How to effectively manage employees in remote locations
Due to the realities of a global business marketplace, managing employees in other states, as well as around the globe, is becoming more common place. Therefore, today’s leaders must expand their management resources, find new creative ways to communicate effectively and enhance their methods for recognizing and rewarding their people.
As the former head of a high growth consulting firm with offices all over the U.S., this Consultant learned quickly that it would take a new more sophisticated approach to supervising remote employees, building a collaborative team environment and developing employees to take on new responsibilities and areas of accountability.
Over the many years in that role, this Consultant adopted new techniques for building trust, establishing productive partnerships and communication that enabled the remote worker to advance their skills while, at the same time, creating a customer centric and team oriented approach to the business.
Some recommendations for how to effectively manage employees in remote locations:
Informal communication; communicate about other issues rather than just critical work issues. One effective way to do this is to ensure that your telephone conversations are more personal allowing your employee(s) to get to know you better and visa versa without crossing the line. In other words, master the techniques of small talk and let your direct reports see you as a human being.
Leverage your technology; when and where feasible, utilize e-mail, IM’s, web meetings and new meeting software to facilitate more informal and friendly interactions. One of the first things I did was to build and establish a team web portal where informal messages, company announcements and industry related news items would be posted and available to everyone on the team which is a one-stop shop for schedules, contact info, yearly planning, and even photo albums
Job satisfaction; be sure to stay on top of things like employee satisfaction, such as “What did you really like about that last interaction?” or even “How’s the ski season in Utah?” Since different people get the same job done in different ways, find a variety of ways to gage your employee’s vulnerabilities. If you coach your direct reports only for the result, you may not be coaching the way they want to be coached.”
Culture and geography; for those employees that are overseas, it’s essential to learn more about their country, culture and geography. After all managing someone in Korea can be much different from managing someone in India. The key is not just identifying these differences, but also being comfortable with them.
Building trust; when employees feel that they are trusted, they are more likely to contribute at a high level; therefore, reassure your employees about what is expected of them, and then trust that they are going to do what they say they are going to do. And that’s a two-way street. In the virtual world, a remote manager must rely on employees to share both the things that are going well as well as areas of unease and dissatisfaction. Because you don’t have the visual cues, you must be more intentional about what you do or say. Since you are not there to take them to lunch or coffee and you can’t observe them, it’s essential that you build trust among the team members.
Communicating and connecting; if you manage remotely, communication must be consistent, purposeful, and predictable. Many remote managers schedule regular calls to both check in and catch up. If plausible, consider having a conference line readily available for phone conversations. This kind of proactive communication will pay big dividends.
Team-building is still essential; consider offering a half day team building activity using videoconferencing in different locations. People learn more about their work style preferences and those of others. They also have the opportunity to see what peers look like after spending months on the phone with each other.
Hire top talent; being cognizant of how you hire remote employees is often more critical than hiring direct reports at your same location. You must make sure they have the qualities and skills they need to work in a virtual environment. With that said, are there benefits to working remotely? Your selection pool is not just a 40 mile radius around your office – it is the planet.
Virtual, but not alone; just as your employees are challenged to be productive and focused in a virtual team, you, as a remote manager, must also reach out periodically to others for guidance and coaching. To be the best possible remote manager, you need to know your limits and when outside help will be useful.
Virtual Strategies and Competencies; based on evolving knowledge, here are a few key strategies for HR practitioners and managers to consider:
- Develop agreements with team members about how to work together. For example, should everyone be copied on all correspondence; what is the expected turnaround time for e-mail or voice mail; what are individual preferences regarding e-mail or voice communication?
- Pay equal attention to both task and team dynamics.
- Equip the team with the information, tools and resources they need to get the job done. Provide training to help team members develop confidence and competence in using technology tools.
- Discuss individual work styles differences so team members develop respect for one another’s preferences.
Virtual managerial and team member competencies; there are certain fundamental skills required to be effective managers and team members. According to a recent study published by SHRM (The Society of HR Management), they are as follows:
Managerial competencies:
Establish and communicate performance expectations and accountability.- Build trust
- Establish team norms for how work gets done.
- Model effective virtual behavior across boundaries with all stakeholders.
- Coach teams to navigate the boundaries between stakeholders.
- Focus proactively on career development, coaching and feedback.
- Demonstrate the value of individual and cultural differences.
- Manage technology resources and training.
Team member competencies:
- Work independently and collaboratively.
- Build trust with key stakeholders.
- Model effective virtual behavior across boundaries with all stakeholders.
- Demonstrate project management and leadership skills.
- Demonstrate the value of individual and cultural differences.
- Be open to learning new technology.
- Set personal boundaries and manage your time.
- If these competencies are missing, virtual work quality will suffer.
Leading a remote team can be tough yet rewarding. The opportunity to create a high-performing team without geographical limitations often results in increased innovation, creativity, and higher performance. And managers who can navigate through time zones, cultures, and unique work styles are often rewarded with motivated, connected employees, no matter where they live.
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Mike Russell is a seasoned professional with three decades of experience in the fields of HR and OD. In addition to having a career trajectory of HR Generalist to a VP within ten years, Mike also has a long and successful background as a Consultant/Business Partner to CEO’s, Presidents and Executive Directors in both the private and non-profit communities across a wide spectrum of industries.
As the sole-proprietor and owner of Organizational Development Solutions (ODS), Mike partners with business leaders committed to insulating their organization(s) from potential liability, increasing organizational effectiveness and adding shareholder value.
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