1. The document provides tips for managing remote workers, including having a clear strategic purpose for remote working, creating a formal company policy, and selecting the right managers to oversee remote workers. 2. Both Yahoo and Best Buy are walking back previous announcements that seemed to eliminate remote working options, with Yahoo allowing it when necessary and Best Buy giving managers more authority over remote working arrangements. 3. Successful remote working requires good management through clear goals, regular communication, building trust, ensuring workers have what they need, and selecting the right people for remote roles.

1. Managing Remote Workers
SOME TIPS

2. 2
Managing Remote Workers
First Yahoo and then Best Buy
came down heavily on their
remote working
programmes. Both companies
are in trouble and so a “get on
board” mentality is an
understandable reaction.
It now seems, however, that
both pronouncements are
actually ‘softer’ than first
reported.

3. 3
Managing Remote Workers
According to The New York
Times, Yahoo’s position is not
an outright ban on remote
working – employees can work
from home when necessary.
That’s a bit vague, but leaves
the window open a little bit. In
responding to the criticism,
Yahoo made the statement
that:
“This isn’t a broad industry
view on working from home.
This is about what is right for
Yahoo right now.”

4. 4
Managing Remote Workers
“Right now,” suggests the
decision is time-specific
and could be changed at
some point in the future.

5. 5
Managing Remote Workers
Best Buy is also not eliminating the work from home option.
What it is doing “is giving managers more authority to
determine whether and when it’s appropriate for workers
[corporate employees] to work outside the office or at
different times” (mashable.com, March 5th).”
You mean managers at Best Buy had little or no authority on
how the remote working programme was implemented?

6. 6
Managing Remote Workers
Let’s be clear, the pronouncements from Yahoo and Best Buy
have little to do with the failure of remote working per se -
they have to do with the failure of management.

7. 7
Managing Remote Workers
There were abuses of remote working at Yahoo and
disempowering managers in the implementation of the Best
Buy programme seems like a recipe for disaster.
Hands-off management for many will be interpreted as “Thank
you for trusting me. I’ll be sure not to let you down, even if
that means working longer hours.”

8. 8
Managing Remote Workers
For others, it will be interpreted as “Let me outsource my job
to China and start up my own business in my spare time.”
I’m not saying that management of remote workers
should be heavy on control, but it should be heavy on
manager engagement and communication.

9. 9
Managing Remote Workers
Here are 1. Make sure there
some tips is a clear
for strategic
managing purpose for
remote remote working:
workers
What business
goals are being
served?
Without a clear
understanding of
goals, how will
the success of
remote working
be measured?

10. 10
Managing Remote Workers
Here are 2. Create a formal
some tips company policy
for so that
managing everyone is
remote clear about
workers expectations.
What is
appropriate and
inappropriate?

11. 11
Managing Remote Workers
Here are 3. Select the right
some tips managers to
for oversee remote
managing workers and
remote make sure solid
workers remote
management
training
programmes are
also available.

12. 12
Managing Remote Workers
Managers need to… Set explicit goals and timeframes and
revisit these periodically.
Stay focused on results.
Stay very connected and engaged
with the remote worker, build
relationships – don’t just assign tasks.
Work at establishing trust and a sense
of mutual obligation.
Select the right people to be remote
workers. Not everyone has the right
mindset, discipline, skills and level of
maturity to work remotely. Make sure
training for remote workers is
available, as well as for managers.
Ensure remote workers have what
they need to do a great job –
technology, information, access, etc.

13. 13
Managing Remote Workers
Remote working does have many
well-documented business benefits
e.g. attracting and retaining top talent,
reduced overhead and higher
productivity.

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Managing Remote Workers
But without good management those
benefits don’t simply materialize on their
own.
Both Yahoo and Best Buy need to take
that into account if and when they
consider remote working again.

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Managing Remote Workers
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please contact us at
enquiries@tmaworld.com
or visit
http://www.tmaworld.com/training-solutions/