Dealing With Procrastinating Employees While They Work from Home
It’s tough working from home when you don’t have the chance to see your employees. Calling their attention could be challenging. Following up delayed tasks is also difficult. The worst part is that the work from home setup makes people lazy. There’s no regular schedule to deal with, and it leads to procrastination. These tips will help you deal with employees who are no longer responsible in doing what they are assigned to finish.
Remind everyone after a general meeting
You might have to deal with more than one procrastinating employee at a time. The best way to reach out to them is during your general meeting via zoom. There’s no need to call out each employee. You can remind everyone about the tasks and be more detailed in giving the reminders. Create a checklist that tells you what else needs to be done. These employees already know their responsibilities and will do the right thing.
Speak to the employees privately
If the delays are already beyond acceptable, you have to speak with the employee privately. Setup a private call or meeting. You don’t need to be angry during the conversation. Be more diplomatic in your tone. Ask about the reason behind the delay. Some employees are going through a lot apart from being isolated. This pandemic has also taken a toll on many people’s mental health. Try to be more compassionate and understanding.
You should also try to offer ways to help. These employees didn’t intend to be lazy. The circumstances make things worse for them. With support from you or anyone else in the team, it’s easier to get things done.
Offer training
It’s possible that everyone still has a hard time adjusting to this new work setup. Try to offer free training and other programs that teach employees how to work in a remote environment. You can also give free seminars related to mental health and dealing with the new normal. No one has gone through this setup before, and everyone is still trying to adjust. After going through these programs, you can expect some changes in how employees work from home.
Conduct a meeting not related to work
Another way to help your employees is to make them feel better. The worst part about working from home is the lack of connection among employees. It makes everyone feel alone. You only see each other during zoom calls, and you have to talk about work. You should setup a different meeting- one where there’s no discussion related to work. It’s about how everyone feels. It’s a more relaxed meeting which is open for everyone who wants to attend.
No one wanted for things to change, but there’s no choice but to adapt to it. You should be more proactive in dealing with employees who couldn’t adjust to this new environment.
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1st and featured image from https://assets.entrepreneur.com/content/3×2/2000/20151120172744-procrastination-young-man-home-office-laptop-distracted-work-distant.jpeg
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