January 2006
Leading People from a Distance |
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One
of the more thorny struggles that more and more managers frequently
experience these days is figuring out how to effectively lead people
who work remote from them. It is, indeed, a very real and growing
issue, and with budget constraints and work loads, it becomes even
more of a challenge.
In
managing long-distance associates, the challenge is to be there
for them, just as you are for the people working right beside
you. It is much harder to see what your remotes are doing
or to know how they are truly feeling, so you have to put forth
some effort to determine what they most need from you and how you
can support them.
In
these distant relationships, one of the things that is an absolute
must is to establish as much trust as possible, as quickly as possible.
And trust requires contact. Therefore, establishing trust often
means an upfront, in-person meeting followed by regular phone calls
to talk about the nature of the relationship , not just
the work itself. It means spending time with the individuals
(even if it's over the phone) strengthening the relationship and
making sure the people feel their voices are being heard. They must
know you care about them, as much as you do their business
objectives.
By
the way, trust also means letting go. You cannot be calling them
every fifteen minutes just to ensure they are working.
Effectively
leading in a distant reporting relationship is also about continuing
to find ways to recognize the remote peoples' accomplishments and
encouraging them to stick with the tasks at hand. Some argue about
the near impossibility to effectively recognize remote people, because
of the perceived needs of time, money or other factors. But
encouraging is always more about genuineness than slickness, and
all people, remote or not, get a lift from unexpected things such
as personal notes or congratulatory phone calls. These can
be easily done. As a leader, you just have to pay closer attention,
since the accomplishments of the remote person are usually not as
easy to spot.
Remember
that we choose to follow leaders based on the way they make us feel.
Therefore we're more likely to follow people who make us feel strong,
powerful, valued, etc. Remote associates are no different. So consider
this: to what extent are you concentrating on ensuring that your
remote people feel included, supported and part of a team? Are you
assuming that they naturally feel connected to you and their other
remote peers, or is it possible that they might need a different
kind of interaction with you? Have you even talked much about this
with them?
Dealing
with the issue of remote reports always poses an interesting question.
That question is, how do you define remote, or distant? Does it
only refer to geographical separation? Can an associate be "remote"
if she is merely two floors away or simply a few blocks away?
I
have come across far too many managers who are co-located with their
people and yet there is still great distance. These managers are
virtually invisible to their associates. They always seem to be
behind closed doors and their calendars are endlessly packed. The
managers might as well be a thousand miles away. Might you be guilty
of being like this too frequently?
As
a leader, you must be accessible to your people, whether they are
right down the hall or halfway around the world. You must be there
for them! It is my guess that physical distance is more often a
convenient excuse for a larger problem - that being the challenge
of making appropriate time to spend with all of your people, no
matter where they may sit.
In
leading remote associates, there are a couple of reminders you might
find helpful. First, solid relationships of any kind are based on
trust, and trust requires spending time together. If you cannot
have formal face-to-face time with your people or, for that matter,
just drop in on them occasionally, you will have to have contact
with them in other ways. Broadcast emails and conference calls are
not going to cut it. But one-to-one calls and emails can go a long
way.
Second,
an effective relationship with remote people is less a function
of quantity of time together, but more about quality. Based on the
number of boring meetings that people endlessly complain about having
to sit through with their bosses, the large amounts of face time
does not necessarily ensure effective leadership. Sometimes there
is even an advantage of being far away! Worry less about being able
to look your remote people in the eye and concentrate more on making
every interaction you have with them more meaningful.
Finally,
remember that leading people is hard work, regardless of their locations.
You have to pay attention. Some managers are more effective with
associates in another country because the distance forces them to
more closely concentrate and deliberately work on those relationships.
In the meantime, they wrongfully assume that they don't have to
work as hard with those people in close proximity and end up taking
them for granted.
If
you have remotes, start talking with them right now about what they
need from you. My guess is you do not need a checklist of a dozen
or more "ways to lead remote people more effectively." You need
to have the conversation with them, and the best things for you
to do will certainly surface.
Reflection
Questions:
- Without getting on an airplane,
what are 3 things you can do to continue to build trust and provide
a sense of being there to your remote associates?
- What
2 or 3 things would your remote associates say they most need
from you - besides more face-to-face time - that would make you
a more effective leader for them?
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