Are you managing a remote team for the first time due to the coronavirus health crisis? For more than a decade, Catalyst has made remote and flex work a key component of our employment practices. That’s because we know from both research and experience that flexibility in when, where, and how work gets done is integral to inclusive leadership and work cultures.
If you’re one of the many managers suddenly grappling with how to quickly implement efficient remote work policies and practices, these six resources can help.
- Managing Your Remote Teams Inclusively
This 10-minute Knowledge Burst is an interactive e-learning tool that Catalyst developed for Supporters. Due to the pandemic, we are making it available to everyone. It offers solutions for managers to improve communication and build more inclusive remote work teams—such as establishing “virtual water coolers” to build a sense of trust and spontaneous collaboration. It also provides a downloadable Communications Charter Template for Remote Teams to help teams work together to set policies and establish concrete communication norms for improved performance. - Report: Getting Real About Inclusive Leadership
While not specifically about remote work, this research report by Catalyst researchers identifies six core behaviors of inclusive leadership: accountability, ownership, and allyship (leading outward), and curiosity, humility, and courage (leading inward). Leaders can learn how to boost team problem-solving, employee engagement, retention, and innovation. These skills are particularly important when adjusting to new team dynamics, such as leading a remote team. Take our quiz to identify your areas of strength and weakness. - Running More Inclusive Meetings (Supporter Only)
This Knowledge Burst teaches how to conduct inclusive meetings, with strategies to make sure everyone is heard and valued at meetings, including remote workers. - Managing Flex 2: Successfully Managing Employees Working Flexibly (Supporter Only)
This tool helps managers engage in effective conversations with their team about flexible work arrangements—which can mean anything from working remotely full-time to working part-time or establishing alternative work hours outside of the traditional 9 am – 5 pm. It includes a list of discussion guidelines, such as asking an employee how to best support their transition to flex work. - Report: Empowering Workplaces Combat Emotional Tax for People of Colour in Canada
This 2019 Catalyst study provides powerful evidence of the importance of flexible working arrangements when it comes to empowering workplaces for people of color in Canada. The research found it is critical to trust employees to work in a way that both benefits them and delivers results. Managers should ensure that arrangements made for some are available and accessible to all—and not penalize employees who use flexible working arrangements or treat them any differently from those who choose not to use them. - Five Tech Tools to Encourage Inclusion in the Workplace
This article identifies the basic tools managers need to provide their remote teams to ensure full participation. Published in 2018, it continues to remain relevant.
This is the first installment in our coronavirus series about inclusive remote and flexible work cultures.
As Senior Director, Content Strategy, Karina produced a wide variety of content to advance Catalyst’s research and expertise. She wrote blog posts, monthly newsletters, commentary, and other content both for Catalyst’s website and external platforms. She also worked to ensure that all Catalyst content maintained brand identity and editorial consistency.…