In the last week Covid-19 has ramped up significantly in the US. At the very least, your normal daily routine is changing. For many of you, temporary laws have established, forcing you and your employees to work remotely and altering the landscape of your business.

As business leaders and owners, you are now faced with the responsibility to respond to the latest changes as a result of the coronavirus. You must find new and effective methods to be of service to not only your clients, but your employees, and safety is the number one priority. Because of this, working remotely is your new normal.

Some of my employees already work remotely, or split their time working in the office as well as remotely. But for many of you, a remote working arrangement is brand new. This change may come with some additional questions for you regarding how to run your business out of the office during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Working from home comes with this connotation that it’s somehow easier on you than if you had to go to the office. While it may be geographically convenient, how do you plan on ensuring your employees are able to work as effectively as if you were all in the office together? Many of the systems you already have in place there can be carried over into a remote work environment. Here are some strategies we have developed over time:

1. Maintaining company culture – Continued support of the company’s goals and well as the individual goals of your employees remains a priority. You also want to be sure roles and responsibilities match your employees talents. If your employees’ roles are aligned with their talents, they will likely over deliver and exceed your expectations. Having this foundation in place will offer steady inspiration for your employees, and help them remain connected to your mission and what attracted them to work with you in the first place. 
2. Consistent human connection – The great thing about having an office is that you get consistent face time with each other. In order to keep this interface going in a remote situation, we have weekly meetings, aka huddles, via Zoom. We are careful that our meeting time is used wisely, too. No fluff. It’s a great way to connect regarding project status, questions and new ideas.We  like to add a little fun to our meetings as well. To kick off each meeting we have an ice breaker, which loosens up the mood and fulfills the need for human connection. And sorry. What is said during ice breakers stays between us! These gatherings of the minds are also a wonderful opportunity to take the temperature of company culture. Awesome Amy, here in our office, even sends out weekly surveys to gauge where we are in employee satisfaction so we can make tweaks where need be. 
3. Have a piece of the office in your house – A physical, tangible thing your employees each have can strengthen a working relationship and enhance connection as well. Something as simple as the same coffee mug to say cheers with, or item in common you can all use during meetings creates a collective experience. It’s that connection that is so imperative to making a remote working environment successful. If it takes a coffee mug to get that going, so be it!

Most of all, practice strong leadership. Strong leaders will not let their remote employees feel isolated or alone in their work. Remember to lend guidance and have systems in place, even simple ones like the above, to enhance the remote working environment for you and your employees. I am confident you will find you can be just as efficient and successful if you keep your company culture intact.</p>

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