Shawnee Love   •  
October 12, 2017

All the technology in the world and still managing remotely is a challenge.  I have a theory on why this occurs that I’d like to share.

It’s because people are not robots.

I truly believe that is the crux of the problem. If people were robots, we could simply tell them what to do and when it is due by (a few clicks of the keyboard should do), and it would get done just the way the robot was programmed to do it.

Since workers are people, things get messy.  People need:

• Training, often using a variety of methods and multiple steps to get the process clarified.
• Extensive communication to ensure they interpret your instructions properly.
• Many touch points to maintain the relationship and rapport.
• Support and encouragement to keep motivated and feeling valued.
• Moral support when their personal lives get them down.
• Feedback to keep them on track and improve.

It’s pretty clear when you review this list, that most of these things can’t happen without live contact (e.g., phone, text, etc.) and some have to be in person (face to face preferred but video conference can work too) at least every once in awhile.

When you have a team of people that work in different places than you do, you have to focus a lot of time and energy towards building the interpersonal relationships between team members and between yourself and team members. Some tips which might help:

• Be clear at the outset what all workers can and can’t expect from you and their colleagues with respect to team behaviours around communication, information sharing, workload management, relationship building, etc.
• Ensure everyone meets their expectations- hold them accountable,
• Leverage communication and project or task management tools which enable employees to share ideas and information easily (e.g., team forums, chat rooms) and stay current on where projects / tasks are at,
• Implement a regular communication schedule which ensures everyone knows when to expect to hear from you,
• Pick up the phone or initiate a video chat anytime you have something new or complex to discuss,
• Take the time to check in personally with workers so they know you care and so you stay current on their non work challenges, and
• Be proactive (and private) in addressing negative behaviours and comments.

If you have other tips for managing remote workers, please comment below.