COVID-19 has brought about plenty of changes in the way we work. One major change has been the move from in-person office spaces to remote work-at-home arrangements. Many jobs support this working style, and depending on the employee’s personality, they may prefer it, too. But as a manager of remote workers, you are now faced with the challenge of managing people you never see (other than on video calls, of course).
Manage based on personality types
Working from home adds an element of solace for some and a feeling of isolation. It also makes connecting with workers a bit trickier for you. One of the best ways to succeed as a manager in this new working style is by understanding your employees. Then, you can manage based on their personalities.
To do this, ask yourself the following questions to better understand how to approach your employees:
- Are they dominant or passive? Dominant workers are the ones who prefer to work independently on their own projects. They also prefer to singular credit for their accomplishments. A more passive worker is happier working as part of a team, with the ability to brainstorm and collaborate with others. This type of worker is best praised as part of a group effort. To help either type of personality, assign individual work to dominant employees and group projects to passive employees.
- Are they introverted or extroverted? Right now, many introverts who have found themselves at home are thriving. Being within their own space with little to no face-to-face contact is an introvert’s perfect scenario. In contrast, extroverts feel energized when they’re around other people and may need your support to do their best while on their own at home. While your introverts are pleased as punch with the status quo, your extroverts may need opportunities to chat during team meetings or 1:1s simply, and video calls when they can see others.
- Are they patient or impatient? Your patient workers enjoy stability and methodical work, such as a to-do list they can work through and check off. Your less patient employees do better with change and crave new and different projects to keep the day more enjoyable. By providing the type of assignments they prefer, you can help your patient or impatient workers do their best.
- Are they formal or informal? Formal employees work best with rules, while informal workers are happier in a more flexible working arrangement. To help them along, keep your formal employees updated with your weekly expectations and deadlines. But for informal workers, ask for regular updates of their progress, but give them the freedom to complete their work in their own way.
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