Supervisors Supporting Teleworking |
Telework works best when employees and supervisors communicate clearly about expectations. The following guidance assist supervisiors in establishing a foundation for effective teamwork and continued productivity:
Be flexible and available. Establish the best way to get in touch with you (i.e call, email, text, or Zoom). Schedule regular meetings to evaluate processes and determine what works—and what is not working—and how needs can be met. T
Stay connected. Keep remote employees in the loop and provide regular feedback. Schedule check-ins via conference call, email, text message, or video chat. Use email regularly and effectively.
Manage by Results. Give clear definitions of objectives and performance indicators. Monitor deliverables closely and provide ongoing training. Don’t confuse activity with results. Allow employees to focus on the work to be completed. Consider the needs of the business and your team while teleworking. Emphasize your continued dedication to achieving results and meeting or exceeding expectations.
Set Expectations. Clearly outline what work will be done during the university's temporary closing. Make sure the employees knows what work needs to continue, what work can wait, or what other work can be done in its place.
Be positive. Maintain a positive attitude toward teleworking and a willingness to trust employees. Focus on how many hours your employees are working, re-emphasize a focus on measuring results and reaching objectives. The employee’s completed work product is the indicator of success, rather than direct observation.
Additional Resource:
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Skillsoft classes |
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ComPsych Coronavirus Toolkit |
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Harvard Business Review |
Employees Teleworking |
When working remotely, employees may experience a vast or subtle difference than work on-site at the university. The following guidance will assist employees in establishing skills and habits to continue continuity and productivity with their UBalt service:
Define your workspace. Establishing a workspace, even if it is your kitchen table, gives your brain a cue that it is time for work. Wearing attire that you may wear to the office even if it is your “casual Friday” attire may cue the brain.
Maintain a work schedule and routine. Get up at the same time every day. While flexibility may be needed throughout the day, recognize and respect regular working hours. Start and end work at the same time.
Plan your day. Creating a daily to-do list and using an hourly planner to structure your day can help you stay productive and measure your progress. Set daily goals, track them and share your progress. Pay attention to how long tasks take you and start adjusting your daily goals to match your current rhythm
Eliminate distractions. Depending on your living arrangement, you may need to hang a “do not disturb” sign so your family members don’t interrupt you. Pets often need a closed door to keep them away and you might need headphones to block the noise.
Prioritize privacy. Whether you are in your home or a common area, take five minutes to assess the privacy of your workspace. Your personal privacy matters too, so see if there is anything around you that you would not want visible during a video conference with your supervisor or colleague.
Continue to employ security best practices. Situations like this are prime phishing opportunities. Remain vigilant for security concerns and be sure to report suspicious emails to Office of Techology Services.
Stay connected. Many people say they do not call or instant message colleagues who are working remotely because they don’t want to bother them. Remember, they are working, not vacationing at home! You should feel confident about calling or messaging an employee who is teleworking anytime you would walk to their office or call them if you were working on-site.
Additional Resource:
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Skillsoft class |
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| ComPsych Coronavirus Toolkit |
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| MindTools |
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Etiquette for Virtural Meetings or Conference Calls |
When participating in meetings, find a quiet space and join the meeting from somewhere free of loud background noise. When not speaking, remember to mute your phone to minimize background noise.
Be an active listener on conference calls by verbally acknowledging that you are listening, by using short statements to paraphrase the main takeaways, and asking for permission to ask questions.
When giving feedback to your colleagues, ensure it is specific, constructive and empathetic. Use your feedback to discuss outcomes and actions.
Be fully engaged and give the remote meeting your full attention. Avoid multi-tasking or reading emails.
If you have something to contribute or missed something that someone said, be sure to interject because the meeting facilitator may not recognize the need to pause and invite your participation.
If participating in a meeting via webcam, remember to dress appropriately to ensure your mindset is ready for work.
Keep your calendar up to date to avoid confusion and breakdown in communication.
When sharing documents during the meeting, plan ahead and send files to any colleagues who will be participating remotely, or setup a virtual collaboration room, using agency approved technology, such as Zoom.
Information compiled from the websites of USA General Services Administration, Telework.Gov, and Ohio State University, Human Resources