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Change is an inevitable, vital element of running a business in today’s world. The proliferation of remote work, especially after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, is undeniable. Today, the entrepreneurial world is facing a “new normal”: remote work.
The COVID-19 pandemic made businesses adapt and modify their onsite work policies to remote, or as it is also known, home office policies. These policies are most likely to stay permanently as the world has changed forever. Some people love it, others do not enjoy it as much.
In pre-COVID times, remote work wasn’t seen as a very good idea, especially for entrepreneurs. In fact, it faced resistance from the Human Resources and Management departments of some big companies. According to statistics from Global Workplace Analytics, in 2016, 43% of global workers did some form of remote work, yet 90% wished to work from home. In 2020, only in the United States, approximately 75 million people were working from home.
But the era of people tethered to their office is over. Many companies and organizations are reshaping their work arrangements, and so is the entrepreneurial mindset. According to a study made by McKinsey, “hybrid models of remote work are likely to persist in the wake of the pandemic, mostly for a highly educated, well-paid minority of the workforce.”
When it comes to entrepreneurship, remote work can mean one of two things: a great idea that will boost your business or a decision that will take you to your doom. For this reason, many experts have engaged in the successful management and direction of a remote working team from an entrepreneurial perspective.
In order to succeed in building and managing a remote working team, it’s important to have happy employees, for they will be more productive and hence boost your business, as proven by Sebastian Scheplitz, a German entrepreneur and international business coach.
Creating a Remote Culture
Like with every great idea that strikes up, remote work is going through a trial and error phase. While many entrepreneurs consider the hybrid model of remote work, others are convinced that home office is the most effective working style for them. However, whether it’s complete or hybrid, working from home can be tricky as it is to lead a remote workforce.
Building a family culture with people working remotely can be challenging, but not impossible. One of the most complicated tasks is making people feel they belong, that they are part of the business, especially for new hires that haven’t ever met in person and that probably won’t.
Positive working culture is extremely important, as Sebastian Scheplitz puts it, “I have worked in toxic office environments. I dreaded it. But working from home was no option back then. It’s important to create an office environment where your team members don’t just have to go, but love to go – and then, on top, offer remote or hybrid options.”
Leading By Example
To succeed in business, it is important to embrace positive leadership. A good leader inspires others with his example. A good leader adapts to different situations and identifies there’s always something new to learn. Learning is a process that never ends. Leaders empower employees by encouraging them with their example and by facilitating individual learning.
In order to empower your people, as Scheplitz explains it, “you need to guide them to what they can do, you need to give them options, you need to empower them to see what they are capable of.” He believes self-discipline helps build great leaders. It is important to eliminate bad habits since it is a waste of time. Sitting on the couch and watching Netflix is not the best way to build your startup.
One of Scheplitz’ favorite strategies to inspire and encourage his team is by showing them what he is doing. For instance, he shows any new activity he’s learning about on his Instagram account, whether it’s a new language, a new habit, surfing, or golfing. “It’s important to lead by example. Obviously, you can never be the perfect person or the perfect example but no one expects me to be perfect. And I don’t expect anybody else to be perfect. I just want to show them what I’m doing. What helps me can maybe help them.”
Trust in your team
Building a startup needs energy and time. Before you get into the entrepreneurial world and thus into the remote working style, there is something you need to focus on: having a clear vision for your business. That’s the best advice that Sebastian Scheplitz gives other entrepreneurs.
Sebastian Scheplitz is the founder and CEO of five digital marketing agencies: Translation Royale, The Content Spa, Hotcopy Asia, Mastercut Video, and oak & bao; and a couple of e-commerce businesses. He has also been an International Business Coach providing marketing and growth services since 2003.
Scheplitz’s objective is to bring value to Fortune 500s and inspire other entrepreneurs “to get off the couch and do “it” (whatever that is for them)”, as he expresses, by never losing sight of what’s really important when building a business: work life, relationships, wealth, and health.
In the wake of the pandemic, many businesses have suffered. The pandemic changed the world, mainly economically. Today, there’s a cultural belief that every market is saturated. However, as Scheplitz sees it, every market might be saturated but that doesn’t mean “there’s not enough space for you. You can always find a niche. You are you.”
Scheplitz emphasizes that what you need to be clear about is what you’re doing, keep your marketing message precise, work with people who know what they’re doing and trust in your team. If you hire somebody, be sure to hire people for specific topics, people who know their specialty. This way you can trust their work will help your company function.
“Don’t continuously ask them what they’re doing. You need to learn to trust your people. And if someone has a bad day, you kind of need to compensate, you need to learn how to see if someone has a bad day or a bad week, or if they can get this one project done. You need to know when to step in and help. Maybe we can tweak this here and then just take off a little bit of work from their shoulders, just show them that you still trust them. But also being there and supporting them, just lifting them up… That’s how I like to structure the teams.”
The Ongoing Resilience
In today’s world, failing to adopt a different approach could mean a big negative impact on the company as it implies big losses in time, resources, and overall money. Hence the importance of remaining resilient, innovative, and future-proofing. Under these conditions, business leaders had to consider a remote approach in order to adapt to a better work-life balance that will contribute to improving the organization’s performance.
Leaders need to understand the different expectations from their employees and design the “new normal” for their companies. Leaders have to consider more personal issues as attitudes, accommodations, and habits have changed. “My team is very diverse in that sense, some people crave going back to the office. Some people never want to go back,” says Sebastian Scheplitz, “If this is what makes you happy if this is how you like to work, then this is how work can be fun. I believe going forward with the possibility to work remotely, or in a hybrid environment so that nothing is forced, I think that’s the best way forward for many companies,” he continues.
Scheplitz’s advice is to frequently check in with your team. Whether you’re just a few people or a company of 500, make it happen. Sure, if your company has 500 employees, it might not be possible for you to have a meeting with all of them, but make your managers check in with them.
After all, let’s not forget that according to the American Enterprise Institute, 88% of the Fortune 500 firms that existed in 1955 are gone. Whether they have gone bankrupt, merged with others, or they still exist but have fallen from the top Fortune 500 companies, they weren’t able to remain innovative and to adapt to the circumstances. The world has changed forever and the best thing to do now is to embrace that change.
As Sebastian Scheplitz puts it: “We won’t become the new Tesla. Most of us won’t. Right? That’s fine. We don’t have to. You don’t have to. You can still achieve the things you want to achieve. Most of the stuff can be achieved. Trying is better than doing nothing.”
