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Abstract: This article explores research-backed principles for effectively leading remote teams. As employee expectations and work styles have evolved with technological change and the COVID-19 pandemic, managing virtual employees presents unique challenges compared to in-office teams. Remote management requires a shift from traditional top-down styles to building trust through clear and frequent communication, transparent expectations, and mutual understanding. The article outlines specific strategies for maintaining personal connections from afar, including regularly scheduled one-on-ones, proactive status checks, bilateral feedback loops, and virtual social events. It also stresses the importance of objective metrics, detailed project briefs, and constructive performance reviews to ensure accountability. Overall, the article argues that adopting best practices for open communication, personal presence, and performance management can empower high-performing remote teams.
The modern workplace has seen tremendous change over the past few decades. Employee expectations have evolved, technology has reshaped how and where we work, and the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated a massive shift to remote work seemingly overnight. While remote and hybrid work arrangements provide flexibility that benefits both employers and employees, they also introduce unique challenges for managers—namely, how to effectively lead and develop direct reports who are not in the same physical location.
Managing remote teams requires a new mindset and revised skill set from leaders. The traditional command-and-control style falls flat without face-to-face interaction, and micromanagement breeds resentment rather than results. To succeed with remote direct reports, managers must build trusting relationships based on clear communication, mutual understanding of expectations, and accountability.
Today we will explore research-backed principles for leading virtually and offer specific industry examples of their practical application. With the tools and techniques discussed here, any manager can empower high-performing remote teams.
Research-Backed Principles for Leading Virtually
Building Trust Through Communication: Effective communication is the foundation of any strong professional relationship, yet becomes exponentially more important for geographically dispersed workers. Research shows a direct link between frequent, transparent communication and high levels of trust between remote managers and their direct reports.
Hold Regular Check-Ins: Schedule recurring one-on-one video meetings with each direct report to maintain personal connections. Check-ins need not be long—15-30 minutes is sufficient—and should have a consistent cadence, such as weekly or biweekly. Use these meetings to discuss progress, address any issues promptly, and learn about their well-being and work-life balance.
Be Transparent in Your Expectations: Clearly articulate performance goals and how you will measure success. Share how you prefer to communicate and receive feedback. Set guidelines for responsiveness to emails and messages so remote workers understand your availability. At a tech startup, the VP of Engineering holds a monthly all-hands meeting to transparently discuss performance metrics and goals for the coming month.
Over-Communicate Status and Decisions: Remote direct reports lack the water-cooler insights of their in-office peers. Keep them fully informed of organizational changes, strategy updates, new initiatives, or business challenges through written status reports and video conference calls. Proactively sharing context helps remote employees feel included and contributes to trust in leadership. The CEO of a marketing agency records a weekly 2-3 minute video update for all staff with a rundown of the past week.
Make Communication Bilateral: Solicit regular feedback from remote employees on team dynamics, workload priorities, manager effectiveness, and work-life balance. Ask for input into decisions that affect them. Remote workers who feel heard will be more engaged, productive members of the team. A product design firm implemented weekly polls to gather anonymous input from remote employees on topics such as professional development needs.
Setting Expectations Through Clear Direction: While trust develops through two-way communication, accountability stems from clear direction and performance management. Remote managers must ensure goals are well-defined and expectations unambiguous to hold direct reports responsible for results.
Provide Detailed Project Briefs: Spell out deliverables, deadlines, quality and content standards, resource availability, and approval processes for all assignments. Consider documenting workflows and approval processes visually with flowcharts. Thorough briefings prevent scope creep and disagreements down the line. An HR consultancy shares detailed project plans using Airtable to outline tasks, owners, and due dates.
Use Objective Metrics Where Possible: When metrics can quantify output, use them. Track sales numbers, code commits, designs delivered, help desk tickets closed, articles published—whatever applies. Objective metrics remove ambiguity and surface issues sooner. A SaaS company measures agent performance against call handle times, first call resolutions, customer satisfaction scores from post-call surveys.
Check Progress Proactively: Instead of waiting for scheduled meetings, periodically check-in on project status through messages, brief calls or screenshares. Address roadblocks quickly before they stall work. Proactive progress checks demonstrate care for accountability and results. The CEO of an online education firm randomly video calls one direct report each afternoon just to see how things are going.
Provide Constructive Feedback: When expectations are not met, discuss shortcomings candidly and suggest areas for improvement. Praise specific accomplishments too. Timely, honest feedback drives better results over the long run than ignoring issues. An accounting firm holds monthly online performance reviews including self-evaluations, peer feedback and manager commentary to benchmark progress.
Managing With a Virtual Presence: As communication and direction establish expectations, regularly interacting face-to-face maintains personal connections vital to any professional relationship—especially virtually. Building camaraderie and understanding team members holistically requires intentional effort.
Schedule Video Meetings Whenever Possible: While not always necessary, there is no substitute for virtual face time when important discussions require personal interaction. Use webcams for one-on-ones, project handoffs, brainstorming sessions, and social catch-ups. Seeing facial expressions and body language prevents communications lapses.
Make Yourself Visible and Accessible: Leave your webcam on during parts of the workday if your space allows. Answer video calls or messages promptly during core hours. Being present assuages isolation and signals you value engagement. One CEO starts each day with a 15-minute open-door video call with any staffers who want to chat.
Organize Virtual Social Events: Plan bi-monthly activities like virtual coffee dates, recipe exchanges, book clubs, or skill-sharing sessions. Have fun building camaraderie to strengthen remote bonds. A design agency hosts weekly 30-minute “Shots and Chats” open forums over video chat.
Get to Know Employees Holistically: Learn about outside interests, families, home lives during casual check-ins. Show interest in people beyond their work product. Humanizing remote connections boosts rapport and goodwill. One manager schedules "Getting to Know You" video chats to learn fun facts about each employee's personal lives.
Provide Laptops or Equipment as Needed: Procure hardware, software, home office supplies to ensure remote employees have proper resources and ergonomic setups. Distributing equipment builds goodwill while preventing issues from inadequate WFH conditions. An AI startup ships new hires a customized laptop, dual monitors, headset, ergonomic chair within a week.
Conclusion
As remote and hybrid workstyles become the norm for many industries, mastering virtual management skills is now a core competency for leaders. With frequent communication, clear direction, performance management, and personal presence, any manager can develop trusting, accountable relationships with off-site direct reports. Adopting research-backed best practices requires an open mindset and the humility to learn from experience—but pays huge dividends in employee morale, retention, and business results over time. With tools like regular check-ins, transparent expectations, objective metrics, and low-effort virtual social activities, the modern workplace can thrive from any location.
References
Marković, M. R., & Janković, S. M. (2022). The impact of remote work on leadership: A literature review. Engineering Management Journal, 34(2), 117–126. https://doi.org/10.1080/10429247.2022.2044821
Herrera, R., Duncan, P. A., Green, M. T., & Skaggs, S. L. (2022). Creating optimal virtual employee experiences: A qualitative study of remote workers, virtual managers, and human resource professionals. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.930861
Tietze, S., & Nadin, S. (2011). The psychological contract and the transition from office-based to home-based work. Human Resource Management Journal, 21(3), 318–334. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-8583.2010.00154.x
Webb, L. N., & Balka, K. (2021). Leading virtual teams across the globe: Leadership best practices for globally distributed teams. Organization Development Review, 53(3), 80–87.
Adkins, A. (2016, May 18). Majority of U.S. employees not engaged despite gains in engagement. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236477/majority-employees-not-engaged-despite-gains-engagement.aspx
Additional Reading
Westover, J. H. (2024). Optimizing Organizations: Reinvention through People, Adapted Mindsets, and the Dynamics of Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.3
Westover, J. H. (2024). Reinventing Leadership: People-Centered Strategies for Empowering Organizational Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.4
Westover, J. H. (2024). Cultivating Engagement: Mastering Inclusive Leadership, Culture Change, and Data-Informed Decision Making. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.5
Westover, J. H. (2024). Energizing Innovation: Inspiring Peak Performance through Talent, Culture, and Growth. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.6
Westover, J. H. (2024). Championing Performance: Aligning Organizational and Employee Trust, Purpose, and Well-Being. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.7
Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Workforce Evolution: Strategies for Adapting to Changing Human Capital Needs. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.8
Westover, J. H. (2024). Navigating Change: Keys to Organizational Agility, Innovation, and Impact. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.11
Westover, J. H. (2024). Inspiring Purpose: Leading People and Unlocking Human Capacity in the Workplace. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.12
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Managing Remote Direct Reports: Keys to Leading With Trust and Accountability. Human Capital Leadership Review, 14(3). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.14.3.11
