Successful Leadership in a Remote Workforce

Successful Leadership in a Remote Workforce matters most! Time and budget permitting, remote workforces are all the rage. They eliminate the need for expensive office space, fuel costs, time-consuming commutes, and wasted hours waiting for coworkers to show up. It's also easier to find talented remote workers than ever.

Here are tips on managing a remote workforce:

A Remote Workforce is Not a "Regular" Workforce

It's tempting to apply existing management techniques to remote teams. Resist that temptation. While there are similarities, managing a remote workforce is different – so different that any advice you hear about managing a regular in-office workforce might be useless or even detrimental if applied to your remote workers.

Be an Alumni Mentor and Coach

It's easy for a manager to feel disconnected from his employees if they work remotely. Having a single manager, who also happens to occupy the same physical space as his workers, can help mitigate such feelings of disconnect. It's best if that manager is someone the team members were previously in regular touch with and can act as an alumni mentor and coach.

Be the Manager You Want in 10 Years

Once you've been down this road – which you will be – you'll know what to do. You'll see that you should have been doing things differently from the get-go to be successful. So take that knowledge, apply it to the next step – hiring and recruiting remote workers, and become a leader.

Have a Stand-Up Meeting If You Must

Any meeting is better than none, but some stand-up meetings can be stimulating for a team if done properly. They are like game shows where everyone is playing for prizes.

Take Holidays

Remote workers may be very different from in-office workers in some respects, but they are just as human. They need breaks too, so let them have them.

Listen to What People Want

Your workers might love remote work because they want to spend more time with their partners, kids, and other family members, travel the world or be a practical way to earn money while having fun and pursuing their passions.

Cultivate Remote-Friendly Policies

Companies will find it easier to hire remote workers if they have a culture of openness and acceptance. Allow people to work when convenient for them, not just when their employer is paying for the time.

Automate Your Job

Don't let the notion of remote work overwhelm you. Every company needs someone to manage their technologies and systems, so if you can manage most aspects of your workflow digitally, do so. Not all tasks still require human interaction, so take advantage of those.

Prove Others You Can Do Remote Work

If you've been in remote work for a while, there's no way people will believe you can still be productive. Keeping up with a workday demands different time management skills than when you were concentrating on an in-office workforce. So the first step is to prove that your remote workers can keep up with everyone else at the office.

Be Flexible

If you can't trust your remote workers to be available, don't hire them. And if you need to have someone at the office for certain functions, such as weekly meetings, video conference in with them via video chat or a phone call rather than employing them. If it's impossible to do that, then don't get rid of the satellite office. It might save you money in the long run since your employees will be productive and happy working remotely.

Know Your Company's Culture and Expectations

Company culture will influence how a remote workforce is managed. Some companies are very open and flexible, and others are less so. For example, many startups have a culture where remote work is not encouraged since it can be disruptive to employees' work-life balance. How a company handles remote work will also depend on managing the in-office workforce.

Take Things Online

Please don't ask your remote workforce to go into the office for meetings simply because you want to see them. Use technology to bridge any communication gaps. Treat virtual meetings as in-person meetings to get the same results.

Understand Time Zones

Time zone differences are not trivial, and both managers and employees will benefit from learning about them. Make sure your remote workers know the time zone differences between their office and their place of work. It's best to meet in the middle so that you can communicate with them while they're working, and they will be available to you at a moment's notice.

Be Available to Your Remote Workers

Just because you're not there doesn't mean they don't exist or aren't important. Make sure your employees are connected to a live person on-call 24×7. Be available to them, and don't let your remote workforce feel alienated.

Keep an In-Office Manager

If you're going to have remote workers, you need someone in the office who understands them. Some people baulk at this idea, but it's not that difficult to make a manager who oversees the remote workforce feel at ease with the arrangement, and it will help your managers to learn how to be more flexible.

Stay on Top of Task and Project Management

If you haven't used a project management system before, now is the time. Ensure everyone on staff knows what they're working on and what they should be doing. Use your task and project management software to assign tasks, deadlines, and due dates. You can also add discussion threads for issues that need to be discussed and suggestions for new initiatives.

Know When to Make Changes

Some remote workers will be very independent and capable, while others will need more support. Use your resources wisely. If you determine that a remote worker is not up to the task, you must let them go. The same goes for any in-office workers who are not meeting expectations.

Force Virtual Meetings

No matter how great video conferencing technology is, it will only work if your team uses it. Invest in a virtual meeting room and let your remote workforce know that meetings will be held there. That way, you can take advantage of the technology and maintain a connection with everyone in your team.

Improve Your Communication Skills

Since you won't be in the same room as your teammates, communication will be more challenging for you than if you were at the office together. Don't try to force it, but be sure you have clear, honest, and constant communication with your remote workers. Communicate as much as you can in writing or by phone. Schedule a meeting rather than show up on their doorstep if you need to meet face-to-face.

Provide Communication Tools

Even if you have a great relationship with your remote workforce and are in constant communication with them, there will be times when they will have to contact you. Your best option is to provide Skype, Google Voice, and other VoIP options so they can contact you when they need to. If they're not comfortable with that option, consider giving them opportunities for leaving messages or call-back procedures.

Share Expectations

Saying that you're going to do something doesn't mean you should do it. Make sure everyone understands what is expected of them and what isn't. If they don't understand, then explain it to them. Then check with them again to make sure they know and know the consequences of not fulfilling their responsibilities.

Do What You Say

You're setting an example for your remote workers. Make sure you live up to your communication standards and keep the lines open with them. Don't say one thing and do another. Show that you'll be honest with them, and they'll be honest with you.

Be Open to Honest Feedback

Sometimes a little push is all it takes to get remote workers rolling in the right direction. If they have a problem, talk about it and see what can be done differently to improve the situation in the future.

Benefits of remote workforces

In an increasingly competitive and global economy, leaders in any industry are looking for ways to maximize their employees' strengths. One of the most effective methods for doing so is through remote workforces.

1.  Remote Workforces Are Growing Globally

"It's no secret that remote workforces have been more prevalent for a few years now, but it's only recently that this trend has picked up the pace and become a recognized practice. With social media reaching all corners of the globe, even geographically isolated individuals communicate with one another in ways that would've been impossible even a decade ago," according to Business News Daily. In fact, according to a 2015 Gallup poll, 47% of American workers said they regularly worked from home.

2.  Remote Workforces Produce Stronger Results

In addition to being more prevalent, working from a remote environment can yield stronger results than traditional office environments. In fact, according to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, employees that work from home are more productive than employees that work in office environments. Employees reported working 8.5 hours per day when working from home and 7.6 hours per day when working from the office. The study found that employees in a remote workforce are more productive because working from home encourages employees to be more "self-directed and less distracted by coworkers." 

3.  Remote Workforces Encourage Constant Communication

Because remote workforces are not limited to a specific geographic location, they allow employees to communicate at any time, encouraging constant involvement in the workplace and among teammates. 

According to the Gallup poll, "79% of those who work remotely say they at least occasionally connect with team members outside of their usual work hours, compared with just 29% of those who do not work remotely." It is a beneficial aspect of remote workforces because it encourages constant communication and involvement. 

4.  Remote Workforces Encourage Diversity

Since most remote workers are Millennials, they have a unique perspective on how business is conducted. According to the American Psychological Association, Millennials are described as being more: open, global, and self-expressive, and they have grown up using technology that expands their sense of what is possible. Since they have little experience with 9-to-5 work environments, their time is fragmented, their loyalty is less likely to be tied to an organization or group, and they are less committed to long-term goals.

5.  Remote Workforces Promote Availability

Because they are not limited by traditional office hours, remote workforces encourage employees to set their hours and make their schedules. "Because remote workers are not tethered to the office, they can be more flexible with when and how long they work," said Adam Tickell of FlexJobs. "This allows employees more freedom in how and where they work, making them more available." 

6.  Remote Workforces Encourage Flexibility

Since remote workforces are not restricted by office hours, employees who work from home can manage their time to work best for them. "For some of us, working from home means we can take advantage of the flexibility to start earlier or finish later if our tasks allow it," said Pam Woods of LearnVest. "It also allows us to be more productive during the daylight hours when we have more energy and feel most effective."

7.  Remote Workforces Help Employees Develop Skills and Strengths

Working from a remote environment can allow employees to explore their strengths and develop new ones. According to the Harvard Business Review, "The capacity to work remotely is an asset that companies can use to help employees work through the risk of failure and the discomfort of self-doubt."

8.  Remote Workforces Can Lead to a Better Work-Life Balance

Working from home allows employees to balance their work and personal lives by working when convenient. "It means you have the flexibility to create your schedule, whether that means waking up early to take your kids to school, taking an evening class, or working a more traditional nine-to-five schedule." 

What it takes to be successful

If you're thinking about establishing a remote workforce and you've been considering the challenges, here's what it takes to be successful:

• Clear expectations and boundaries with your team, which are communicated at the outset of working remotely
• A culture of openness and mutual trust that fosters effective collaboration between team members in different locations, on different schedules
• Fostering trust over time by understanding what motivates individuals to be successful: individual recognition for achievements, opportunities for personal growth and development
• Building an organizational culture that. fosters a culture of performance, an environment in which people, who embrace the values of the organization and have demonstrated their ability to contribute, are being promoted
• Being able to find uplifting human connections among team members who originate from different cities (or locations).
• The ability to rise above the challenge of distance and work long-distance by staying connected as much as possible, seeing teammates as often as possible, and using technology where possible
• Establishing effective communication with team members located geographically or in time zones that are far apart.
• Establishing the principle of self-discipline for the team by making sure team members are aware of the goals and encouraging them to monitor their progress toward meeting those goals, keeping tabs on projects that take too long or have not been completed working with them towards achieving results.
• The ability to take on a team role to support team members who are located geographically or in time zones that are far apart
• Knowing when it's necessary to ask for assistance when something can't be done and how to be proactive in seeking assistance from colleagues.

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Written and Published By The Strategic Advisor Board Team
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