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Working From Home Personas Model

As remote work continues to reshape the modern workplace, understanding the different ways individuals thrive in a home office environment is essential. This article introduces a model for identifying and leveraging distinct working-from-home personas. By recognising these personas, leaders can better support their teams and stakeholders, ensuring productivity and well-being in a remote setting.
Aug 7 / Stephenson Mansell Group

This resource is available exclusively to paid subscribers.
Unlock access to our full library of resources by subscribing today. 

Working From Home Personas Model

As remote work evolves, leaders must understand and leverage distinct working-from-home personas. Doing so allows them to tailor their management and support strategies to the diverse needs of their team members. By recognising the unique ways individuals thrive in a home office environment, leaders can create a more effective and supportive work culture, ultimately enhancing productivity, well-being, and collaboration within their teams..

The Working From Home Personas Model is a two-axis model that focuses on trust in capacity and trust in competence.

Trust in 'capacity'

The extent to which leaders can trust that each person has the physical, emotional and mental capacity to reliably deliver on outcomes when working from home, in a virtual environment.

Trust in 'competence'

The extent to which leaders can trust that each person has the skills, understanding and knowledge (of systems, processes, culture etc.) to be able to deliver on outcomes while working from home, in a virtual environment. 

A Spotlight on the Working From Home Personas

Use the outlined personas model to map where your team or stakeholders may be placed and

help identify how to best support them.

The Virtual Rookie

Capacity Level:  High

Competency Level: Low

Working from home in a virtual environment requires a distinct set of mindset competencies to perform effectively. For example, it requires high levels of self direction, increased tolerance levels for uncertainty and a high degree of comfort with ambiguity. The virtual working environment also demands the ability to communicate effectively through the digital medium. '

The Virtual Rookie could be someone who, despite being highly competent in their role, has not made the transition from the office to working from home easily. It also refers to an otherwise highly competent new starter who does not have enough knowledge or understanding of organisational norms or peer networks to follow through on a deliverable from the isolation of the virtual world.

How to support The Virtual Rookie:

  • Identify gaps in knowledge or understanding
  • Provide coaching support or practical structures as required
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The Silent Struggler

Capacity Level: Low 

Competency Level: Low 


Capacity: Here, low capacity might mean low ‘physical capacity’. For example, imagine a parent of young children working from home while trying to juggle their time between parenting demands and work deliverables. Low capacity might also mean low ‘emotional capacity’. For example, consider a team member who is in a difficult relationship athome and has reached their emotional tipping point. These scenarios could also impact a person’s ‘mental capacity’, i.e., their ability to stay focused and on task.

Competence: When you add to these scenarios an absence of the unscheduled, across-the-desk conversations that help address in-the-moment questions, clarify an issue, solve a problem or navigate through an internal process or system, working from home can become a struggle.

How to support The Silent Struggler:

  • Provide safe, non-judgemental listening and reassurance
  • Mentor, give direction and offer practical support


The Star Performer 

Capacity Level: High
Competency Level: High

Can a leader trust a star performer to deliver on outcomes? Yes.

However, the questions to consider when someone is in this quadrant are:

  • How long can they sustain their performance levels?
  • Are they working at capacity physically, emotionally or mentally?
  • If that is the case, will there be a gradual drop in performance or one that is sudden and dramatic?


How to support The Star Performer:

  • Help them manage capacity and delegate tasks
  • Provide coaching support to help them identify blind spots 







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The Lonely Wolf

Capacity Level: Low
Competency Level: High

Human beings are social creatures, some more than others. The Lonely Wolf represents the usually expressive persona who thrives in the office environment. They draw energy from the social and professional interactions that take place moment-to-moment in the office. They like ‘running with the pack’. Like a wolf dislocated from its companions, these individuals can feel lonely and lost when working from home for extended periods. Even though they have high levels of competence, the social isolation is gradually sapping them of motivation.

How to support The Lonely Wolf:

  • Ask coaching questions to help them identify and unlock intrinsic motivators
  • Provide inspiration through purpose and vision


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