If I can’t SEE you, how do I know you are really working? This has been the “mental-thorn” in the side of many Managers for years. If you are not in the office, people don’t see you scurrying about the office with papers in hand, how could you be working, getting deliverables completed?
Executives and Managers have to change. Three things have to be achieved if we are going to embrace the virtual workplace:
1. Executives and Managers already understand the concept of deliverables, milestones. Management just needs to get better at how business requirements are communicated. Best practice of project management states requirements, schedules, deliverables and responsibilities should be written in clear, simple documentation.
2. Job instructions are important, however, policies and procedures are ALSO important. Without the guidance of how the work is supposed to be done, chaos and confusion are the result instead of the expected business outcomes.
3. Having the right tools to get the job done — makes the work stream faster. The more the work can be automated, the less chance of human error will occur.
Many Executives and Managers have taken these steps to improve the ability of people to work virtually, but more has to be done on BOTH sides – Management and Team Member.