Leading at a Distance

CHAPTER 5Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind: How to Inspire and Motivate from Afar

Managing a team of people who work remotely may seem easy, but many leaders are surprised to learn how challenging it can be. Virtual leaders need to make more of an effort in almost every sense. They need to be more proactive about building trust (as we discussed in Chapter 2), managing accountability and performance (as we've discussed in several chapters), and, perhaps most importantly, keeping employees motivated.

Why is it so challenging to motivate people from a distance? Here are a few critical reasons:

• Lack of visual cues can cause misunderstandings, making effective delegation more difficult.
• Team members may not directly interact with clients or co-workers and may not see a clear link between their work and business outcomes.
• The tendency to focus on task rather than relationship when working virtually makes it less likely virtual leaders will take the time to listen and demonstrate an interest in people.
• Infrequent interaction makes it difficult to build relationships with team members and understand their values and aspirations.
• Distance and the reliance on technology make it difficult to create a sense of purpose.
• Leaders may struggle finding ways to intellectually stimulate the team via virtual communication channels, which are more complex and cognitively taxing than face-to-face communication.

Inspirational leadership involves aligning values with initiatives to create enthusiasm ...