Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - July/August 2020

70 Effective working from home Don’t let remote working impact your team’s productivity With social distancing measures stepped up to slow the spread of coronavirus, most employees are now working from home where possible. Although remote working is already encouraged in some businesses, there are many owners and managers who feel apprehensive about letting staff work from home for a prolonged period. Whilst much has been written about the various tools and techniques used to boost productivity, it’s individual’s attitudes that have the greatest impact on successful working. It’s important to remove the emphasis from the location of your workforce, as employees with clearly defined goals and the necessary personal leadership skills will be much more productive, and proactive. Personal leadership pillars It’s important, especially during a period of uncertainty, to instil confidence in your workforce, equipping them with essential qualities, such as purpose and passion, to ensure the work continues to the standards expected despite the many legitimate challenges of a new working environment. These qualities fall under the six essential pillars of personal leadership that are crucial to developing the self- motivation and self-discipline needed to overcome challenges and deliver results. Personal responsibility, plan, positive expectancy and persistence are the other essential elements that make up the six pillars of personal leadership. It’s through a combination of these qualities that workers will learn to lead themselves effectively in extraordinary times. It’s this independent, self-leadership, that holds the key to maintaining high levels of productivity when working from home, which is why it’s crucial to help employees develop these attitudes. Through experience fuelled with positive expectancy, employees can crystallise their thinking and effectively focus their efforts, using this challenge to stay motivated and ensure high quality work is delivered. Persistence will then become the vital ingredient needed to overcome procrastination and manage the avoidable distractions at home whist still giving necessary care and attention to family members who may be sharing the same space. Clear direction Whilst it’s important that employees are taught the skills needed to become effective personal leaders, the collective productivity of your workforce relies on their understanding of the ‘common goal’ – having clear direction; understanding what success looks like. Goal setting is a fundamental part of personal development and essential for managing teams remotely, giving individuals clear and realistic targets to aim for, boosting self-motivation and delivering better results in work, and all other areas of life. In the current time, clear goals are more Nick Howes, managing director at Leadership Management International UK, discusses how to maintain business productivity during a period of disruption “In the current time, clear goals are more important than ever to ensure everybody in the team is pul ling in the same direction, as each person understands their r ole and recognises their importance in helping the entire team succeed.”