When you want to stay a remote employee: 7 actions to be successful
So much has been written about managing a remote or hybrid workforce. I am one of those voices who has provided tips and guidelines to follow. You need different muscles to manage a remote, hybrid, or global team. But, what about the team? What can employees do to be model remote employees? Making a remote relationship work takes a strong manager and a diligent employee.
Many professionals today are insisting on working remotely. They are open to new roles, but they refuse to come to an office. They want to stay with their organization but don’t want to return to the office. Some reasons are related to health and safety, while others are more about being used to working remotely and not wanting to alter their current lifestyle.
Whatever the reason for desiring to stay remote, a team member also needs to develop or flex some muscles that may not have been used before. I used to counsel employees whose manager was in a different country that it takes a particular set of skills to be a successful employee reporting to someone thousands of miles away. The same is valid with remote. So, even if you’re in the next town over, you still are not close enough to be in the next cubicle over.
The number one challenge I see with remote manager-employee relationships is communication. This may seem a bit broad, but this includes everything from status updates, performance conversations, feedback and coaching opportunities, and logistical items like when you are working and are offline.
Making a remote relationship work takes tremendous trust. The manager needs to create a safe and trusting environment, and the employee needs to live the values and demonstrate behaviors to shore up that trust. Trust is not a one-way street. Trust is something built between two people, and, therefore, it takes the behavior and values of two people to ensure it is established and stays in place.
Here are seven ways employees can help ensure that trust exists between them and their manager when operating in a remote situation:
Use your calendar.
When your manager cannot see your face sitting at a desk, it is essential to keep your calendar up-to-date. I don’t believe in managing through presence detection because if someone appears away for an hour doesn’t mean they are not working. They could be on the phone. Remember the phone? They may not be in a web meeting. They may be folding laundry but thinking through a hairy problem. We shouldn’t care about this. My best solutions have come from doing mundane tasks while my brain did the work. So, use your calendar religiously because this is how your manager knows if you’re in a meeting, away at a doctor’s appointment, or out of the office. This is not micromanagement; your calendar is how your manager knows when he can connect with you.
Don’t disappear.
Here is my one “don’t” for this list. Don’t disappear. I wrote about when an employee “goes dark” a few weeks ago. If something happens in your personal life, you need to check in and share that you will need time off or time away. You don’t always need to share personal details, but you must check in. Even in an emergency, you must send a text or email to your manager, letting them know something has happened. I have seen too many times where an employee disappears off the grid. There may be a severe issue that is causing this, and managers should give the benefit of the doubt. Managers are understanding; managers get concerned. Don’t disappear. Let them know you will be off for a while.
Be proactive in your communications.
In a remote relationship, you cannot communicate enough, like status updates over email, notes about going to the doctor, scheduling vacation time in advance, getting thoughts on an approach for a project, sharing issues with a client as they happen. Email, IMs, texts are all channels to communicate with your manager. Some may feel they have to over-communicate now. That is correct. You need to over-communicate to stay connected and have all parties remain in the know. This isn’t “big brother”; this is how we must work effectively together.
Schedule one-on-one meetings.
I have encouraged managers to do this, but there is nothing wrong with the team member being proactive and scheduling one-on-one meetings with their managers. I also think the employee should drive these meetings. Sometimes, a manager may have things to share or ask about, but this is the time for the employee to get the ear of their manager, who probably manages several people. Schedule this time, put together lists and agendas for these meetings so you can proactively share what is going on, brainstorm solutions when needed, and get decisions made that will help you move forward in your work.
Know and hit your targets.
Nothing strengthens trust more than meeting your deadlines and objectives. Hopefully, this is the time of year when you and your manager set goals, targets, and development opportunities. This also should not all come from the manager. As a professional, you should think about what can be achieved and provide your thoughts on your own goals. As a manager, I am always grateful when my team proactively sets their own goals and brings them for discussion. I may have additions or subtractions to make, but it shows great commitment when you can set your own goals as a starting point.
Manage up when needed.
I have also written about managing up and being remote, and you may have to do this. Your manager may go dark or be trapped in endless meetings. Your manager may communicate something 180 degrees from what he told you yesterday. He may have made a decision that you disagree with. All of these things happen. Managers should be clear and proactive in their communications, but this may not always occur. As a professional, you can manage up and ask questions. You can disagree. You can influence. No one is perfect, and you may need to manage up respectfully from time to time. Managers should be ready for this, and you can craft your respectful push back through questions when you need to.
Set boundaries and share them.
We remain in a time where setting boundaries is challenging. With burnout abound, we need to be engaged, proactive, accessible, and on track with our performance goals, but we also need to ensure we are not working around the clock. We need to be intentional about our working hours and communicate these to our managers. I have always said that I am willing to work hard, but I am not ready to work 70 hours every week. I think we mix up working hard with working long hours. These are not the same thing. I am committed 7 am - 4 pm. Then, I need to walk or work out. I am happy to work an evening or two and even put in some hours on the weekends. But, working 6 am - 10 pm every day and over weekends will backfire. Work with your manager to set logical boundaries. Gain agreement and be transparent about when you will be working and offline. This will proactively quell any bad feelings and set clear expectations.
Being remote is standard these days. Removing the work commute has threatened our boundaries of separating work and leisure. Still, it has also helped create a more balanced life if we can stay true to our artificial boundaries.
Being a stellar remote employee is not 100% dependent on the manager; the employee has some responsibility. Be committed, use your calendar, set boundaries, be transparent, and manage up when needed. All of these actions will help your remote relationship with your manager be successful.