The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many managers to reimagine traditional approaches to performance management, team communications and other items that will need to continue in different ways even once the pandemic has passed.
Managers will need to have the virtual soft skills for effective remote worker management – including time and virtual soft skill management and self-administration.
Excellent Communication Skills
People need to be able to communicate directly with one another as well as communicate through emails. Keeping your words concise and avoiding slang so as not to sound juvenile or uncool as well as checking emails before sending can help you to show other people that you value their time and take pride in your work. More specifically, many of the ICs and leaders we spoke to said that, thanks to technological communication competence, the COVID-19 pandemic transition period became easier in general since their work began relying greatly on working from home and, the individual, as a talented communicator, made this possible. Thus, the skill for working remotely can secure them lasting success as a professional in the future. This helps employees who work remotely know what’s expected of them in their role, and meet those expectations – including sharing the performance of particular team members broadcast to the organisation.
Strong Time Management Skills
Apart from technical hard skills, maintaining the good-enough status of a remote work life can be grounded in some key soft skills, such as daily organisation and planning, task prioritising and establishing routines to keep you anchored into what really matters most. These soft skills can help you avoid getting derailed from distractions or procrastination, and contribute to better end results, more efficiently. Even if many of the ICs in our survey and the leaders of those who responded said that they found learning time-management difficult, this is a skill that can be taught, and with experience and software that tracks productivity and organisational workflow, it can be improved. Getting feedback from supervisors and peers to learn where you can get better will both strengthen your work ethic and give you more confidence that you can work productively on your own; all of which lead to an improved performance and longer careers.
Adaptability in Work Styles
Adaptability in terms of work styles would be the employee’s ability to adapt smoothly to different circumstances or variably changing situations and environments, which makes him/her better prepared for remote work or similar dynamic working situations. Thus, adaptability is another vital soft skill that contributes to employee’s ability to work remotely (and in other dynamic settings) effectively. Emotionally resilient professionals are better able to handle stress, maintain their composure in face of adversity, help and support fellow colleagues during difficult times, learn from errors, and use challenges as an opportunity to grow. A jack-of-all-trades is a shape-shifting organism of the workplace: the kind of employee who adapts easily to a new job because they have the experience of working on multiple fronts, and can shift comfortably from one attractive option to another. If sales are low in an off-season, for example, a jack-of-all-trades might shift their focus to targeting new kinds of buyers, or cold-calling in a new way, in order to practice their sales pitches and hone their skills – and pick up more business. One of the best ways to help your team become more agile is to ensure your communications are ever-clear and concise, so that your team hears what you need them to hear and can then act accordingly.
Strong Interpersonal Skills
From the weekly team meeting to the essential email, remote workers have to be particularly effective communicators – both in communicating emotion and body language virtually and reading the mood of the people they’re communicating with. Skill development also continues to be important for remote-work success. These include competence in using instant messaging and video-conferencing software, and knowing how best to manage teams remotely. Participants identified taking initiative as the other key interpersonal trait among remote workers. ICs can help cultivate this trait through: sharing information readily; recognising good performers; taking steps to help people learn and grow; and behaviours anchored in integrity and respect.
Strong Leadership Skills
Good leadership is absolutely vital for remote professionals in our fast-paced era. Managers have to rethink how they deal with traditional managerial issues and must master the art of working with remote teams. Crucially, this involves keeping an open-mind about change, pivoting when times get tough and giving regular feedback and support – as well as making sure to check in with remote workers to maintain engagement while nurturing individuals to get the most out them. Leaders can help establish such a culture by celebrating successes of remote employees or teams through further internal communication such as in newsletters and emails.
