Creating value for your remote team

Being an effective remote manager is tricky. You have to find the right leadership style that corresponds to your personal values, take care of your team, and make sure that you hit the goals that are important for the business.

When juggling between all the tasks you have on your plate when leading a remote workforce, it’s important to pay attention to the things that are important for the people you manage. By knowing their values and motivators, you can help them create an environment in which they can strive and feel happier at work. At Hygge companies, we adapted the career anchors’ theory, which helps us in profiling the values of our team members. As Hygge companies provide a flexible work environment and have resources to create a human-centric work culture, we encourage building our work processes around the individual values of our employees.

Usually, a person has up to the following 3 values that guide their work behavior and professional choices.

1. Proficiency – These individuals derive satisfaction from excelling in specific areas and dedicate themselves to enhancing their expertise. They feel most fulfilled when challenged in these areas and prefer to stay within their domain of proficiency. Although they may manage others within their technical or functional areas, they are uninterested in general management.

2. Leadership – These individuals flourish in positions of responsibility, such as addressing complex problems, building relationships, and interacting with others. They desire to be accountable for total results and associate their work with the organization’s success.

3. Independence – These individuals crave autonomy in their jobs, seeking flexibility in terms of when and how they work. They prefer to act independently without excessive direction, interference, or confirmation. They may decline promotions to retain their independence.

4. Security and stability – These individuals seek secure and predictable positions and activities, planning their lives around them while taking few risks. They value financial and employment security and may remain in the same position for many years. They emphasize planning ahead, keeping detailed records, and inquiring about employment processes and other security attributes.

5. Innovation and ownership – These individuals are the creative minds of a business, enjoy brainstorming and inventing new things, and often aspire to run their own business. They share the workload and take ownership of their work; they generally become bored without challenges and seek monetary gain as proof of their abilities. They strive to turn their ideas into reality.

6. Service and harmony – These individuals seek new ways to help others, both within and outside the organization, using their talents to achieve something of value. They aim to make the world a better place to live by improving harmony and enhancing safety. They thrive in collaborative environments and are not suited for jobs with heavy individual competition.

7. Challenge and competition – These individuals are driven by a need to continuously confront new challenges and tasks that test their abilities to solve problems. They pursue job opportunities that allow them to succeed, despite the presence of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. They search for opportunities for future advancement and income potential, often switching jobs when their current position becomes stagnant.

8. Lifestyle and flexibility – These individuals integrate their roles into their overall pattern of living, seeking careers that provide enough flexibility to achieve a balanced life. They take leaves of absence for recreational activities and prioritize holiday breaks.

How can you define the values of your team members?

Talk to people. By being transparent in your communication, creating a safe space, showing your vulnerability, and using humor, you might create a vibrant connection with your team. When people feel safe and know that you’re aiming to help them and prioritize their needs, they will be open about their personal values. Good relationships are rarely a destination and are rather a process. If you’re equipped with relevant knowledge and put consistent and conscious effort into building your team, it will pay off.