Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a noticeable increase in supervisors, managers, and executives leading remotely located teams and staff. Now, of course, everyone is!

Expectations are that the large majority of managers and leaders (at all levels of organizations) will continue to manage and supervise working-from-home employees for perhaps the next 12-18 months.

Unfortunately, there has been a remarkable lack of training in how to manage, motivate, or lead employees working from other locations or from home. The shelter-in-place and lockdown rules of the pandemic have exacerbated this problem and brought it to the forefront of corporate learning needs.

To date, leaders, managers, and supervisors have had to use trial and error methods to make things happen in the environment of remote management. This is frustrating and stressful, both for leaders and their remote team members.

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The skills of being a good remote leader are the same for co-located leaders – communications, influence, delegation, diversity and inclusion, networking, coaching, and results management. However, the dynamics of applying these skills have specific nuances and application when leading remotely.

Our Leading Remotely: Engaging and Motivating Remote Team Members virtual training program teaches leaders, managers, and supervisors how to implement best practices in leading remotely located teams and staff.

This virtual leadership program comprises three 90-minute interactive modules and is designed for leaders at all levels of organizations with remote staff reporting to them – supervisors, team leaders, managers, and senior leaders.

What participants will learn:

• How to apply the different nuances and dynamics of remote leadership.
• How to be as effective a leader with remote employees as with those on the team co-located with the leader.
• How to handle cross-cultural issues efficiently and correctly.
• How to better gather inputs and ideas from remote team members.
• How to give feedback to remote employees, even when you have little visibility to their work processes, decision-making skills, and planning activities.
• How to run more efficient team meetings and conference calls, especially when participants have different language skills.
• How to recognize engagement and performance issues in remote team members.
• Understanding the cross-cultural aspects of supervising employees located in different countries and across numerous time zones.

Session 1

What makes remote leadership different?

• • What are the different challenges for supervisors?
  • What are the different challenges for those working remotely?
  • What are the biggest concerns of remote leaders?

Engaging with remotely located employees.

• • Working styles and preferences
  • The importance of “being seen” for supervisors by remote workers.
  • Understanding and building trust at a distance.
  • How working and managing remotely impacts trust.
  • Choosing the right communications tools.
  • Taking cultural differences into consideration.

Session 2

Setting and Communicating Goals from a Distance.

• • How technology helps (and hinders) communications with remote employees.
  • Gaining clarity and clear line of sight.
  • Ensuring commitment and buy-in.

Achieving Outcomes from a Distance.

• • Tips for monitoring and managing progress.
  • Tools and procedures to boost success.
  • Identifying outcomes
    • Organizational outcomes
    • Team outcomes
    • Individual outcomes

Session 3

Feedback and Coaching from a Distance.

• • How being remote makes a difference.
  • Tips and techniques to increase success.
  • Leading people development remotely.

Understanding Your Challenges as a Remote Leader.

• • Tips and tactics for improving engagement with remote workers.
  • Dealing with the sense of isolation.
  • Dealing with the inability to monitor activity.