Whether or not you realize it, your subordinates are highly capable of thriving in a teleworking environment. For the most part, your team employs the productivity necessary to achieve success on a daily basis. Do you have to stand over anyone’s shoulder in order to ensure that they are completing their tasks? The answer to that question is probably no. Who has the time to do that and more importantly, who wants employees that require that level of supervision?
Many people can be trusted to accomplish tasks with minimal supervision in the office and teleworking is no different. Your people have already shown the propensity to do so in an office setting and it is important that this mentality transition to the teleworking environment.
As a leader of a remote team, trust that your people will accomplish their tasks. The feedback loops that you apply in the office are the same feedback loops that you can employ in a teleworking environment. The challenge here is that you no longer have direct sight over the activity of your personnel, but just because you do not see them, does not mean that they are not working.
Communication in a teleworking environment is just as critical as it is in the office. There are plenty of applications that support communication and collaboration, and you probably naturally use them in your personal time. There is no reason that this same technology cannot be used to manage a teleworking team. Leaders have a natural propensity to employ regimented controls to ensure that their teams are working, but don’t go overboard. There is no reason to require your team to check in on an hourly basis just to make sure that they are working. This type of activity would have an adverse effect on the productivity of your team. They do not check in on an hourly basis in the office, why would this be a productive measure when teleworking?
Effective leaders of teleworking teams must make the effort to provide feedback to their team. In the office, we often see the direct benefit of the tasks that we are completing. The boss tells us to complete a task, we work hard to compete that task, present the results of that task to leadership, and we immediately realize the benefit of completing that task. We do not have that instant feedback when teleworking. As such, it is important for leaders to provide feedback to their team to let them know that actions and deliverables are achieving desirable outcomes. This provides an understanding of the greater good that each employee is contributing to as tasks are accomplished and elevates the feeling of worth. If the team is not delivering, then the team certainly needs to understand that and providing concrete guidance on the actions that are required to overcome this issue is critical. Teleworking creates a sense of distance and effective communication is required to bridge that distance. Vague guidance and innuendo does not equate to effective communication and often leads to confusion.
In closing, leaders need not be intimidated by leading a teleworking team. Establish effective communication, provide direct feedback and allow your team to excel. Trust your people and your people will amaze you.
Allen Consulting Group is experienced in providing management and leadership training designed to enhance the capabilities of your business. Reach out today to learn more about our ability to serve your needs and help your business thrive.
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