By Hannah Whitesides, Retreat Leader & Fear Management Specialist for our Company Virtual Retreats

Times have changed. We have gone from a world of excitement and activity to one that feels motionless. For most of us, the moment we moved our office to our home, our motivation began a slow decline. This is why company leaders need to put extra effort into keeping their employees engaged. For companies that are used to working in an office environment, this can be a challenge. But it’s actually quite simple. Here are some ways you can keep your employees engaged and performing at their highest level, even from home. 

1. Allow employees to make their own schedule. 

   • In my previous blog, Killing Time Is Killing You, Your Employees, and Your Revenue, I suggest that moving from a time-oriented work schedule to a task-oriented work schedule will not only motivate your employees to complete their daily tasks, but it will also stop you from paying your employees to twiddle their thumbs during an 8-hour work-day. 

2. Step up your internal communications game.

   • Remote work has taken away a key component of a typical work environment: the social factor. Because of this, it can be hard for employees to stay motivated and engaged. It’s your job to bring as much of the social component of work to your employees as possible. You can do this by calling your employees daily or every other day to check up, setting up Zoom meetings for work and social purposes, and encouraging your team to hop on a Zoom call together while they work.

   • Putting extra effort into communication is crucial to avoiding feelings of isolation and disconnect within your team. 

3. Avoid putting unnecessary pressure on your employees. 

   • Suicide, depression, and anxiety rates are skyrocketing during this time. Feelings of uncertainty are flooding the country. Generally, when people feel like they’re not in control, they over-analyze everything, trying to find some stability. Give your employees that stability by reiterating your appreciation for them, applauding them when they do a good job, and avoiding putting unnecessary stress on them. 

4. Understand that mental health matters. 

   • Even though we have been taught to run like machines, we have to accept that we can’t sometimes and be okay with it.

The pandemic has turned everyone’s world upside down. We were forced into a different world, and we have to acknowledge that in order to move forward, we must change the way we do things. We have to slow down and check in with ourselves. It’s become way too easy to spiral into darkness, and that’s why we have to help each other and lift each other up. That’s the only way we can get through this. 

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Project Passport is a proactive mental wellness company that aims to bring mental wellness retreats, workshops and other services to company teams. We also help women create joy in their lives every step of the way. To learn more about our company retreats and services, click here. To learn more about our tribe community for women, click here. Our travel retreats will resume in the future as the world reopens.