HBR Guide to Remote Work

CHAPTER 20

5 Questions (Newly) Virtual Leaders Should Ask Themselves

by Melissa Raffoni

For some people, working from home and communicating through digital mediums like Slack, Zoom, and WebEx has been the norm for years. Many business models have long supported virtual work as a necessity to accommodate employees and clients in various locations. Still, while technology has improved our ability to get work done and communicate remotely, managers haven’t always had a set of best practices for leading remote teams at a high capacity.

My intent here is to challenge leaders to pause and identify what they need to do differently to not only sustain but also strengthen their skills in a virtual setting.

First, it’s important to be aware of the factors ...