LONG-DISTANCE LEADERSHIP
LONG-DISTANCE LEADERSHIP
Managing A Remote Or Hybrid Workforce The Right Way By Kate Zabriskie
M
anaging people who work from home is nothing new for many leaders, but getting the mechanics right can be another matter. With a few smart moves, anyone can learn to manage a remote workforce effectively.
Move One:
Recognize that you may have been thrown into the deep end of the pool without much preparation. A lot of leaders who are managing remote or hybrid teams didn’t get much warning about their new normal. People were in the office one day and gone the next. Although everybody did the best they could at the time, fast answers and actions don’t always equal good management. If your remote or hybrid team is running like a well-oiled machine, take a hard look at why, and don’t use location as an excuse.
Move Two:
Move Three:
In much the same way that apples are apples and oranges are oranges, remote work is different from an in-person experience. Accept and embrace the differences. Yes, people working remotely may move laundry from the washer to the dryer in between meetings. Yes, they may answer the doorbell during work hours. No, you’re not going to run into them in the cafeteria. And just because they will answer email at 9 p.m. doesn’t mean that you should accept that behavior as a given. Remote is remote, and on site is on site. Think about how you should adjust your style and behaviors to enable people to give you their best in each environment.
Managers without a plan and routines often survive in an on-site environment. Their charm, personalities, and quick thinking saves the day. When work goes remote, however, many of those people stumble. Leading at a distance requires deliberate calendaring and regular check-in meetings. Some people check in at the beginning or end of each day, others meet every other day, and some schedule virtual lunches. Regardless of the specifics, what’s consistent is a contact pattern. To keep your remote group in the loop, build routines and stick with them. In uncertain times, this is one area where you can nail it simply by having a plan and executing it.
Stop trying to make remote work function as in-person work does.
30
Self-Storage NOW!
Plan better.
SECOND QUARTER 2022
