Remote work has presented challenges for both workers and their companies. Challenges include adopting flexible schedules and conducting video interviews. However, managing a team of remote workers can be a challenge, but it can also be a rewarding experience for both the employer and employees. With the right strategies in place, it is possible to effectively manage and support a team of remote workers. Here are some tips for managing remote workers:
1. Clearly Communicate Expectations
It’s important to make sure that remote workers know what is expected of them and how their role fits into the overall goals of the company. Regular meetings and clear, concise communication are best for providing expectations. When explaining your anticipations, whether verbally or written, use simple language, short instructions, and concrete examples. Anticipate potential problems and emphasize actions that are acceptable and ones that aren’t. So as not to appear negative, maybe include a few anticipated positives too.
2. Set Regular Check-ins
Scheduling regular check-ins with remote workers can help to ensure that they are on track with their work and address any concerns they may have. They also make up for the emotional gap left from the absence of face-to-face communication. The non-verbal cues we get from personal interactions are critical to building trust, empathy, and understanding, even in a professional relationship. Regular check-ins help make up for this deficient.
3. Keep Meetings Short
Employees can’t maximize remote work benefits if they spend too much time in lengthy online meetings. They might as well be at the office. Set a start and stop time and stick to it. One easy way to do this is to set a timer on your phone or your Windows Clock app. Better yet, use the free version of Zoom conference calling, which limits a call to forty minutes. The service will pop up a reminder that your meeting is about to end so you can wrap up your discussion. Also, use a meeting agenda with bullet points to keep the meeting on track.
4. Shift to a Results-based Appraisal
Your employees’ workflows will inevitably change with remote work. It’s just the nature of remote work for more time to be spent on other things like family responsibilities during “normal” work hours. Besides, the whole appeal of remote work is that workers can have a healthier work-life balance. So, shift your appraisal from the “correct” process, to goals and results. Dedicated, honest workers will find the shortest distance from A to B in their new workflow. Let them find their way. Ask yourself “Are they delivering results?” If the answer is “Yes”, then base your appraisal more on that fact rather than how unorthodox or non-traditional the approach to the work may seem.
5. Provide support
It is important to make sure that remote workers have the resources and support they need to be successful in their role. This can include access to training and development opportunities, as well as any necessary equipment or software. Create virtual “happy hours” or other informal events to build relationships.
6. React to Signs of Stress
Change is hard. Adjusting to a new workflow is a major change for employees. New problems crop up, along with opportunities. The stress may be overwhelming at time. Be sensitive to signs of over-work or excessive stress. Stressed workers may seem more argumentative, report more sick time, or complain more. Identify signs quickly so you can make changes. Check in regularly and facilitate an honest and open dialogue so workers aren’t afraid to tell you about problems.
Conclusion
In addition to these tips, there are a few best practices that can help to ensure the success of a remote team. For one, it is important to establish a process for tracking and managing work. This can include using project management software or creating clear, actionable to-do lists to ensure that work is completed efficiently and effectively.
Also, it’s critical to provide regular feedback to remote workers. This can help to keep them motivated and engaged, as well as provide opportunities for growth and development.
Managing a team of remote workers can be a challenge, but with the right strategies in place, it’s easy to ensure success for workers and the company. By following these tips, employers can create a positive and productive work environment for their remote team members.
In every act of communication, we strive to influence others. Even when our communication is simply to inform, we seek to align someone else’s view of reality to ours. While we can influence others’ behaviors, the higher aim is often to change their minds as well. However, it’s this sense of “mind control” that burdens the term with negative connotations today.
It’s often thought that to influence someone is to hold a hypnotic power over them, usually for nefarious reasons or personal gain. Someone or something is a “bad influence.” We often ascribe the act to politicians, cult leaders, or Rock-and-Roll lyrics. Social media “influencers” are opportunistic marketers. Irresponsible folks drive “under the influence.” You get the idea.
Even though the term has gotten a bad rap recently, the premise of influencing as a part of communication isn’t nefarious at all; in fact, it’s a basic component (and outcome) of any effective communication. And savvy communicators understand how to use influencing strategies to get their message across more effectively. Here are some tips on how to communicate better by influencing your audience.
Soft Landings Approach
Influence requires an understanding that most people fear and resist change. Even when your audience knows change will be beneficial, some push back is inevitable. At these points, communication can become strained or breakdown. When possible, you can influence a successful outcome by easing folks into change rather than “ripping off the bandaid.”
“I do a lot of organisation transition and change management,” says Phoenix Lavin, a veteran FM who’s worked in the industry since 2003. “Sometimes that change is painful, and there’s a bit of grief and disruption.” Lavin suggests meeting resistance to change by taking elements of a “soft landings” approach:
“A soft landings approach incorporates taking the time to introduce people to change. Rather than leaving people feeling like change is being forced on them.”
Phoenix Lavin
“A soft landings approach incorporates taking the time to introduce people to change. Rather than leaving people feeling like change is being forced on them.”
People fear change primarily because they feel a lack of control. In these moments, fear tends to consume our focus, making it tough to communicate. Engage in active listening and let your clients vent their frustrations. Allowing your audience to express their anxiety, lets you identify and focus on the source(s) of that anxiety. You may not think their “problems” are a priority, but by refocusing and being empathetic, you make your audience more receptive to your own ideas.
Also, invite your audience to contribute to the project. It will give them a sense of control. “It’s about how they can see themselves in this new building/facilities,” Lavin explains, “and how they feel engaged and part of the build and operation process.”
By engaging your audience in the problem solving process, you also give them stock in the solution, and they come away from the conversation confident they’ve contributed. You will know your soft landing was successful, if your audience comes away not knowing they’ve even “landed.”
“I’ve got to gently move you around here so you barely realise you’re going around the corner,” Lavin explains. “Then voila! All of sudden now it’s your idea not mine. That’s the influencing component of good communication.”
Avoid Language that Creates Hierarchies
As is often said of words: they matter. The wrong words can alienate your audience by putting others at a lower level and/or yourself within a higher one. We often interpret these linguistic positions on an unconscious level, but they impact our audience’s reaction nevertheless. To level the field, choose language that communicates equality. Lavin provides a relevant example for facilities management:
“In our industry, we are often shackled with the term ‘service’ (which is linked to the term ‘servitude’). What we hear in that word is: You are here to do something for me, and, therefore, I am greater than you. When we look at communication, we’ve got to understand our audience and adjust our language so we’re not in a position of servitude, but in a position of competency and credibility.”
Instead of “customer,” Lavin suggests using terms like “stakeholder” or “end-users” to refer to the people benefiting from your input and expertise. This is especially important in relation to in-house management.
Another loaded term to avoid is “discussion.” Within it, Lavin says, lurks aggression and an imbalance of power. “It’s a one-way exercise,” she says. “It says I’m pounding something into you. I’m going to say what I have to. Instead, I tell people to use open terms like ‘dialogue’ or ‘conversation’ or ‘chat’.”
Some words and phrases may create or reflect frustration as well. As tensions rise in our conversations, our language often becomes more formal sounding or even legalistic. Try to maintain the same level of formality and tone as when you began the conversation, otherwise, your audience will immediately detect such changes, become defensive and make your influence less effective. “These are subtleties,” states Lavin, “but they’re how you change the dynamic of a conversation for the better or worse.”
Include Yourself in the Conversation
In the spirit of equality, speakers and writers should also include themselves in their arguments and narratives. Say “we” rather than “you.” Self-inclusive language helps eliminate hierarchies and signals that you have a stake in the outcome too, that you’re acting in good faith. It also forces you to empathise. If your message is “we’re all in this together” then the implication is that everyone must appreciate one another’s perspective.
“Anyone who is an effective communicator puts themselves into the narrative,” explains Lavin, “not in an arrogant way, but in an understanding, empathetic way. We can take a lesson from Te Reo Māori. In Te Reo Māori, we could start a meeting by saying tēnā koutou which is Greetings to everybody in the room (3 or more) or we can say tēnā koutou katoa which is greetings to everybody, and I’m including myself in the statements going forward.”
“Anyone who is an effective communicator puts themselves into the narrative.”
Phoenix Lavin
Inclusive language is also a prime launching point for bolstering your own credibility and experience. Politicians often use unifying language to great effect. Most never pass up a chance to point out their “working class roots” or “humble beginnings” to connect with their constituents. There’s a simple reason for the ubiquity of this approach: it works. If you’re sincere about your connection, your audience will (and should) respond positively.
“If you’re part of the organisation,” Lavin explains, “then communicate that these decisions are affecting you too. Let’s say you’re at the top table for an expensive capital replacement, and the stakeholders say, The business can’t sustain this. Your response should be: We understand the hesitancy, and we understand the drivers of the business. As a part of the workforce, I understand this. That type of language creates an unconscious connection. So, suddenly you’re not just a person saying I want something from you. You’re saying We need to do this together.
Got an Expert? Bring them Along
Credibility is such a key part of influencing that it’s foolish to omit someone with expertise in the arguments and ideas you’re presenting. Too often, we feel overly confident or too prideful to admit our ignorance of a topic, opting instead to “fake it ‘til we make it.” It’s a dangerous gamble that can tank your influence if you’re outed by a technical question. Lavin advises that if you think your credibility may be questioned, to bring someone else into the room:
We always think we have to do difficult conversations on our own, but we don’t. There’s nothing wrong with saying, ‘Oh, I’ve brought Ms. X along with me today because she’s currently working with X systems and she’s got a better overview and understanding of this.”
The need for expertise requires FMs to build and maintain professional relationships. Find people who can provide you with answers and guidance when you’re stuck. “I still need to bounce things off people,” Lavin admits. “I’ll ring people and say, I’ve got to bounce this off you. This is where I’m going, and I can see it’s not going to work but I can’t quite see my way out of it. When you’ve got a great network of people who have skillsets different from yourself, you can do that.”
Conclusion
At its most complex level, the art of influencing is about abiding by simple courtesies of communications. It doesn’t take an advanced degree in communications or being a master orator to be empathetic, inclusive and thoughtful about the words you use. There’s no “political correctness” to abide by. For most managers, these “strategies” are basic mores of professional conversation. Often the real art of influencing is not in the execution of these simple courtesies, but in the remembering to do so.
Facilities managers must master many skills to be effective. Communication, multi-tasking, technical knowledge, and resilience to name a few. But in a market disrupted by pandemics, climate change, tech innovations and new regulations, knowing how to prepare for the future can be a challenge. To narrow things down, we asked FM experts in both education and the private sector to give us their perspectives on what skills FMs should be shoring up now for the future. What we found was not just a focus on new tech, but a good mixture of hard and soft skills, with the latter leaning heavily on communication.
1. Innovation Awareness
Tech tools for FMs are growing steadily, with an expanding list of digital solutions for BMS, CAFM, CMMS and energy management. The 2018 Global FM Market Report reports cloud-based services and anything-as-a-Service (XaaS) models will be two major trends moving into 2025. In short, the complete digitalisation of building management is fast approaching.
While digitalisation and automation produce more accurate building data and save time, such a dynamic tech landscape requires FMs to stay savvy about new tech. Dr. Eziaku Onyeizu Rasheed, a Senior Lecturer at Massey University, explains:
“Since the start of the Facilities Management profession, the FM’s role has evolved from the technical maintenance of building systems to more proactive, digitalisation of building management. So, FMs need to upskill to be conversant with the associated technological innovations.”
The struggle to keep up is putting pressure on already over-extended FMs. However, resources like online courses, industry blogs, workshops, conferences and FM organisations help fill knowledge gaps with the least time investment.
We can’t always know what’s happening with our audiences’ viewpoints. We can’t know how they got there, or how they take in information. But what we can do is create connections, and from that understanding.
Phoenix Lavin, Design and Construction Interface Manager
2. Perspective-Taking
In psychology, perspective-taking is the ability to perceive a situation or understand a concept from another person’s point of view. It’s a key personality trait for FMs who must manage many stakeholders and consider different perspectives. And with the pandemic and changing workspaces disrupting normal routines, FMs must adapt quickly. Adopting another’s perspective can facilitate that change quicker and easier.
“You need the ability to adapt your ideas with those of others,” Rasheed explains, “and to be aware that there are different views of particular issues and topics.” Her point is well taken: consensus and compromise first demands an accurate understanding of another’s stake in the situation.
Phoenix Lavin, a Design and Construction Interface Manager at Programmed, agrees. Lavin is a veteran FM who’s honed her skills of perspective-taking. She suggests the first step is tackling one’s own unconscious bias:
“We all bring a perspective to the table that’s informed by our ethnicity, race, socio-economic status and education level. These biases often ‘blind’ us to how others see issues.” she explains.
So how do you overcome unconscious biases? You don’t completely. It’s something to be managed rather than “cured.” However, for Lavin part of the answer is creating meaningful connections with others. Connections force us to see others as individuals rather than obstacles. “We can’t always know what’s happening with our audiences’ viewpoints,” she explains. “We can’t know how they got there, or how they take in information. But what we can do is create connections, and from that understanding.”
3. Building Systems Basics
Modern building management systems now automate much of the reporting, scheduling and monitoring for FMs. But today’s property managers still need a basic understanding of hard building systems for proper asset management.
Gas, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and fire safety are each complex systems in their own right, but today’s smart building technology is integrating each into a larger, connected whole. FMs must manage the complexity of these connections, which begins with a good foundation in technical knowledge.
Technical knowledge has even more value today, given the break-neck pace of technological and environmental changes. Rasheed highlights the importance of technical skills. “While their role has expanded to include the importance of soft skills,” she states, “today’s FMs still require technical knowledge to successfully navigate the complexities of the profession, especially in emergency situations.” A foundation in technical knowledge is an effective stopgap against the uncertainties of global warming, cybersecurity threats, pandemics and an evolving workplace.
Today’s FMs still require technical knowledge to successfully navigate the complexities of the profession, especially in emergency situations.
Dr. Eziaku Onyeizu Rasheed, Massey University
4. Communicating to Influence
All facilities managers need a deep understanding of communication. They tackle everything from delivering bad news on a CAPEX project to breaking down a technical topic for end-users. “What makes a good FM,” says Lavin, “is the ability to take information, process it, and then deliver it in a way that’s understood by your audience.”
It’s a straightforward notion, but Lavin explains there’s a deeper complexity to effective communication than simply sending and receiving messages:
“Effective communicators also seek to influence,” she says. “They ask: What is it I want my communication to do? Where am I driving people? I do a lot of organisation transition and change management. Sometimes that change is painful. I have to move an organisation away from the trainwreck they’re heading towards, and there’s a bit of grief and disruption.”
Lavin’s “soft landing” approach helps build inclusion and influence. “Soft landings are when we take the time to introduce people to change,” she explains. “And rather than leaving people feeling like change is being forced on them, it’s about how they can see themselves in this new building/facilities and how they feel engaged and part of the build and operation process.
“I’ve got to gently move you around here so you barely realise you’re going around the corner, and then voila! All of sudden now it’s your idea not mine. That’s the influencing component of good communication.”
5. Communicating to Build Credibility
Lavin adds that good communicators also work hard to establish their credibility, which takes more than just demonstrating your expertise on a subject. Sometimes it requires changing someone’s perspective of a situation or showing their non-expertise.
“It’s hard to create credibility in a job that people feel they can do themselves. With soft services, for example, everyone thinks they can do it. No one thinks there’s any technical know-how or planning in these things. It’s a bit like painting your house. Everyone feels they can paint their own house because they see people do it on TV…that is, until they go to do it.”
Lavin suggests overcoming these types of biases by reframing the situation. “You may come up against someone who says: I just don’t believe it takes two hours to vacuum a room. So, I ask them ‘How did you get to this idea?’ and they say, I compared it to vacuuming my own house.’ I ask, How often do you vacuum your house? and they say, Once a week. I say, “Well, how about I get the cleaners on your floor just to vacuum once a week for the next month. We’ll still pay them the same. Then you tell me how your physical environment feels to work in after a month.’ So far, no one’s taken me up on the offer.”
6. Adaptability
If FMs had a master soft skill, it would be adaptability. Like the buildings we manage, we like to think of our processes, habits and personalities as strong, immovable, structures that produce predictable outcomes. And while the work of facilities management has always required a certain level of nuance and flexibility, those personal qualities are in higher demand today. Pandemics, building tech, governmental regulations, flexible workstations and artificial intelligence are disrupting the management of built environments.
What’s more, the rate of change is faster than the production of new FMs, so continual education and adaptability are certainties for anyone looking to make a long-term career in facilities management. “Our ideas and practices cannot always be repeated,” Rasheed explains, “but we should adapt them to the prevailing nature of events. FM practice must adapt to accommodate these changes and remain relevant to organisations.
