Since panic is not a strategy, it’s time for innovation!
First of all, if you are the MD of a small business, I believe you have just paid your staff before or right about now, especially for us living in cities on lockdown, just so they can also stock up their households too. It’s only fair that way. This lockdown should be around for at least a month. But first, I think you should first have a “moment of clarity” meeting with your team by given them work condition options just when you are paying them for this month that is about to end.
Depending on the nature of your business and how solid your finances are, the options should be that they can go on an indefinite break henceforth without pay pending when the pandemic ends or they can work remotely with pay but with clear cut terms for their next salary. If you’re to still have a business with jobs, I will strongly suggest that payment should be done by performance. This brings me to today’s article. It’s on Managing Work and Performance remotely. Let’s explore the steps.
Performance and parameters for working from home should be spelt out. Since activity is not productivity, focus on outcomes and not activities. Communicate and supervise regularly. I think it’s best and mutually beneficial to both the employees and employers to make it a case of Management by Objectives (MBO).
Choose and define your virtual team and communication technology. You can either use a mere WhatsApp Group, Active Collabo software, Time Doctor App (for remote screen monitoring) or Slack backed by shared Google Drive for data storage and file sharing. And then you can use one of the free virtual meeting softwares like Zoom, Free Webinair app or Google Hangout for videos and the likes of Trello and Bitrix 24 for task and project management. Bigger teams can see how scalable their ERPs are.
As regards monitoring your team, esepcially their work and performance, let me suggest the following Hexavian Business Tips:
- Have a daily virtual check in and check out routine systemized (just like they do in the office). Also once a document or information is shared on your virtual platform or WhatsApp group, there should be an acknowledgment of all documents sent in on your virtual platforms (that’s really the only way you can know that they are still working and following up on task).
- Activate more aggressively the adherence to weekly reports: a template of that weekly report should be developed by you or the HR (it must contain a column for all that was achieved last week, what is to be achieved the coming week. This should be on a unit-by-unit basis). With this, the heads of unit can submit it to a general grid or make shift dashboard and they can also track who is doing what and what happens and how well it was done afterwards.
Reports are a key part of strategic management (generally broken into formulation, implementation and evaluation). Generally, reports (whether daily or weekly reports) are professional statements that help the team quantify daily/weekly or any timeframe duration directed at implementing strategy. In other words, it helps management see how hard you strive to make productivity and growth happen and what they need to do to help you achieve the target. Sometimes, it may also include ways you think the company can contribute to your goals.
- Let everyone send in their Daily Reports: Also, beyond weekly unit reports as stated above, individually from henceforth will need a daily report on what was done the previous day and to be achieved the current day. It must be sent by the the start of the day.
A detailed report of your daily activities serves as your own VISION BOARD – the more detailed it is, the more sense it makes, the clearer your goal. It helps you see what you have achieved in a day, what you spent your time doing, how much time you spent doing it and if it actually contributes to the overall goal of your team.
You can easily spot out your challenges and work on them. It makes you more effective and your growth becomes “like light from a lamp that cannot be covered”. Build an intellectual team, that also documents processes and submits reports. Set goals/targets and meet them daily. Find joy in being an achiever. Stay safe
- Have a logistics/delivery team (maybe outsourced). I will suggest two optional dispatch delivery firms to ensure smooth logistics of orders.
- Have more budgets for digital marketing, especially for Instagram marketing this period. More people are likely to be home and will access the Internet and social media more. This is the best to engage people actually. More sales can come from this part. If you run a retail store that delivers essential products and services, you may need to consider setting up a select few personnel you may call the “essential team” in your store (you can give those a “Hazard allowance” to motivate them if necessary. They are mainly to process/prepare stocks for delivery. They can be supported through 1.Teleconferencing person(s) from home to take orders, manage transactions and enquiries. Communiqués and posts can be placed at shop floor doors redirecting customers online ( and that you are still open to take orders and deliver) when you have to shut down..
- A sales and enquiry reporting templates that the “essential” back office guys can monitor. This brings me to recalibrating work processes for back office people.
5.Set targets and penalties: targets should be numerical and timeline based. And penalty should clearly state consequences on what happens whenever this is failed. Rewards should also be given on exceptional performances. “`
In other news, always remember that panic is not a strategy. Try to stay off too much news and social media. More importantly, stay calm, stay hydrated, healthy fit and sanitised and positive. I look forward to helping you and your teams in creating the best framework to manage productivity for your operations while you all are working from home this season. We have a special and affordable consulting package for this. Keep your business going and growing while everyone is indoors. Feel free to chat me up this season.
Eizu Uwaoma
