Remote work was not a new concept when the COVID pandemic sent us all scrambling to adapt. However, lockdown did accelerate widespread adoption of alternative work environments from fully remote teams to hybrid teams. While there are nuances to how you manage remote and hybrid teams on a day-to-day basis, managing your team through a natural disaster adds another layer of considerations.
Technology enables geographically diverse teams to work together seamlessly. It may be easy to jump on your laptop in the warm confines of your home in the Mid-Atlantic and not remember that Joe is in the Florida panhandle, Chris is in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Nicole is out in California’s Bay area. However, working within a remote team may mean that while you are waking up to a crisp, clear, cold day, Nicole is making space in her home for relatives fleeing LA’s wildfires, Joe is still dealing with contractors thanks to this past hurricane season, and Chris may be dealing with another round of lake effect snow.
Leading a team that’s not necessarily located in the same region requires you to be aware of circumstances and environments beyond your specific setting, particularly as they may impact team members’ ability to log-in and perform their tasks.
Remote and hybrid teams are inherently more flexible than full-time in-person work environments. The mere fact that you can work from anywhere means you’ve got some flexibility baked into your corporate culture. When natural disasters, or other life circumstances occur, however, flexibility becomes paramount for all teams. Give your impacted team members the flexibility to manage not just their “in the moment” availability, but also to manage and adapt their schedule during recovery.
Of course, you’re not going to expect someone to log in and work while they are fleeing an engulfing wildfire or devastating floods. However, they’re also going to need time after the smoke clears and the water recedes. Allow them the flexibility to take more time off, to adapt their work schedules, and to attend to personal recovery matters.
Regardless of the direct personal impact, living through a traumatic event can leave us shaken. Highlight mental health and other resources that are available to your team. This may be an existing employee assistance program. It may be highlighting the mental health care benefits already part of your health insurance plan. It may be highlighting some outside resources available in the impacted region. Consider identifying and sharing local resources for other support as well – local food banks, fresh water supply, loans to support rebuilding efforts, and others.
In the course of a regular day, Chris may be the only one performing a specific mission critical task or interfacing with a certain client. That doesn’t mean that you and Joe shouldn’t also be aware of how to perform that task or the nuances of that client’s account. Building a team with back-up redundancy means a team member not affected by a natural disaster or personal crisis, can seamlessly step in and keep things going.
This not only supports the company and the client(s) by maintaining business functions without interruption, but it also gives the impacted team members the flexibility and freedom to worry about getting back on their feet without the overwhelm of worrying about what’s being neglected at work.
Not everyone requires the same sort of support during a crisis. Be aware of what your business can offer. Convey that to team leaders and support them in identifying how to best support individual staff. And again, be flexible.
Just because your policy didn’t account for payroll advances, doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t happen. Listen to what your staff is asking for, what they need, and work with company leaders to extend the support and grace you are able to, even if that means policy updates and adaptations. Sure, sometimes you’ll need to say no to a request. But before you do, take the time to evaluate your options, offer alternative solutions, and identify the support you can give.
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