Business Productivity Center
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Setting a tone from the top is key to managing a remote workforce
In the age of Web 2.0, the definition of "workplace" is changing. Given the right tools, an employee can crank out a day's work, participate in meetings and never step foot in the office. A company can slash overhead expenses by leveraging a remote workforce, but this introduces new challenges. If left unchecked, a business can suffer from poor internal communication, inefficient processes and an ambivalent culture.
So, how do you ensure that your employees out yonder are operating at maximum efficiency and are aligned with the company's vision? It all starts with the tone at the top, according to Chuck Andrew of The Clarion Group, a management advisory firm.
He says it is imperative that executives regularly communicate their expectations of each off-site employee. This includes "the rules of the road," so to speak: who they report to and how often, areas of responsibility and how their individual roles help the company fulfill its mission.
Dr. Noelle Nelson, a clinical psychologist and author of "Power of Appreciation in Business," says a combination of weekly teleconferences - either one-on-one or with a team - can do wonders to keep a remote workforce on task.
"Ask each participant what they have encountered in the past week and if they have any issues they need to bring to the table," Nelson says. "This call is not just about 'did you do your work and meet your goals this week?' By sharing what's going on in each person's area of responsibility, you are creating a group and building a team."
Nelson says the weekly teleconferences should be complemented with a weekly e-bulletin that arrives at a different time in the week - for instance, a teleconference on Friday and an e-bulletin the following Wednesday.
"It can be just a list of bullet points that explains what's going on with company overall," Nelson says. "Whether you're announcing a new hire or sharing that the big contract didn't go through, it helps the off-site employees feel connected to the company and informed about the bigger picture."
Nelson says managers need to spell out what technical and administrative support is available to off-site workers and how to access that support. The e-bulletins can be used to reinforce those messages.
To lead a remote workforce successfully, Nelson says managers need to be:
- consistent in company messaging about goals and protocol,
- authentic in their communications, and
- accountable to others.
Lastly, praise the work and acknowledge the struggles of off-site employees.
"Because that's something they're not getting out there," Nelson says. "There's no supervisor stopping by their home offices to say 'Hey, good job today, by the way.'"
Adds Andrew: "It only takes five minutes to acknowledge one employee's good deed with an email blast to the entire company. We all have egos and it feels good to be recognized for what you do."
