20 April 2020

Under quarantine, every aspect of the manager’s role becomes more crucial. Here are five ways managers can adapt their management style to meet this new challenge

2:00 min

Sabrina: Sounds impossible!

Jill: Sounds like fun!

(Charlie’s Angels)

 

Managing a team during the Coronavirus crisis makes the boss feel like the millionaire Charlie Townsend, the famous unseen character from the popular 1970s TV series Charlie’s Angels. He only spoke to the Angels via a speakerphone!

With millions of employees working from home, a smartphone or laptop has become the main way for managers to get in touch with their teams. Here are five ways to be a smarter manager while smartworking:

  • Become a “digital native”. This means learning how to make conference calls and video calls, hold virtual meetings and use ‘Groups’ on instant messenger services
  • Rethink how you delegate. When working remotely, it can be more efficient to give responsibility for an entire project to one person rather than splitting tasks between different team members based on the usual task they cover within the team
  • Use simple language without worrying about overriding hierarchies or changing processes
  • The dynamics of remote meetings are different so try to keep meetings shorter. Hold them more often if necessary
  • Give all team members merit and value by spending time listening to them, no matter where they are working. Ask team members “how are you?” more often and set conference calls just to wish them a good weekend