setting clear, agreed expectations from the start. When everyone knows what’s expected, what needs doing and by when, working from home is really no different to being at the practice. Get those policies and procedures in place – ideally shaped together with your team – and homeworking can be exactly the win everyone hopes for, with a happier team, smoother planning and fewer awkward conversations down the line. Here are the questions worth thinking through before you begin.

We have all heard the horror stories about remote teams working from home, and you listen to cries of “they don’t do what they should!”. With questions around whether staff are working as hard as they would in the office, what hours are they working and are they even at home? It can feel like a managers nightmare, whereas your staff might think the idea is the best thing since sliced bread!

Having clearly defined remote working policies and procedures ensures better results. Most importantly, remote working policies should be shared and where possible, agreed with your team to avoid any confusion or future issues. To begin with it may involve some brainstorming:

  • What are the expectations from those who do work from home?
  • How much work should they be completing; do you have this documented clearly, so all parties know what is expected?
  • Should they be answering calls at home as well or is it quite working time?
  • If you want them to answer calls; do they have a work phone capable of this or do you expect them to cover the costs of using a mobile or similar?
inforgraphic of a man holding the button to increase his performance on chart

Having clearly defined policies and procedures means you can plan for the practice better..

Once you have made some decisions, you can begin to implement remote working policies and procedures.

 

For many people, the requirements of their role are distinct wherever they work. People don’t actively set out to deceive anyone into believing that they are working when they aren’t! They know what is expected of them and what tasks need completing by the end of the day or week. Working from home for those people is probably no different to them being in the practice.

 

There may be times when questions may be raised over staff productivity when at home, which can be very uncomfortable for all concerned. By having clear expectations and processes for checking that these expectations are delivered, means you can elevate these issues quickly. Having clearly defined policies and procedures also means you can plan for the practice better. If you have receptionists working from home as they choose, the last thing you need is to arrive and find they have all decided to work from home on the same day and there is nobody sat at reception to assist patients!

 

However, this does give you some fantastic options. Having a receptionist working from home who isn’t dealing face to face with patients could mean you have a dedicated telephonist and so dealing with patients becomes much quicker and more efficient.

 

 

Working from home can be exactly the ‘best thing since sliced bread’ that many people believe it to be, but everything relies on those clearly defined policies and procedures set out in advance for optimum performance!

In conclusion, working from home can be the ‘best thing since sliced bread’ that many people believe it to be, but everything relies on those clearly defined policies and procedures set out in advance for optimum performance. Some will depend upon trial and error, and some can be easily adapted from the policies and procedures in place at the practice. Working with your team to ensure everyone is on board means that everything should run smoothly, and everyone knows where they stand. Those decisions always make the most impact!