Written by The time difference, the late nights, and the questions of whether a journal entry is correct or not, it’s not fun working remotely with accounting teams. And if people start turning off their cameras during meetings, it’s not a good sign regarding team engagement. Maintaining high team engagement and meeting deadlines can pose significant challenges for finance and accounting teams.
However, as a CFO, it’s about leadership as much as it is about finance and accounting and I am committed to improving morale by implementing effective strategies that foster a positive work environment while ensuring productivity and meeting financial close deadlines.
Dont Over Zoom
We discuss actionable recommendations for enhancing team engagement and achieving deadline success, supported by real-world examples of successful startups that have embraced these strategies. Some items have worked for us, some have not so take a look to see what applies for you. Remember, it’s not just about more Zoom meetings, it’s the little things that can add up to a positive impact.
Nurturing a positive work culture
Encourage open communication and collaboration through regular virtual meetings and also dashboards so that people can log on and see how things are going. Arrange virtual social events and provide platforms for celebrating achievements. Recognize and appreciate the accomplishments of team members. Setting clear expectations and goals:
Clearly communicate roles and responsibilities to avoid confusion. Establish performance metrics and provide consistent feedback. We use a monthly KPI dashboard so people know what’s going on at the company overall. We all want to be part of a team so it’s good to see how the team is achieving its targets. Offer opportunities for professional development and personal growth. Even if it’s a class on Udemy (I mean it’s as cheap as $50 for a class session).
Promoting work-life balance
Respect boundaries and encourage regular breaks and designated working hours. Support self-care and emphasize the importance of disconnecting during time off. If it’s a coworker’s birthday, give them a day off (likewise if they have kids and it’s their birthday, give them time off), you will gain more in productivity later.
Facilitate connections (We are People, not numbers)
We did a buddy system which had a positive impact. Implement buddy systems for regular check-ins and mutual support. My colleague Mersiha, who is a great Head of Talent leader has other great suggestions to build connections and a positive culture.
Cool discussions from HBR
There was an interesting article in HBR which talks about making work visible:
Physical or virtual task boards (such as Trello, Asana, Airtable, Zenkit, etc.), where every task is represented by a card specifying who is handling it (and its status) enable a more equitable distribution of work. It also eliminates both countless status check emails and the need to cover that topic in meetings. The principal investigator of a medical research lab I worked with instituted just such a system and found that work got done faster and with dramatically less effort.
Start off on the right foot
Implements a robust onboarding process for new hires. Prioritizes work-life balance and well-being through their “remote manifesto.” Promotes virtual coffee chats and dedicated non-work channels for personal connections.
Emphasizes transparency and communication, including positives and negatives at all-hands meetings. Use virtual team retreats and personal experience sharing to build strong investor relationships. This promotes trust and autonomy within their remote work culture.
Set clear expectations and communicate deadlines effectively. Break down tasks and prioritize them based on urgency and importance.
Help People be Efficient
Implement time management techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique for increased focus. Emphasize task prioritization and establish realistic deadlines. Discourage multitasking to enhance overall productivity.
Recognize and reward achievements
Celebrate milestones and successes publicly to motivate the team. Provide virtual shout-outs and small rewards to show appreciation. Maintain a positive atmosphere amidst the workload. Inject some fun and humor into the process.
Try it, You Might Like it
There’s a little art to team engagement. By combining strategies that cultivate a positive work culture, prioritize communication, promote work-life balance, and establish strong virtual connections, remote finance and accounting teams can enhance team engagement and meet deadlines effectively.
As a CFO, I encourage you to adopt these recommendations to create a productive and engaging work environment, enabling your team to achieve their goals, maintain high morale, and meet crucial deadlines. Good luck.