Matt Booth, Telephone Account Team Manager talks how he has adapted to managing his team remotely.

As team manager, I'm responsible for a team of 6 Account Managers that look after nearly 600 accounts, as well as, a support function for our Key Account Managers, numbering nearly 500. With so many moving parts, managing a team remotely has not been without its challenges. Communication has always been important, but when working from home, the importance has grown.

Being face-to-face with the team gives you an overview of what work is being performed and where the focus of the team is directed. Consequently, one of the key challenges was to maintain productivity levels, whilst accurately reporting on the team's productivity levels from a distance. Personally, I have found that working remotely does make monitoring performance challenging, however, it has taught me a lot of lessons on ensuring engagement is at its highest level. I implemented regular team updates in the mornings and afternoons, so that we all keep talking and ensure that we maintain that team feeling and don't drift apart.

My main concern as a manager was ensuring the teams' mental wellbeing, that support was put in place, and regular contact was maintained. Our HR department was invaluable in this pursuit as they complimented my own actions to keep the team engaged with professional support which was greatly needed in such unusual times.