You don’t! OK, that’s sort of a trick question because I don’t believe in managing people per se. In my experience, management is all about planning, budgeting, directing, and controlling work efforts. Leadership, on the other hand, is more about clearly articulating the vision, setting appropriate performance expectations, helping employees develop their abilities in line with those expectations, and providing guidance as needed to keep people on track. And yes, I’m a huge advocate for virtual leadership and remote coaching for those team members who are not present in and do not work from co-located facilities.
I actually completed my doctoral research on best practices in designing and supporting effective virtual teams back in ’98 (click here for the Cliffs Notes version), and surprisingly not much has changed since then. Sure, we have an “app” for just about everything we can do with a mobile device. And SharePoint sites have become so prevalent in organizations that there now exists a defined skill set and high demand for SharePoint designers and programmers.
These days, it seems like everyone is working with someone they rarely if ever see. One of my direct reports lives and works in San Francisco, California, so it’s rare for me to see her more than once a month at best. So how do I manage her work? To be honest, I really try not to. Instead, I strive to provide the technical infrastructure required for her to succeed and complement it with frequent communications and scheduled check-ins with me. It’s my job as the CEO and Chief Rainmaker in our firm to let Christine know whenever our priorities change and provide new direction when something perhaps unexpected happens or new opportunities present themselves in our market environment. Christine and I have also worked together over the past year to identify breakdowns when they occur and implement new processes and procedures as required when we don’t succeed. How am I doing as a virtual leader? Don’t know. You’ll have to ask Christine about that!
So when it comes to managing the performance of remote team members, don’t think you have to “see them” in action to keep tabs on them. Strong leadership is results-focused, not task-oriented. If Christine is doing a good job, I know it because it’s very clear in our interactions and the outcomes she produces. When she struggles from time to time, I know that too. And it’s my job as her leader to provide further coaching, guidance, and even direct support at times to help her course correct and get back on track – especially when I can’t see her in person.
