Managing Remote Workers SOME TIPS

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Managing Remote Workers

First Yahoo and then Best Buy came down heavily on their remote working programmes. Both companies are in trouble and so a “get on board” mentality is an understandable reaction.

It now seems, however, that both pronouncements are actually ‘softer’ than first reported.

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Managing Remote Workers

According to The New York Times, Yahoo’s position is not an outright ban on remote working – employees can work from home when necessary.

That’s a bit vague, but leaves the window open a little bit. In responding to the criticism, Yahoo made the statement that:

“This isn’t a broad industry view on working from home. This is about what is right for Yahoo right now.”

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Managing Remote Workers

“Right now,” suggests the decision is time-specific and could be changed at some point in the future.

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Managing Remote Workers

Best Buy is also not eliminating the work from home option.

What it is doing “is giving managers more authority to determine whether and when it’s appropriate for workers [corporate employees] to work outside the office or at different times” (mashable.com, March 5th).”

You mean managers at Best Buy had little or no authority on how the remote working programme was implemented?

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Managing Remote Workers

Let’s be clear, the pronouncements from Yahoo and Best Buy have little to do with the failure of remote working per se - they have to do with the failure of management.

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Managing Remote Workers

There were abuses of remote working at Yahoo and disempowering managers in the implementation of the Best Buy programme seems like a recipe for disaster.

Hands-off management for many will be interpreted as “Thank you for trusting me. I’ll be sure not to let you down, even if that means working longer hours.”

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Managing Remote Workers

For others, it will be interpreted as “Let me outsource my job to China and start up my own business in my spare time.”

I’m not saying that management of remote workers should be heavy on control, but it should be heavy on manager engagement and communication.

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Managing Remote Workers

1. Make sure there is a clear strategic purpose for remote working:

What business goals are being served?

Without a clear understanding of goals, how will the success of remote working be measured?

Here are some tips for managing remote workers

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Managing Remote Workers

2. Create a formal company policy so that everyone is clear about expectations.

What is appropriate and inappropriate?

Here are some tips for managing remote workers

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Managing Remote Workers

3. Select the right managers to oversee remote workers and make sure solid remote management training programmes are also available.

Here are some tips for managing remote workers

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Managing Remote Workers

Set explicit goals and timeframes and revisit these periodically.

Stay focused on results.

Work at establishing trust and a sense of mutual obligation.

Stay very connected and engaged with the remote worker, build relationships – don’t just assign tasks.

Select the right people to be remote workers. Not everyone has the right mindset, discipline, skills and level of maturity to work remotely. Make sure training for remote workers is available, as well as for managers.

Ensure remote workers have what they need to do a great job – technology, information, access, etc.

Managers need to…

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Managing Remote Workers

Remote working does have many

well-documented business benefits

e.g. attracting and retaining top talent,

reduced overhead and higher

productivity.

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Managing Remote Workers

But without good management those

benefits don’t simply materialize on their

own.

Both Yahoo and Best Buy need to take

that into account if and when they

consider remote working again.

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Managing Remote Workers

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enquiries@tmaworld.com

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