A few months ago, on the blog, I gave tips for businesses managing teleworking employees.
Today, I would like to address both the managers of virtual employees and the telecommuters
themselves. This includes those of you who are working from home, as remote employees.
Members of a Virtual Team:
1. Be dependable and reliable. Make sure you are taking this job as seriously as you would
if you were in the physical office. Meet the deadlines set out for you by your manager. If
you are unable to meet the agreed-upon deadline for your project, make sure and keep
everyone involved apprised of the situation, and where you are on the project.
2. Make sure you know what your management expects. Clear communication is key
when you are working remotely. Make sure expectations and deadlines are understood
by both parties involved so there are no surprises. If you aren't clear on your boss's
expectations, speak up.
3. Get to know your colleagues. When you are working on a project with others, take time
to get familiar with those you will be working with. You won't have the same
opportunity to get to know your peers as you would if you worked in an office together,
so do a little research (either on social media or by sending them a get-to-know-you
email) so you can see where they are coming from. You may also want to take a minute
or two to find out a little about them on the phone. It's important to create a
relationship with those on your virtual team.
4. Talk when you need to. Technology is great! Being able to email and message people is
a very efficient way to communicate. But sometimes things can get lost in translation
and emails can be ambiguous. If you are dealing with a topic that can be easily
misunderstood, or one that is complicated, you will want to pick up the phone rather
than shooting off an email.
5. Don't get lost. If you can arrange regular progress reports and stay in regular
communication with your boss, you won't fall off his radar. Be assertive and proactive so
that you will not get overlooked, as can happen when you aren't in their proximity daily.
6. Keep up to date on technology. Make sure you are proficient in the latest hardware and
software that will be needed for the job. You don't want to slow down the team by
being the person who always needs to ask how to do things. If you don't know how,
take some time to learn.
7. Research cultural differences and take them into consideration. Because you are
working remotely, your colleagues may be from different countries, have different
backgrounds, and different cultures than you. You want to be sensitive to the cultural
differences of your colleagues. You may want to invest in sensitivity training (Proven
Training Solutions offers this).
Virtual Team Managers:
1. Make sure your expectations are clear. Are your directions and expectations clear?
Ensure that your remote employees are aware of your what you expect regarding
deadlines and work completed.
2. Use virtual meetings as a tool. You will need to become a master of communication and
be able to manage virtual meetings so that your team can effectively communicate.
3. Hire the right people. Some qualities that make people well-suited for remote work
include: above average communication skills, ability to work on their own, being self-
starter, and great organizational skills. List these qualities when posting and
interviewing for the position. You want to make sure that the person ( or people ) you
hire are suited for the job.
4. Make your orientation face-to-face. Once you've hired the right person, it's time to
train them. Take time to meet with your new employee in person if possible. Meeting in
person can make a difference in the quality of your working relationship.
5. Be sensitive to cultural differences. Invest in cultural sensitivity training. Research the
country and culture of your new employees if they live in a different country than you.
This will help you inadvertently offend your new employee and will also help your
relationship grow.
6. When you commit - see it through. It can be extremely frustrating for an employee
when the manager procrastinates. If they have to wait at length for you to make a
decision or to get back to them with the information they need to complete a project, it
could hurt your relationship. Commit to following through on your commitments to
your remote employees.
These days more people are teleworking than ever before. I have noticed a dramatic increase in the demand for training in this area. Hopefully managers find these tips useful and can keep them in mind when managing their off-site employees.
Proven Training Solutions provides training for managing virtual and remote employees in DC area including Washington, Virginia and Arlington.
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