Leading Remote Workers

Managers fear performance issues with remote workers; leaders see opportunity. Let’s examine this dichotomy.

Managers

Those with a managerial mindset have a strong need to control. In other words, they find it difficult to trust others. In my experience, that lack of trust is born more of the manager’s insecurity than in their direct reports’ abilities.

This lack of trust, whatever its source, compels managers to:

• Dictate expectations.
• Follow up frequently to monitor performance.
• Feel compelled to solve all of their direct reports’ problems.
• Be able to see that workers are actually working.

What a heavy mantle managers place upon themselves with this mindset. Given the weight of these self-imposed requirements, managers experience an almost continuous level of stress that damages both their physical and mental well-being.

Let’s contrast this with what those possessing a leadership mindset experience.

Leaders

Leaders are confident in their own abilities and aware of their weaknesses as well, which enables them to be:

• Objective in their analysis of their direct reports’ abilities.
• More trusting that their direct reports will perform to, or exceed, expectations…whether or not they’re being monitored.
• Trusting of their direct reports’ ability to find solutions on their own and make good decisions.

In addition, leaders know that:

• If they engage their direct reports in setting goals, their direct reports are more likely to achieve the goals.
• Direct reports live up to, or down to expectations…as does anyone with whom they interact.
• When employees have latitude in choosing when and how to do their work, they are happier and more productive.
• They can, with their direct reports’ involvement, raise the bar on performance so that there is continuous improvement in performance…which enhances direct reports’ confidence and provides them the joy of learning and growing personally and professionally.
• It’s not unusual for happy direct reports to work more hours, in part because they’re saving drive time.

Leaders who employ the Making The EXCEPTIONAL Normal system also know that they can achieve the same meeting results via Zoom or similar software. These results include building team spirit, direct reports feeling a part of being something bigger than themselves as well as continuous performance improvement.

Takeaways

When your direct reports aren’t required to meet customers and prospects in order to serve their needs, remote working affords your direct reports the opportunity to enjoy flexibility in both the hours they choose to work (which fits their natural style as well as family needs) and the way they accomplish their work.

Using the techniques in the Making The EXCEPTIONAL Normal system, you can encourage your direct reports to:

• Higher and higher levels of performance.
• Greater enjoyment of their jobs and greater loyalty to your organization.

At the same time, you and your team will quickly know when someone isn’t performing to expectation. You’ll also have the tools you need, within three weeks, to either get the person back on track or facilitate their exit.

Interestingly, when team members see that someone isn’t accomplishing the goals they helped set, they no longer want them to be a part of the team. In my personal experience, the best friend of an employee whose employment I terminated said to me “It’s her fault that she’s not here. You gave her every opportunity to be successful and she chose not to do it.”

All too often, those of us in management/leadership roles err on the side of being fair to a direct report without realizing that we’re being unfair to the rest of the team…they’re having to pick up the slack and clean up the messes of the person who isn’t performing. Don’t fall into this trap. Keep fairness to the team your focus when dealing with under-performing employees.

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If you’d like the leaders in your organization to learn how to use the numbers more effectively and/or dramatically improve the productivity of your workforce, contact me to learn more about these resources:

Resources

Making the EXCEPTIONAL Normal program helps you identify and nurture emerging leaders who elevate all around them to higher levels of performance and greater job enjoyment.

Financial Awareness & Strategy program where employees learn to identify opportunities to improve financial results and prioritize these opportunities on the basis of which produces the greatest impact with the least effort. Greater financial awareness = Better decisions.