The 3 Tips ALL managers must do to pivot from managing in person to leading remotely.

Before the Coronavirus hit, 50% of the US workforce worked in some sort of telecommuting role, now that number has soared. But many managers around the world have had to lead and communicate from a distance in some capacity.

The tenants of leadership still apply whether you are face-to-face or working remotely. And there are simple things every manager should practice when working with direct reports remotely. So, practice these tips to pivot from managing in-person to becoming an effective remote leader.

1. Communicate early and often – It’s a trust builder

Communicate a lot! Over communication from a remote location is not an issue. Communication early and often helps humans feel at ease and alleviates anxieties. Keeping people informed and updated is critical even when we don’t have all the details.

Use your discretion regarding how much to communicate, but remember if employees are not hearing from you for lengthy periods of time, they may begin assuming things which can lead to worrying about what’s up.

Checking-in on all employee’s well being should be a daily occurrence. Explain to employees that communication is 2-way and highly encouraged. Be open and approachable, even when working remotely. Communicating early and often with people builds trust and shows that you are looking out for their best interests, it demonstrates caring.

2. The nature of your communication – My communication methods

It helps to keep in mind that 7% of communication is made up only from the words we use. Yeah, that’s right, 7%! This tells us humans need more than just emails or texts as they are only comprised of words. You don’t have to be a math expert to know there will be a lot lost or assumed in translation. 

If you don’t believe it, then just answer these questions:

• Have you ever received a text or email that you’ve misinterpreted, assumed emotion, or just misunderstood? We all have.
• Have you ever wondered why we use memes or emoji’s? They’re to convey emotions/feelings and hence, are cheap ways of communicating what our human voices, faces, and bodies naturally do.

That means the remainder (93%) of our communication is made up from voice fluctuation and body language. Simply put, humans understand you more when voice and body language are involved. This should be a massive caution to not limit our remote communication to just emails and texts because it’s easier.  

Since the remainder of communication is made up of our voice fluctuation and body language – utilize phone calls or webcam calls with individuals or teams when important information is necessary.

Humans desire connection and the best way of doing that is by using your voice, or face to face, it’s just how we are ‘wired’ and there are forms of remote media that support this type of communication.

Knowing how you will communicate a particular piece of information is important as well. Managers should adopt a communication plan and know what method of communication will be used regarding the degree of critically.

Ask yourself:

• What is the criticality of the communication I need to relay (Is it a touch base, a check-in, a mass communication, coaching, asking for feedback, discussing progress or traction on a project, brainstorming, etc.)?
• What is my method of the communication (Single email, group email, Facetime, Skype, Zoom, phone call, Facebook group message, text, etc.)?

Here is a good rule to live by: The more critical or more important the information needing to be relayed, the more personal the contact should be. This should be a good indicator that we should never send disparaging news or critical information via email or text. It’s impersonal and shows lack of caring – Yeah, ouch!

Save emails for day to day non-important stuff and only use text messaging for checking in or sending quick non-critical information. It’s amazing that sometimes we forget that smartphones are actually phones and video calling devices too. Just by utilizing your phone features for calling or Facetime, you more than significantly increase your chances of someone understanding your message – Yup, it’s totally true!

Here are some remote communication best practices: (Note: Since every business is different you’ll need to determine what area your communication falls).

• Highly critical information (May include organizational mass communication, individual coaching, critical feedback, project and goals traction, P&L feedback, strategy sessions, celebration, big kudos, etc.) = Facetime, Zoom, Skype or phone/conference calls.
• Mid-Level critical information (May include, non-important organizational communication, minor coaching, minor feedback for group or individual, brainstorming, asking for feedback, kudos, individual check-ins, etc.) = Facetime, Zoom, Skype, phone/conference calls, some email.
• Low-Level critical information (May include ultra-minor touch-bases, feedback, general information, etc.) = phone calls, email, text.

Remember, humans connect through communication. So, communicate early and often and check your methods. Not everything is a group email, individual email or text. Let people see you and hear you as much as possible, that’s the best for a human’s well-being.

3. Leadership effectiveness can still be had

Regardless of the current remote nature of your working environment, you can still do many things that have brought you leadership success from the in-person environment you may be use to. Some of the main attributes of leadership include, building trust, building relationships, servant leadership, accountability, respect, and more.

Keep in mind that good communication principles, like seeking first to understand before being understood, listening empathically with intent to understand, checking your emotions, being approachable online or on the phone, show people you care. Caring builds trust and relationships, it’s where great leadership flows from. 

It’s tough for people to cope during stressful times and your caring and communication are critical to individual and team well-being. Continue to do the right things as if you were face-to-face and choose the right media to successfully convey your message to successfully pivot from manager of people to effective remote leader!

Don’t let distance limit your leadership effectiveness – become or continue to be that great leader, regardless of location.