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Working from home doesn’t work for everyone. Some people love it, others are a bit lost and lonely. Even people with great skills can struggle to get work done effectively because their working environment at home is just not conducive to concentration. Where are your people on this grid, and how can you move them to a better place? |
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Have a conversation with the people who work in your team to assess where they are on this grid. Ask them about their working space, wifi, distractions and anything else that might get in the way of working well. Then ask them how enthusiastic they are about working from home, are they thriving or just about tolerating it.
Low ability - This person has a poor working environment at home. They might not have anywhere quiet and comfortable to work. Wifi could be poor. They’ll have distractions from children, pets, housemates. Their work might rely on access to people and information that is not readily available online.
Low acceptance – Working from home doesn’t appeal to this person. He/she misses the social interaction with colleagues. They might also need a lot of input or support from people to complete work and this is just more difficult when you’re not in the same space. This person also hates video calls.
High ability – This person has a good home working set up. It’s comfortable and reasonably private. They are not home schooling, or dealing with other distractions. Wifi is fast and reliable. They can access all the information and people they need online easily.
High acceptance – Working from home suits this person. They can work independently and are clear about their priorities and how to do their job. They are comfortable doing meetings online. The lack of casual social interaction doesn’t bother them, or they are able to replicate that with online chat.
Some of these issues are outside of your control as a manager, but if you have an open conversation you’ll at least know what your team members are dealing with, and you can take some action to help where possible.