# Disadvantages – key challenges to overcome when working from home
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-02-01
Category: LIFESTYLE
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/lifestyle
Meta Title: Remote Working Tips: Managing Anxieties & Distributed
Meta Description: Learn how to empower, trust and communicate with your team when working from home. Drive success in a virtual workplace environment with these strategies.
URL: https://financedigest.com/disadvantages-key-challenges-to-overcome-when-working-from-homehtml

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_By **Liz Sebag-Montefiore,** career coach and Director of 10Eighty._

Working from home is often challenging particularly if there are other family members and other distractions at home

- Trust – No one likes to feel that they are being micromanaged or have to account for all of their time.
- Contact – If your [team members](https://www.financedigest.com/playground-xyz-appoints-new-team-members-as-it-solidifies-its-position-as-a-leader-in-the-attention-space.html "Playground xyz appoints new team members as it solidifies its position as a leader in the attention space") are used to frequent contact, it is important that they don’t feel isolated
- Managing anxieties in [a remote working environment](https://www.financedigest.com/the-benefits-of-creating-a-great-working-environment.html "The Benefits of Creating a Great Working Environment") and as a manager to acknowledge their anxiety and fears
- [Health and Safety – Just because someone is home working](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-maintain-physical-and-mental-health-while-working-from-home.html "How to maintain physical and mental health while working from home") doesn’t negate you or your organisation’s responsibilities.
- [Mental Health – Moving from a busy sociable office to working](https://www.financedigest.com/helping-employees-recover-from-remote-workings-mental-health-implications.html "Helping employees recover from remote working’s mental health implications") on your own at home needs to be managed sensitively
- Communication – Challenge over Zoom, resulting in flair ups in communication styles
- The challenge [the remote piece has given us around managing](https://www.financedigest.com/new-research-suggests-over-13-million-brits-were-inadequately-managed-while-working-remotely.html "NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS OVER 13 MILLION BRITS WERE INADEQUATELY MANAGED WHILE WORKING REMOTELY*") conflict and how you do this and how you manage some of those difficult people

**Advantages – [potential opportunities](https://www.financedigest.com/case-handling-machines-market-global-size-growth-opportunities-industry-potential-segmentation-overview-trends-and-forecast-studies-2028.html "Case Handling Machines Market Global Size, Growth Opportunities, Industry Potential, Segmentation Overview, Trends And Forecast Studies 2028") to seize when working from home**

- There is an opportunity to thrive in a less structured environment
- only a small amount of people want to [return to working full-time in an office](https://www.financedigest.com/are-businesses-using-cybersecurity-as-a-scapegoat-for-a-desperate-return-to-office-working.html "Are Businesses Using Cybersecurity As A Scapegoat For A Desperate Return To Office Working?")
- [working remotely](https://www.financedigest.com/remote-working-during-covid-a-successful-social-experiment.html "Remote working during COVID: a successful social experiment") gives you fewer office distractions, no commuting time and freedom over how you spend your time
- [Working from home](https://www.financedigest.com/remortgaging-a-home-to-buy-to-let-how-does-it-work.html "Remortgaging a Home to Buy-to-Let – How Does it Work?"), and the move to a virtual workplace for some, has seen the importance of distributed leadership significantly increased. This is characterised by a [move away](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-eu-to-move-away-from-emergency-phase-of-covid-pandemic-document.html "Exclusive-EU to move away from emergency phase of COVID pandemic – document") from a command and control mode of working in a centralised infrastructure, to a leadership style where decisions are taken on the ground. Traditionally, leaders were at the organisation’s centre, driving organisational objectives; but being an employee centric operator in a distributed leadership model completely reverses this approach, requiring leaders to align organisational [objectives to employee needs](https://www.financedigest.com/why-coding-needs-to-be-re-evaluated-for-sustainability-objectives.html "Why coding needs to be re-evaluated for sustainability objectives"). Distributed leadership empowers team members to take decisions as best fits the situation and is predicated on the organisation delegating and trusting employees. It’s illustrated by the Sandhurst model i.e. it’s the [operative in the field who makes the decisions not the colonel back](https://www.financedigest.com/back-to-operational-basics-with-analytics.html "Back To Operational Basics With Analytics") at base, who outlined the mission and sent them out.

**New ways of working**

Leading a team is more challenging than ever when some are in the [office and some at home, working alongside colleagues who are shielding and perhaps covering for those on furlough or made redundant](https://www.financedigest.com/cavai-tests-innovative-new-approach-for-the-home-offices-parentwise-pilot-campaign-helping-parents-and-carers-in-the-west-midlands.html "Cavai tests innovative new approach for the Home Office’s ‘ParentWise’ pilot campaign helping parents and carers in the West Midlands"). It’s a worrying time for employees and a headache for management and HR to manage and motivate the team; there’s a lot that leaders can do to make it easier for their team and to ensure a sustainable and productive work environment.

**Focus on your people**

As a leader, being employee centred and ready to sculpt jobs around the employee’s needs, exploiting their strengths and developing the potential of each of them is going to be most beneficial. An employee centric approach requires us as [leaders to spend time](https://www.financedigest.com/now-is-the-time-for-finance-leaders-to-take-on-a-more-strategic-and-valuable-role.html "Now is the time for finance leaders to take on a more strategic and valuable role") connecting with our employees – listening, observing, using emotional intelligence and creating bespoke career paths for each team member (the opposite of a one-size-fits-all approach to defining job roles).

To improve engagement at work, as a [leader I recognise that in times of uncertainty we need to support](https://www.financedigest.com/allowing-yourself-time-to-grow-as-a-leader-consciously-will-enable-you-to-support-your-team-authentically.html "Allowing yourself time to grow as a leader, consciously, will enable you to support your team authentically") each other. It’s important to connect with and understand others, then prioritise the team’s needs and [build an environment of trust](https://www.financedigest.com/how-financial-services-can-secure-data-and-build-trust-in-todays-modern-environment.html "How financial services can secure data and build trust in today’s modern environment") and support. It’s about nurturing relationships rather than just undertaking tasks. As a leader, it’s important to motivate others to collaborate, develop, and perform, even in difficult times.

**Make connections**

I like to focus on connecting with the team to create a sense of belonging. When employees feel they are included and that they have a voice within the organisation, I believe they perceive the organisation as caring for them as individuals. Loyalty is two-way street, you get it by giving it.

I like to make everyone responsible for supporting each other and team goals and encourage everyone to value what others bring to the table, advocate for everyone’s voice to be heard, and invest in team growth and development. It’s important to include employee input in organisational values to [show workers they have a meaningful role in building an inclusive workplace](https://www.financedigest.com/industries-with-the-most-workplace-accidents-and-workers-comp-benefits.html "Industries with the Most Workplace Accidents and Workers Comp Benefits").

Particularly during the pandemic, and the difficult working conditions it imposes, clear and regular communication is vital. For a workplace to be productive, [communications need to be open](https://www.financedigest.com/why-poor-customer-communication-is-holding-open-banking-back.html "Why poor customer communication is holding open banking back") and positive. Feedback has never been more important, but I try to tailor methods of communication and timing to what works for each member of my team, as different people absorb information in different ways.

**Trust and accountability**

Trust is crucial when the [team is scattered and working remotely; I try to ensure my team doesn’t feel the need to prove they are working all the time](https://www.financedigest.com/build-a-strong-remote-team-with-these-5-steps.html "Build A Strong Remote Team With These 5 Steps"). We set clear goals and when I [need people](https://www.financedigest.com/britain-says-6000-more-people-needed-for-trial-of-merck-covid-pill.html "Britain says 6,000 more people needed for trial of Merck COVID pill") to work collaboratively, we set up Zoom facilities and use networking and information-sharing platforms. Trust enhances willingness to cooperate and [collaborate and improves the likelihood of my team](https://www.financedigest.com/a-winning-team-how-corporate-champions-can-drive-successful-collaborations.html "A winning team: how ‘corporate champions’ can drive successful collaborations  ") going the extra mile. Where there is a good level of trust, my team are more likely to be committed to working towards strategic goals.

The key to establishing clear [accountability is to set out expectations](https://www.financedigest.com/theres-a-fine-line-between-relinquishing-control-and-accountability-financial-institutions-must-balance-both-to-successfully-cloudify-operations-and-meet-customer-expectations.html "There’s a fine line between relinquishing control and accountability. Financial institutions must balance both to successfully cloudify operations and meet customer expectations"), goals, and deadlines. We try to provide weekly updates on progress, including ongoing communication about how [everyone’s contributions](https://www.financedigest.com/business-leaders-flexibility-for-everyone-contributes-to-gender-equality-in-the-workplace-without-affecting-your-bottom-line.html "Business leaders: flexibility for everyone contributes to gender equality in the workplace, without affecting your bottom line") and achievements impact organisational success. One [thing I’ve learned is the need to demonstrate accountability](https://www.financedigest.com/things-mortgage-lender-takes-into-account-when-processing-an-application.html "Things Mortgage Lender Takes Into Account When Processing an Application") through my own availability and commitment to my team.

Leaders create team culture through their own attitudes and behaviours. I try to consider myself as a [role model](https://www.financedigest.com/the-importance-of-role-models-and-policy-in-encouraging-more-women-to-pursue-careers-in-the-finance-sector.html "The importance of role models and policy in encouraging more women to pursue careers in the finance sector") and ask what team culture I’m creating. To build a productive and high-performing team, it’s important to [create a culture that’s positive](https://www.financedigest.com/creating-a-positive-and-productive-culture-within-the-workplace.html "Creating a Positive and Productive Culture Within the Workplace") and open to new ideas, creativity, and innovation.

**Network for success**

Whilst we’re all working from home, at the start of team meetings I enjoy building in a personal element to encourage catch up time, so the team connect with each other despite being [physically separated](https://www.financedigest.com/why-it-pays-for-companies-to-hold-physical-assets-in-separate-limited-companies.html "Why it pays for companies to hold physical assets in separate limited companies"). We now [open online meetings with time](https://www.financedigest.com/isnt-it-time-open-banking-delivered-for-businesses.html "Isn’t It Time Open Banking Delivered for Businesses?") at the start for colleagues to chat about what’s going on in their lives just as they would do if they were in the office.

I believe celebrating [success is important](https://www.financedigest.com/the-importance-of-data-analytics-for-success.html "The Importance of Data Analytics For Success ") in building engagement, so I try to ensure I acknowledge anyone who deserves a ‘well done’ or ‘thank you’; as I believe a few words go a long way in building rapport. Showing appreciation can boost the confidence of those feeling isolated [when working from home and bolster the autonomy and accountability of those who make the organisation a success](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-make-hybrid-working-successful.html "How to make hybrid working successful").

I’ve also spent the year on my own development and last week became an accredited executive coach. I’ve also seen first-hand that a leader [needs to look after their own growth and wellbeing in order to support](https://www.financedigest.com/hung-out-to-dry-smes-need-further-support-to-stay-afloat.html "Hung Out to Dry: SMEs need further support to stay afloat") the team. It’s important to prioritise what is needed to maintain my [energy levels](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-war-energy-crisis-send-german-business-sentiment-to-lowest-level-since-june-2020.html "Ukraine war, energy crisis send German business sentiment to lowest level since June 2020") while dealing with the myriad of challenges our new way of working brings without anxiety or loss of focus.


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