Managing Remote Teams

MANAGING REMOTE TEAMS Could These Fiction al Bosses Do It? More and more companies are testing the concept of remote working. But when managing a remote team, you need to be flexible, transparent, and understanding. We put a few of your favorite fictional bosses to the test. Do you think they could cut it in a remote office? MIRANDA PRIESTLY PROS: O World-traveler o Sets clear (if impossible) deadlines o Incredibly productive CONS: o Can't email condescending looks o Would demand 24/7 connectivity from her team O No one would see her footwear choices THE VERDICT: ABSOLUTELY 69% of remote workers report having a reduced stress level. Miranda Priestly would keep her employees' blood pressure down if they could work remotely. DON DRAPER PROS: o Only communicates when it is necessary o No traffic jams in the morning O A hands-off approach lets his team be creative CONS: o Lose the creative energy of an office brainstorm O Three-martini lunches for one are a bummer o Instant message makes it hard to convey tone THE VERDICT: HIGHLY LIKELY 74% of workers cite work/life balance as a top reason for remote working. Don Draper's personal life might improve if he had more time to spend with his family and less time commuting to Sterling Cooper. MICHAEL SCOTII PROS: O Attentive; always needs to be in the know o Wants to be the "cool" boss o Loves his job and his coworkers CONS: O Not tech-savvy: his GPS drove him into a lake o Very, very, very social o Requires constant approval THE VERDICT: NO CHANCE Michael Scott needs to be around people. In one experiment, 50% of the remote workers asked to come back to the office. One of the reasons? They were lonely. RON SWANSON PROS: O The ultimate hands-off manager o Won't run into bureaucrats in the hallway O More time for eating meat CONS: o Would let Leslie do all the work O Might spend the entire day in the hallways o Technological know-how isn't on the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness THE VERDICT: DEFINITELY Working from home would help Ron avoid being pulled into unneccessary task forces at City Hall. He could also have Leslie keep an eye on productivity since 83% of remote workers report their project statuses online. BILL LUMBERGH PROS: O All eight managers can coordinate on a call o Won't have to see Milton anymore O No "PC Load Letter" messages on the printer CONS: o Resting an arm on a cubicle makes him look cool O No free cake during birthdays O Micromanaging is much more difficult THE VERDICT: NOT LIKELY Bill's micromanaging ways wouldn't survive a transition to remote work. It's too bad: about 66% of employers offer occasional telecommuting, which boost employee retention and satisfaction. See our culture in action. | http://www.Formstack.com RESOURCES http://www.marketwatch.com POWERED BY http://www.nytimes.com Formstack http://www.london.edu http://www.huffingtonpost.com