Working from home has been a seamless transition for some and a challenging one for others. Distractions come easy around the house. Kids need attention, household chores must be completed, and working for an attorney general office is always demanding. As attorney general office managers, keeping your employees motivated in a remote world where anyone can be distracted by what is happening at home can be challenging. Here are a few tips attorney general office managers can use to motivate their employees:
Establish Goals. Goal setting takes on extra importance when your employees are working remotely. Setting achievable and time bound goals keeps your employees engaged with the office. Most important, managers should make sure their employees understand what the goal is. The employees should also be given the appropriate resources to achieve those goals. Having specific, achievable goals to meet will keep your employees motivated.
Create a routine. Failing to have a work routine can lead to the stressful thought of “when will I get it all done?”1 Establishing a consistent routine while at home can eliminate that thinking by providing a clear schedule for the day. Motivation to stick to the routine will result in a productive workday as the routine creates a “work mode” in a person’s mind during which they can focus solely on achieving their work goals.2
Check In. The downside of working remotely is you cannot pop into an employee’s office to check on their progress on a task or to chit chat about Sunday’s big game. The COVID world limits our workplace interactions to video meetings, phone calls, and emails. Despite the physical limitations, consistent communication with your team is vital to their productivity. Employees need to know updates on office protocols, receive feedback on assignments, and simply interact with a colleague. There is no magic number of times a manager should check in on an employee. However, check ins should be consistent so employees know when they will be talking with a manager to adequately prepare for the meeting.
Take Breaks. Encourage your team to take breaks during the workday. Nonstop work with no breaks can cause stress and anxiety. A break from your “work mode” mind can refresh the brain and replenish your energy.3
Although this is not an exhaustive list of motivation tips, establishing goals, creating a routine, checking in, and taking breaks are a good foundation to keeping your team motivated and productive while working remotely.
Additional Resources:
Four Ways to Motivate Your Remote Workforce
How to Build Trust and Boost Productivity Within Remote Teams
Visit the NAGTRI Center for Leadership Development for more resources and online courses.
