Engaging Employees from a Distance (Curt Swenson and Wendy Samson, 2017)
Satellite locations can be a boon for your company’s customers AND a challenge for your organization’s supervisors who are charged with keeping employees engaged from a distance. Using concepts from our Mosaic® 12 Ingredients of Engagement model, FutureSYNC International’s consultants suggest the following for these important, long-distance employment relationships:
1. Ensure plenty of time for on-boarding new employees at your central location (at least 2 weeks) to allow for direct training and orientation. This will help establish relationships, enable effective skill and knowledge development and give your employee a sense of belonging.
2. Provide frequent check-ins once the long-distance employee returns to their satellite location, (by videoconference when possible). This helps solidify the relationship, provides an opportunity to reinforce the mission, vision and guiding principles of the organization and ensures the employee doesn’t feel isolated or alone.
3. Schedule a managerial visit within the first two (2) weeks on the job and subsequently, on a monthly basis. Occasional or quarterly visits should be focused on ensuring the long-distance employee has the tools, skills and equipment necessary to do their job well. The monthly site visits should include intentional feedback with the long-distance employee that reinforces what is going well and re-focuses them in areas that need improvement. Your time on-site is precious and should be well thought-out prior to the visit or it could seem like a waste of time.
4. Include your long-distance employees in all important company communication. It is easy to feel “left out of the loop” when you’re working in a satellite office and this can lead to a decrease in engagement and performance. Go out of your way to ensure the distance employees are “in the loop” and are able to contribute to important decision that may affect their work.
5. Use technology to connect. Videoconferencing, chatting, texting, online meetings, etc. are all great tools to empower your satellite offices to stay connected. They are also great leveraging tools for coaching, providing feedback and ensuring alignment with the strategic direction of the organization. Keep in mind that a phone call or videoconference are much more effective communication tools when the conversation goes beyond just informing.
6. Invite your long-distance employees to important meetings, gatherings and company events. Even if the employee cannot travel, it’s important to know you are invited and being included a part of the team.
7. Ensure INTENSE clarity around the important topics of performance outcomes, goals, decision scope and job expectations. Reinforce these by providing frequent feedback and noticing them when they are done well.
8. Measure the long-distance employees performance by their RESULTS not their activities. If office hours are important for customers, ensure intense clarity around that expectations and allow for as much autonomy as possible in HOW they do their work while focusing on the quality of their real outcomes when measuring performance.
9. Conduct in-person performance management discussions. Conversation regarding someone’s continued employment success and livelihood is too important to conduct off-site. Ensure the performance expectations are made intensely clear, that there is a written agreement for future performance and that the employee understands (in writing) the accountability expectations and processes.
10. Hold Actively Disengaged, long-distance employees accountable. A disgruntled, long-distance employee can turn into a dangerous situation, especially if they are in an office with only one or two people. It is critical that this is observed and managed immediately! Failing to hold an actively disengaged employee accountable and/or managing them out, can and will have devastating impacts on your organization’s reputation and customer outcomes in that region.
For more leadership solutions and or to register for our upcoming Executive Intelligence session, held in Billings on April 4th and 5th, call us at (406) 254-2326 or email us at info@future-sync.com.