Remote work. There are days I love it. There are days I hate it.
In early 2022, the refrain was that “Remote Work is Here to Stay,” but that seems to have changed at the 3/4 mark of 2024. An article in The Business Journals last week declared that:
According to a new survey from ResumeBuilder, 87% of companies that had been fully remote will return to the office by 2025.
The report, which surveyed 764 companies that moved to a fully remote model during the pandemic, found that 64% of those companies have already returned to the office.
Additionally, 23% plan to implement a return-to-the-office policy by the end of 2025. The survey found only 6% of companies have no plans to require any employees to return to the office.
So, I guess it’s “here to stay” for about 6% of companies.
Either way, we need to embrace the fact that remote work is not a new concept.
My family of origin ran a small distribution business. Every day, drivers started at the plant and delivered products around the region. They would return to the plant a few times to pick up more products before heading out again.
In those days, we used a two-way radio to communicate with drivers, but we would go hours without hearing from them.
They worked remotely all day, and even though I was just a kid, I learned a few things about managing remote employees.
1. The PERSON matters.
Remote work only works if the person has a high responsibility quotient.
One of my dad’s best employees was with him for over 30 years. This young man started his employment mowing the business yard and doing odd jobs around the plant. He kept working and became a valuable employee in the organization. Why?
He took responsibility for all of his work.
When he was done delivering, he made sure his truck was in good condition. If the truck had a problem, he addressed it or asked my dad for assistance.
Remote work only works if the person has a high responsibility quotient.
One of my internal questions for hiring has become, “Would I let this person take care of my dog at my house for the weekend?”
If my gut says “no,” I know they aren’t a good fit.
2. Manage for Productivity, Not Time
You will be super frustrated if you try to manage time in a remote environment.
In the 1980s delivery business, the concern was whether the right customers got the right product in a timely manner that served their needs. That’s what was measured.
Sometimes, that took longer than expected, and sometimes, it took less time than expected. Either way, the focus was on productivity management, not time management.
Since becoming a remote leader, I have had team members Gchat me to let me know that they are “stepping out for a few minutes” to do x, y, or z.
I am always glad they let me know (just in case I need to reach them), but I also don’t really care. They know what they are responsible for, and if they get that done, I don’t care how and when they do it.
3. Focus on RELATIONSHIP building.
My dad’s best employees would come into the office at the beginning and the end of the day. Others would park their trucks, jump in their cars, and head out of the day.
I didn’t think about it then, but now I see something significant.
Humans are tribal creatures. Whether you believe it is evolutionary or God-built, we naturally desire to work WITH others.
Those employees who came in at the beginning or end of the day would connect more than work. They would talk about their families, plans, and struggles, creating a bond that went way beyond work.
One reason remote work is failing is that leaders don’t prioritize getting to know their team members as people. Because they are “behind a screen,” we can view them as a means of production instead of as people with hopes, dreams, desires, and struggles.
And here’s the deal: you can’t fake that you care by allotting ten minutes at the beginning of a meeting to “connect” over Zoom. People can smell that insincerity even through the screen.
On second thought, that’s not just a remote work reality. That’s just the reality of leadership. People want to KNOW that you care about them.
When they do, it matters little if they work in the cubicle next door or the next state.
