Productivity Tips From Long-Time Telecommuters | Your Guide To Virtual Leadership | How To Kick A Micromanagement Habit

Plus: How the coronavirus pandemic may change the business world

Over the past few weeks, you’ve likely learned a thing or two about your colleagues, their homes, their families and their work styles, and who has a tendency to micromanage. Amid uncertainty, it’s human nature to tighten your grip on the things you can control, but now is not the time for rules requiring that employees request breaks and immediately respond to messages as proof of work.

“For the past two to three years, everybody has been speaking about culture and what it means to take care of employees,” says Ariel Weindling, an employment lawyer and chief executive of harassment-reporting software company #NotMe. “Companies that have not fostered a true culture that is centered around the respect and the individual needs of the employee will have an uphill battle now that their workforce is remote.”

So, what does this mean for all of the managers out there? Stop micromanaging and start listening. “Managers need to communicate with empathy,” he says. “It is not a time to patronize anyone—it has to be a time of togetherness.”

And here’s more on everything you need to know about working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

For more on working and leading from home, check out our guide, updated daily.

The Telecommuter's Toolkit

These days, it can be easy to focus on the negatives, but getting caught up in everything that’s gone wrong will leave you completely exhausted. Train your mind to embrace a more positive perspective by taking these 10 steps. No. 1: Try to see the big picture.

As a manager, you’re not just contending with the challenges of remote work, but also remote leadership. Thankfully, the fundamentals still apply: It’s all about helping your employees succeed. Start by communicating your vision for getting through the crisis. Then, follow this advice.

Resilient teams have several characteristics in common, chief among them cultures of trust, and there’s no better way to create one than through transparent communication. Here’s how to do so virtually.

The Break Room

Looking for your next great read? From Richard Branson to Tory Burch, we asked some of the biggest names in business to share the titles on their bedside tables.