Managing remotely
Thanks to technology, employees who work remotely are becoming increasingly common. An East Coast consulting firm can employ an advisor on the West Coast (who is obviously not coming into the office each day). A media spokesperson for a large biotech firm in Central Massachusetts can actually live and work in Pennsylvania. So how do you manage a worker who isn't … there? Here are three tips to keep communication strong and goals front and center:
Establish specifics. It's important to be sure everyone is working from the same playbook, says Christian Lanng in an article at Entrepreneur.com. You may want to work with your HR department to set up a policy for remote workers, including “expectation on how reachable by phone or email a remote employee should be.” Establishing expectations in advance is key to avoiding miscommunication or abuse of policy, he writes.
Create “face time” opportunities. Chad Brooks, in an article at BusinessNewsDaily.com, cites this advice from Robert Half Technology: Use videoconferencing regularly. It can help the team pick up on each other's nonverbal cues during discussions, and enhance communication. Sometimes a remote worker may be within driving distance. In that case, encourage them to attend special events and meetings at your firm.
Get personal. Remote workers are not privy to talk around the water cooler. Leaders may need to nurture this workplace culture nuance with remote workers, says Rebecca Knight at HBR.org. Be sure to talk with them about “weekend plans, kids, pets, or last night's big game. Encourage your direct reports to do the same with their remote colleagues” to build empathy, trust and camaraderie, she advises.
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