Conference Board Report: Meeting the Challenge of a Dispersed Workforce

Here is a news item that Rachel Hastings at WFC Resources was righteous enough to bring to our attention. WFC carried this story in their Manager’s Quarterly Newsletter and I felt it was significant enough to pass along here as well. Check out where they list five practices found to be shared among effective distance teams and notice that only one of them relates specifically to technology… something to ponder. ~ J

Survey Offers Ideas for Managing Teleworkers

A new report from the Conference Board finds 80% of employers in agreement: the payoff for enabling employees to work at a distance is such that it’s worth the extra cost.

The purpose of the report, Meeting The Challenge of a Dispersed Workforce, was to identify effective ways to manage distance employees. The researchers studied high-performing, dispersed work teams, and found several differences in perception between managers and distance workers. More than half of managers (53%) said they spend more than an hour a week developing working relationships with their teleworkers; only 18% of those workers believe their manager spent that much time with them. And while 90% of managers felt the phone was the most effective communication tool, 70% of employees felt in-person meetings were most valuable. Those meetings were on the list of five practices found to be shared among effective distance teams: others were clear agreements on accessibility, good use of group software, adequate company support and clearly defined roles for members.

Great distance managers, said the report, must first and foremost be inclusive, empowering, supportive and trustworthy. Spending time building relationships is vital, and managers must master fundamentals like goal-setting, evaluating, giving feedback and coaching. Finally, they must be superb at three competencies: cultivating relationships, focusing on outcomes and developing employees. Says Conference Board economist Linda Barrington, telecommuting is “no longer a cost-benefit issue. It is simply the reality of doing business,” and effective management of dispersed employees is a key to success in that new reality.

WORLDATWORK NEWSLINE, 1-20-09