Working Effectively as a Remote Team

We hope you, your teams and families are all safe and well and adapting to everything that is going on. Unusual times call for steady nerves and informed decision making. Our industry-leading team of experts is here to help you through this.

Footprint Digital is here to help

We exist to help you join the dots & make your digital marketing more human with specialist data-driven marketing services including Strategy, SEO, PPC, CRO and Content Marketing.

Right now we are focused on helping you with practical responses to COVID-19 and how digital marketing can help.

This article and webinar are one of a series of FREE COVID-19 support webinars which you can find here. We hope you find it useful and if there is anything we can do to support you through these challenging times then please get in touch.

Our hosts for this webinar are Director Tom Jepson and Head of client services Hannah Meadows.

It includes a mix of strategic and tactical advice aimed to help you through. We hope it gives you some focus and helps you feel motivated.

The video of the webinar is here. If you prefer to read then scroll down to explore the ideas in written form.

Footprint Digital’s Guide to Working from Home

Footprint’s Guide to Working from Home has been created to provide some useful tips and guidelines for working remotely.

Take some time to read through each section and feel free to feedback your thoughts on anything you would like to add from your experience of working from home.

The most Important first step, is allowing yourself some time to adjust. Everyone is feeling a little shell shocked at the moment, and that is completely normal. It would be strange if anyone did feel 100% stable in a global pandemic. It Is important to give yourself a break and just take some time to digest what is happening and focus on establishing a safe environment to work in from home.

Remember, we are all in this together. You are not alone, and everyone Is feeling and experiencing similar emotions. Above all else, we need to take care of one another, our families, our colleagues and ourselves.
Mental health is a huge factor here. Wellbeing is a priority and should be kept front of mind, be open and honest with each other and support with regular check-Ins where possible. Even If this Is just grabbing a virtual cup of tea and a having a chat.

We give a sh*t more than ever!

Working from Home as a Team

Some guidelines on how to work from home effectively as a team.

Project Management

Updating the CRM Regularly – It is always vital that we are all using the CRM effectively, but even more so when working remotely. The CRM is the hub for all your tasks, projects and ongoing retainer activities. You need to ensure that all tasks are assigned to the relevant team member and time is tracked against each activity you do. Follow these simply rules and you will be a CRM pro before you know it!

Internal Team Hangouts – If you need to speak with certain team members regarding a specific client or project, simply schedule a Google Hangout and have that discussion over a video call, like we would a stand-up meeting.
Be Mindful of Others – It Is Important that we are all able to support one another in whatever way we can. One way for RM’s to support the Delivery Team and vice versa, is to ensure that you prioritise adhoc tasks prior to assigning these to the team. Also, If the task Is something you feel you could do, but would just like checked, make the relevant team member aware of this and they can put some time aside to review.

We are a team and are in this together.

Communication is Key:

Voice over email
We are receiving more emails than ever. Email is great but is also quite disconnected.
That is why, we will always strive for voice over email. Talking to a client and your team over the phone or a video call has and will always be the best go-to communication; aside from physical face-to-face of course. It Is Important now more than ever to strengthen your client and internal relationships.

Internal Communications
Internally, there are a few key tools we should all be utilising.

Slack
Slack Is a fantastic tool for quick questions, client discussions and catching-up with fellow teammates.
It Is also a good way of showing others if you are available or not. Make sure you update your status and availability if you’re away from your desk. This way, if a client calls, we can set and manage their expectations correctly.
Remember to keep an eye on the dedicated channels, including RMwire and General groups to get the latest team news.

Google Hangouts
If you can do a video call, this will again work well for relationships and offer an open, honest space for you to really engage with one another and gain an understanding of how things are going. Internally, Google Hangouts is recommended. Hangouts work well for both short 5min catch-ups and lengthier meetings.
Team meetings are best face to face (virtually), particularly when you’re working from home and have been speaking to your pot plant all day.

CRM End of day summary
At the end of each day, make sure you add a checklist of all completed tasks In the CRM as an activity and address this to your Head of Service. This not only helps you reflect on a good day’s work, but keeps your manager aligned with what you are focused on.

External Communications

Phone calls
Simply asking a client how they are and how business is going amongst the mayhem, can offer them someone to confide in. Talking to them about existing strategies and offering guidance on how these can be adjusted accordingly with ongoing circumstances will give them confidence In Footprint’s abilities to help.

Video Calls
If you can do a video call with a client, this will again work well for relationships and offers a platform to really engage with them and gain an understanding of how they are doing. It is essential that we are actively listening to clients and identifying the un-said. As Peter Drucker states, ‘the most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said”. This simply cannot be done on email.

There are lots of options for video call tools, including: Google Hangouts, Zoom, Whereby and Skype. Ask your client their preference and work together to make It happen.

Email
All calls should be followed up with an email to confirm next steps and actions, including who is responsible for each.
Whilst email Is also good to reach out to non-responsive clients, It Is vital that we are continuously calling and trying to engage with these Individuals in a more ‘human’ method as well.

Communicating, reassuring and challenging our clients, is the key to maintaining and strengthening relationships.

Working Effectively From Home:
It is difficult to strive for normality in a time that just is not normal, but we as a collective team can do a few things to ensure that we can work as effectively as possible remotely.

Keep a schedule

With the current situation it’s easy for schedules and day-to-day life to go out of the window. There is a real danger that you become overworked or sporadic. Things will change, and we need to be receptive to that and work with the team to adjust.

If possible, try and stick to a schedule. It may be easier to keep to your usual day-to-day routine. For most of us, our working hours will remain the same, so if you’re used to having a coffee at 10am and a lunchtime walk, then keep that penciled in. Write your routine down and stick to it.

We understand that not all of you are able to stick to usual working hours due to child care and other commitments, but as long as you make your team aware and put the time in to complete all necessary projects, then that’s all we can ask for.

Be flexible and don’t panic if things change in the normal working schedule with your team. We have to be as agile as our market at the moment and be lenient to some changes that are outside of our control.

Spend the first 10 minutes of every day planning

What are your goals for today? How many clients are you going to call/check in on? What do you want to achieve? There is a lot going on at the moment and it is important wherever possible to remain focused. Try bullet-pointing your high priority tasks for that day and commit to getting them done.

It is vital here to have some guidance from your managers and team. If you are unsure of what your goals may be, just ask. You can only be as productive as you can, if you know what direction to put your efforts in. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and others here. RM’s you should be aiming to call at least 3 of your clients every day. Delivery, you’re aim is to ensure we can deliver all monthly tasks In-house, on time.

One challenge we all face is becoming distracted with re-active work. If you set a plan out in the morning and complete It by end of play, you can then finish the day feeling fulfilled. There are a few techniques we can recommend to make sure this happens.

EAT that frog. Focus on the most challenging things first. Breaking tasks down into A, B, C’s also works well. What are the tasks you have to complete first, these are usually the big chunky ones (A’s), the ones that need to be done that day (B’s) and the it would be nice to (C’s).

There is also another technique we have found effective called the Pomodoro technique. This focuses on using a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. You could even use the washing machine’s cycle as a timer, if you’re trying to multi-task!

Be realistic with your expectations. Distractions will likely occur especially if you are working from home with children! Using some of the above techniques can help you maintain a nice balance throughout the day.
Set yourself guidelines and don’t break them

Set yourself guidelines and don’t break them

Working from home can mean that the lines are blurred between work time and down time. If possible, commit to having your lunch and finishing for the day at your usual times and don’t be tempted to keep dipping in and out of emails throughout the evening – take a break.

Think about your bad habits and how you can you stay focused. Do you find yourself checking BBC News regularly, spending time making wayyy to much coffee or even just browsing social media?

Identify your bad habits and that way you will be more aware when you are doing them. You can also set ‘locks’ or timers to keep yourself off things like social media – but that is quite extreme.

You want to be establishing good habits from the offset. It can be difficult to not want to keep up with the latest news at the moment. But again, set yourself guidelines, like checking on a break and at lunch.

If you still find yourself distracted and don’t know the answers, speak to the team and learn from one another.
It obviously goes without saying that these are abnormal times and that If you do need to put more time in to deliver something for your clients in order to keep them afloat and maintain a strong relationship, then it’s great If you can do this! Ask for help though, you do work with a dream team!

Dress the part

Dressing the part can play a big role here! Don’t underestimate the feeling that putting your work gear on and getting ready for the day can have on your mindset.

If you roll over in bed at 9am, turn your laptop on and start working and can do so productively, then I salute you. For many of us, that will not be the case. Yes, It may seem silly to get up, washed and dressed for the day to sit at home, but it gets you in the right mindset to work and be productive.

Think about it, you’re going to an important meeting, what do you do? Do that every day! Just to get settled in as now every day requires the best version of you. Especially if you’re keeping a team positive and focused, be the positive leader you need to be to show commitment to your job.

Have a workspace

Although it is not always possible, it is Ideal if you are able to have a permanent workspace set up. Even if this is just a table in the corner of a spare room, or in your bedroom. By having an actual space that you are committed to work in helps retain the boundaries between work and home. You know once you are sat at that desk, it is work time and that you can begin making your way through your list.

If you do not have a permanent space to work, what can you do to limit distractions? This could be setting everything up 10mins before you start your day, making sure you have the core necessities of what makes your desk yours, like your post-it notes, notepad, inspirational images and any other mementos that help replicate a structured environment.

Take a moment to be mindful, what was it about the office environment that helped you stay focused. Was it a quiet space, or full of hustle and bustle that drove you? Was the radio on in the background and did you have a quick route to the kettle?

This could be bigger things, such as having a desk, a comfortable chair to work in and wifi. Or even smaller things, like having your pot plant next to your monitor, or access to sticky notes on demand! As much as you can, try and replicate this at home, even if it does mean moving your kettle into another room and trying to, but failing as always to keep a plant alive.

Also think about the things that may not have been ideal. Did you always find the office radio was on classic rock and your much more of a Radio 4 type of person? Did the fact that your desk was directly under the aircon make you shiver at the thought. Great, now you can make all these changes too!

Use tech to bring you together

As we said in the very beginning. The roots of success are in communication. We’ve never been in a better position to do this, given the technologies we have at our fingertips. Slack, Facebook, Whatsapp, hangouts. Utilize the existing technology you use. Find new technology that can help connect you and work smarter.

Slack
Slack Is a fantastic tool for quick questions, client discussions and catching-up with fellow teammates. Channels can be created and used to centralise communication around a particular topic. The social style of it, also brings an element of fun – the giphy plugin in particular (everyone loves a random gif now and then)

It is also a good way of showing others If you are available or not. Make sure you update your status and activity If you’re away from your desk. This way, If a client calls, we can set and manage their expectations correctly.

Google Hangouts
Team meetings are best face to face, particularly when you’re working from home and have been speaking to your pot plant all day.

Hangouts work well for both short 5min catch-ups, to the lengthier meetings and can be a good way to

CRM Action summary

At the end of each day, make sure you add a checklist of all completed tasks in your CRM as an activity and address this to your Head of Service:

Activity:

Look at ways in which you can utilise or introduce new technology to stay connected with one another.

Invest in reliable tech that will improve quality and efficiency

Voice over email

It is important now more than ever to strengthen your client relationships. Is it me or are we receiving more emails than ever. Email is a great, but is also quite disconnected and to quote Bob Hoskins “it’s good to talk”. That is why, we will always recommend voice over email. Talking to a client and your team over the phone has and will always be the best go-to communication; aside from physical face-to-face of course.

If you can do a video call with a client, this will again work well for relationships and offer an open, honest space for you to really engage with them and gain an understanding of how they are doing. There are lots of options for video call tools, including: Google Hangouts, Zoom, Whereby and Skype.

By simply asking a client how they are and how business is amongst the mayhem, can offer them someone to confide in. Talking to them about existing strategies and offering guidance on how these can be adjusted accordingly with ongoing circumstances will give them confidence in Footprint’s abilities to help.

Really actively listening to your clients and identifying the un-said, as Peter Drucker states, “the most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said”. This simply cannot be done on email. It’s also quicker!

In terms of worry over background noise – Remember that clients and the people that you interact with are going to be understanding of background noise – many will relate to those challenges themselves

Activity:

Make communication as human as possible.

Don’t forget to have human conversations with clients and team members, ask them how they are getting on amongst all this. Be empathetic. They are in similar boats and take comfort for support.

Create a hit list of all your clients and phone them all up and see how they are getting on. Be there for them, offer support.

Get out of your house (if possible)!

This one is short and sweet. You only get one a day, so go-on, take a lunchtime walk and get some fresh air into your lungs, it’s not only good for your body, but It also helps to clear your mind.
If you are feeling a little more adventurous, why not go for a morning jog, or cycle. Or if you are even more daring, try something completely new, like garden yoga!

No, things are not normal. But they will be one day, and we will have learnt so much from this experience.

Example Weekly Agenda

Below details the weekly team meetings that you should be aware of and commit to attend.

Monday
9.10am – Team Huddle (Delivery Team and Client Services Team)
4.30pm – Team Catch-up (Delivery Team and Client Services Team)

Tuesday
9.30am – Team Catch-up (Delivery Team and Client Services Team)
4.30pm – Team Catch-up (Delivery Team and Client Services Team)

Wednesday
9.10am – Delivery Team Touchpoint (Delivery Team)
9.30am – Team Catch-up (Delivery Team and Client Services Team)
4.30pm – Team Catch-up (Delivery Team and Client Services Team)

Thursday
9.30am – Team Catch-up (Delivery Team and Client Services Team)
4.30pm – Team Catch-up (Delivery Team and Client Services Team)

Friday
9.30am – Team Catch-up (Delivery Team and Client Services Team)
10am – RM Catch-up (Client Services Team)
5pm – FRIYAY Team Talk (Full Footprint Team!)

Team Huddles:

The Huddles, as always is a space for the Delivery Team and Client Services Team to come together and share the plans for the upcoming week.

This is a space to:
• Confirm any changes to the day-to-day norm, such as upcoming holidays/annual leave, etc.
• Any client project deadlines
• New Clients
• Cancelled Clients
• Update on Project Progress
• Anything we should all be aware of. i.e. Changes to progress, upcoming events, etc.
• Sharing Ideas and supporting each other.

This space is not to:
• Discuss specific client concerns at length
• Share every detail of your calendar

Team Catch-ups

Working from home can be isolating, so morning catchups are a great space to say “Hello” to the rest of the team and discuss the days plans.
This is a space to confirm you are happy and confident with what you are doing that day and if you require any support from the wider team.

Client Services Catch-ups

Client Services Catch-ups are exactly as they imply, it is a time for the Client Services team to get together and discuss anything to do with their clients. It is also an opportunity to make any announcements about process changes, or upcoming training. Please see below a breakdown of exactly what is covered.

Client Services Catch-ups are for:
• To air any client concerns and to get advice from the team
• For the Head of Client Services to have an insight into how general client communications are going
• To find out how each other are and if any individuals need any further support
• To have a general update on client events and any changes – i.e. change of main point of contact
• What current plans are for ongoing projects or training and what is to come
• Discuss the potential of upcoming clients by sharing existing Digital Marketing Audit requests
• Notify the team of any upcoming client meetings, or how previous meetings have gone
• Process feedback and recommendations
• Please come prepared for every Client Services Catch-Up

Delivery Team Touchpoint

This is time for the Delivery team to discuss capacity, workload and any client opportunities we have identified. It Is also a great opportunity to make sure we are all on the same page and know what we are each focused on for the remainder of the week.

FRIYAY Team Talk

Time for the WHOLE team to come together as one and just catch-up on the week. Whether this be talking about a successful client project, or what we are all doing at the weekend. It is always nice to bring the team together and support one another. If you want to, grab a drink and let your hair down, you’ve earned it!

Remember, you have got this. We are in this together and there will be an end. Think of that feeling of achievement when we can all step back into the Footprint Office as an even stronger and resilient dream team!

Get involved & share your thoughts

We hope that this content is useful for you at this time. Please share it with anyone that you think would find it useful. Get involved and ask us any questions you have.

It is time to dig deep. Footprint Digital is here to help.

Please stay connected and tune in to more from our series of FREE COVID-19 support webinars which you can find here.