Your team might be overwhelmed with the sheer amount of technology they have to learn and manage in their jobs. As your business continues to adjust to the pandemic by encouraging more remote work, employees must quickly get up to speed on various apps, platforms, and tools. While these various tech tools can ultimately help streamline work and build creative, collaborative, and productive teams, they can also lead to stress and be overwhelming— especially when team members are not familiar with using them.  Leaders can help their teams adjust by considering a few important questions. 

How has your team’s typical day changed? 

The workday probably looks vastly different than it did earlier this year. Your team may not have a commute to clear their minds at the end of the day. They may miss the casual office talk and the impromptu happy hour gatherings. Instead of conference room meetings, your team may hop on a video call to share updates. These changes are psychologically significant. Zoom fatigue is real (learn how to reduce it here.) It can also be mentally draining to send a Slack message rather than walk over to someone’s desk. Check-in with your team members to learn how they feel their day is different. 

What are people struggling with? 

With the switch to part-time or full-time remote work, your team members may not fully understand the new technology they must use independently. To discover pain points, check on whether training is available and how technology has changed job roles and functions. For example, do your employees feel comfortable messaging you on Slack when they used to pop into your office with a question? Would they rather email? Or text?

What kind of communication do you require?

Technology can help your team collaborate, but when your team members must tackle multiple tools and platforms to keep everyone updated, it can feel crushing. If someone on your team is going to be out, how many places must they update the team? Is setting an “out of office” message on email enough, or do you need your team to update on various apps as well?   

Do your employees have the bandwidth? 

Your team might not have the bandwidth to do their jobs—literally. With more children at home doing virtual learning and neighbors at home more often, people are online constantly. Your team may not have the bandwidth to stream endless video calls and stay online all day. Check-in and see how you might be able to help.    Tech tools can be a powerful way to unite dispersed teams and keep everyone on the same page. Ensure you check-in with your team members regularly to gauge their comfort with using new apps or platforms. When you get their feedback, act on what you learn. By helping your team become more comfortable with new technology, you will enable them to do their jobs better, allowing you to thrive.