Any managers out there feeling overwhelmed with remote management?

12 Comments

1. AnonymousDecember 2,2021 at 12:44PM UTC

   Employees are also experiencing soloed conversations that would not occur in the office. Since these are not recorded, they are left to deal with being talked to in a certain way with no proof. For instance, rude comments made by their manager that make them uncomfortable and cause more harm than good are considered okay now whereas if you were in person these things would never be said.

2. AnonymousDecember 2,2021 at 2:20PM UTC

   Turning off self-view is a smart idea. I definitely check my own Zoom box too often during calls, something that would never happen in-person.

3. AnonymousDecember 2,2021 at 2:58PM UTC

   I think the hardest thing is having the same conversation over and over again with different people because it's hard to get everyone together for one collective meetings. Especially when it's something small that doesn't necessarily require a meeting (and I'm trying not to add more to everyone's calendars), but as I'm talking to individual team members about it, it becomes clear that there are different opinions and a meeting would actually be beneficial. Just kind of slows the whole process down.

4. AnonymousDecember 2,2021 at 5:43PM UTC

   I really, really feel for managers right now. But I also think we have to acknowledge that this overwhelming feeling is a universal thing that applies to employees too. Almost everyone I talk to that is burnt out or ready to leave their job has said it's because of a lack of communication or confusion in navigating their newly massive workload. Because of the meeting burden managers are experiencing, employees are getting less and less time to meet with their managers and are, therefore, unclear on how to move forward, what goals are and/or working in silos.

   I don't want this to be taken as a 'managers vs. employees' opinion - I feel for both sides. But I just think managers usually have more pull and impact in changing things, internally.

5. Tracey MorrisDecember 3,2021 at 2:47PM UTC

   I've managed remote teams in several organizations. Most recently, my on site team was transitioned to remote work due to the pandemic, and the org has decided to make that a permanent remote work situation. A few things that I find necessary to manage a remote workforce: 1) One on one meetings with each of my direct reports that are scheduled weekly or biweekly and give them a "known" time when they can discuss obstacles, concerns, issues, etc. I let the employee drive the discussion with the exception of any pressing issues I have specific to that employee. I rarely cancel these, but do sometimes have to shift the day/time. I try to keep them consistent so my employees can count on that 1:1 time with me. 2) I have bi weekly team meetings where I share information with the whole team, we brainstorm around issues impacting our department and we address questions. I have an agenda but typically these meetings end with an open Q&A where the team can ask each other for advice, etc. 3) I create time for the team to get together to chat about something other than work. We have a monthly coffee break and a monthly happy hour (these happen during the weeks when we do not have team meetings). We chat about our kids, spouses, vacations, houses, life in general. It is our chance to "water cooler talk" without the water cooler. In addition we have a Teams site where we can share work related files, ping each other funny memes and giphs and share information (eg "I'm leaving for a doc appointment and will be back in 2 hours.") This has all worked well for our team. We also created a communication agreement -- it outlines what mode of communication we use depending on our needs and includes using Teams chat, email and Teams/Zoom video meetings. Establishing that criteria has cut down on the number of unnecessary meetings.

6. CarolineDecember 3,2021 at 3:03PM UTC

   Such good tips! I would also add that when onboarding a new hire that needs to learn the ins and outs of the company, have that person shadow in your meetings for a while. They might not have anything to offer at first, but it will help them get acclimated and see you in action which helps build trust and credibility. And you can discuss whatever happened with them afterwards either in your 1:1 or another call or chat. This mimics what the OP feels she is missing by not being able to spend in-person time with her team.

7. Ainslie BinderDecember 3,2021 at 3:21PM UTC

   I started a new job at the end of the summer and we are all working remotely. 3 people left the project within a month's time. There were different reasons for all 3, but at least 2 of them were exacerbated by the remote setup. In one case, a young employee acknowledged that she wasn't happy with how her job responsibilities had shifted over time, but this only came out after she had taken 2 days off during a very busy time, then had been unavailable on the day she returned to "work." An online meeting was scheduled where she admitted that she was dissatisfied and it was mutually agreed that she would transition out of her role over a month's time. This was to allow her time to find a new position, for a replacement to be hired and for her to train this person. As the out date approached, she became less and less responsive and ended up burning all her bridges. I really believe this would have been a much more smooth transition if we had all been in the same place. We might even have been able to identify the issues she was having and address them in a timely fashion. In another case, a supervisor called out another employee in a group email, which prompted that employee to respond with a resignation note. Again, if we had been working in an office setting, it's unlikely that the email would have been sent at all. I listened to a great segment on Brian Lehrer where these issues were discussed! https://www.wnyc.org/story/challenges-starting-remote-career/

8. Michelle Dottore-LasureDecember 3,2021 at 3:37PM UTC

   I have been managing remote teams for 16 years, and it can be quite a challenge if you aren’t used to managing this way. What was once done face to face has to be done in front of a screen, where you often can’t get the nuances of a conversation— hand gestures, body language, or a pat on the back are no longer a part of the interaction. Also, internet challenges can really put a damper on meetings; especially if someone is unable to use video. I think the most important thing you can do as a manager is to have frequent check-ins with your teams, and have one central place where you can manage projects and communicate with your team members when you aren’t in meetings. For example, I created a website where I use Google sheets for project management plans, reporting, tasks, etc. we also use Trello for immediate and long term tasks, in the Kanban format of Agile PM. I also have our team calendars there, so everyone knows who is working, and when. Additionally, I have shared Google Drive areas where everything that the team is working on is linked; this is helpful for me as well, so I can see iterations of the work in progress. There are also slide decks, best practices docs, style guides, etc. and all of these items are organized and linked to my Google site. It’s a one-stop shop for all of my team members. Also, I have a couple of pages for fun things as well! Puzzles, articles, feeds, and a place where people can post pics of vacations, their families, etc. It’s important to have an area like this, because it keeps the human/personal touch alive, even when you aren’t physically in the same location. I do still have weekly team meetings for the team as a whole, and small meetings with scrum teams. I also build in time for 1:1 meetings, to give everyone a chance to talk to me about items that they don’t want to discuss with a larger group. Sometimes it is about a concern or risk, but sometimes the individual meetings are just a time to connect on a personal level. This has worked well for me for many years, and the teams like it as well. Good luck!

9. Michelle ClaproodDecember 3,2021 at 4:17PM UTC

   I actually find remote management easier than in-person. It forces you to rely on measurable metrics and benchmarks, which removes assumption and emotional connection from the conversation when discussing employee performance. The key is to set very specific communication and task expectations in place and inspect what you expect. I've been managing remote teams for more than 8 years now and I honestly prefer it... Plus it's really not that difficult to keep employees engaged remotely. It just takes that extra work and time to make sure you are communicating regularly and professionally while still taking time to have a little fun and make them feel supported.

10. AnonymousDecember 3,2021 at 4:33PM UTC

    My biggest issue is dealing with timezones (since we're not just remote but distributed), setting up meetings across 4 timezones is a headache, but I think the pros of a remote/distributed team outweigh that headache.

11. AnonymousDecember 3,2021 at 9:28PM UTC

    I prefer working remote. I never want to go back in person. I get so much more work done. Conversations tend to be more focused towards actual WORK. Sadly, drama fiends still find a way to bring drama but at least I don't have to physically see them do it.

12. Madam anon663December 4,2021 at 1:29PM UTC

    I think if you are a good manager, what you say above would be true. In my experience with my managers since the pandemic started, yes, I have had more than one, they are uninterested, lazy, and have no idea what I am doing as they seem to not care about communicating with me about anything. I prefer being remote so as to not deal with toxic team mates I have, but having a horrible manager is difficult from my end.