Being Out of Sight, Shouldn't Mean You're Out of Mind: Practical Tips for Working with a Virtual Boss

Online, April 26, 2013 (Newswire.com) - As recently as five years ago, many of us would not have predicted the explosive growth of what we now know as the virtual workforce. According to a recent Harvard Business Review article on the evolution of virtual work more than 1.3 billion people will be working virtually within the next several years. To put this in perspective, a large number of organizations did not adopt virtual teams or employ telecommuting a few years ago, which makes the pace of this growth even more dramatic. Now, many companies are exploring a variety of virtual work arrangements such as employees setting up home offices, "hoteling" (or shared office space), and shared dedicated work spaces for virtual workers from different companies to allow for interaction and facilitate the exchange of ideas. In essence, traditional ways of working have been, and continue to be, dramatically reshaped.

While there are many implications for leaders that result from the prevalence of virtual work, perhaps the most significant implication is the need to make the transition to remote management. Many leaders, unaccustomed with this new virtual reality, are not comfortable leading team members or employees from a distance. Some organizations have taken steps to provide leaders with skill training to help ensure that they are set up for success. However, many organizations have not fully recognized the importance of providing employees with guidelines and skills for collaborating from a distance and working with a virtual boss.

OnPoint's recent research on this topic sheds some light on what successful remote employees do to build and maintain productive relationships with a virtual boss. Here are a few practical tips:

Take initiative to increase contact and interaction with your boss. Make an effort to arrange a face-to-face meeting to build trust and establish a relationship with a virtual boss. If it is not feasible to meet in person, use video or the phone and schedule informal "virtual" coffee chats or a "virtual" lunch to compensate for a lack of in-person relationship building. Over time, balance tasks with more informal discussions. For example, call your boss periodically, send instant messages, or leave voice mail messages to informally check in.

Make yourself accessible. Ensure that your boss knows how to contact you and when you will be available. Some organizations use shared calendar systems to help virtual workers with scheduling and managing accessibility. In addition, establish guidelines for how and when to check in with one another. For example, it may not be necessary to have weekly status updates but it is very important to ensure that there are mechanisms in place to connect with your boss when there are problems or when key decisions need to be made.

Periodically confirm your understanding of priorities and accountabilities. Communicate and confirm your understanding of key accountabilities, especially as priorities shift and evolve. Some virtual employees use online project management sites or action plans to help prioritize work.

Communicate accomplishments and progress toward key milestones. Effective virtual employees also selectively share successes or key milestones with their manager to keep them informed. However, they do this in a manner that is not perceived as being arrogant (e.g., it is informational and they also give credit to team members who helped out).

By following these tips, you will be out of sight but certainly not out of mind.