2020 has indeed been a crazy year for everyone, especially for the entire business industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed just about every organization to work remotely to ensure the safety of employees. 

As your remote workforce continues to fulfill their jobs while at home, this, as many managers have experienced, brings a growing number of hurdles that come with the transition to this type of work setup.

While there are still some companies that are reluctant to adapt to a remote work arrangement long-term, a lot of companies are now becoming increasingly accustomed to it. 

Working remotely has become a necessity for businesses that opt to maintain their operations despite external factors. Although it is now the new normal, it still remains an uncharted territory for a lot of organizations, if not most. 

Two of the main challenges of working from home are having to monitor your staff’s work performance while at the same time keeping them motivated from a distance. 

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How Can You Keep Your Remote Workforce Motivated? By Doing This... 

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A remote work setup has its own perks. It has no daily commutes, no dress codes, and you also have the liberty to work at a flexible time. However, there are also disadvantages to this new normal. As mentioned earlier, not every business is prepared for the sudden changes brought about by COVID-19. 

Having to manage your remote team is one thing; keeping your employees engaged and motivated while they work from home is another. At times, it can be hard for your staff to stay motivated when working in isolation, no longer alongside their colleagues. 

In the absence of your working office environment, below are six tips to help you keep your remote staff motivated.

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Trust Your Team

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Build trust by obtaining a good rapport with your remote workforce. Remember that micromanaging is the ultimate motivation buzzkill as it displays a lack of trust to your staff. Excessive control usually leads to poor work performance or unfinished tasks, as employees lack enough freedom and creativity to perform their jobs effectively. 

Instead of giving your employees a rigidly controlled environment, try to get to know them more through effective communication. Get familiar with their work style and try to listen to what they have to say. You can also get more personal by asking a few questions about their day-to-day lives and interests.

It’s important to show your remote team that you trust and support them by giving them accountability for their assigned tasks. At the same time, this will be a perfect opportunity for them to hone their management skills. This type of autonomy will also help them to easily approach you about any work related concerns without hesitation. 

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Recognize Accomplishments

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Notice and celebrate your remote employees’ accomplishments as this will inspire and motivate them to excel more in their given tasks. Recognizing your staff’s contributions enables them to feel more involved and appreciated. 

Remember that the key element of a successful team is its people. Employees who feel valued will choose to remain in your company for a longer period of time.

Promote a Growth Mindset

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Promoting a growth mindset allows your employees to discover more about themselves personally and professionally. A growth mindset refers to the belief that you are always in control of your ability to do more and learn more to improve, wherever you are in your career. 

Introducing new training programs to your staff will help them enrich their knowledge and skills. It will also highly promote new growth opportunities, not just to your team but also to your overall business. 

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Provide the Right Tools

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Working from home isn’t possible without technology. Failing to provide your remote workforce with the right technological tools to do their jobs properly will result in an interrupted workflow, unsuccessful tasks and unfinished deadlines.  

It’s clear, then, that the success of your remote team depends not only on your people, but the tools at their disposal. Having the right technologies and streamlined processes can help everyone work more efficiently. Your team will need project management tools, a direct messaging platform, video conferencing platform, a time tracking system, and more to function effectively and successfully.  

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Stay Connected and Communicate 

Communication is always the key. It is critical not just in building a good relationship with each of your team members – but also in ensuring the success of every project. Aside from recognition, it is also essential to provide regular feedback. This shows your employees that you care about their work performance and what they contribute to the company. 

Staying connected with your staff while working remotely has been made a lot easier through the use of different communication tools. Virtual meetings via Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet, will greatly help each team member to stay on the loop.  

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Utilize Survey Tools to Measure Your Remote Staff's Motivation

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Making use of survey tools is very helpful in gauging your staff’s motivation levels across your entire remote workforce. This action will serve as a good gesture as it allows your employees to feel that they are valued by the company. 

Aside from that, the results will give you a better understanding of what aspects of the organization need to be improved or addressed. In turn, this feedback can boost your remote team’s efficiency and motivation. 

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Make Remote Work Enjoyable

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Apart from the tips above, always remember to place an emphasis on maintaining an enjoyable work culture enjoyable, despite new remote working conditions. Cultivating a positive remote work culture will greatly influence your team’s productivity. 

Building an enjoyable work culture is a balance of following the tips above, giving your team the support they need, and freedom to excel. It also doesn’t hurt to incorporate a good mix of appropriate workplace humor into your meetings or daily team conversations. The injection of light humor will go a long way, as it helps you build a connection with your staff.