Page 38 - Becoming a Successful Manager

The Staff Mosaic—Working Together 29

Multitaskers Prefer technology to
face-to-face contact
Resist going to meetings Prefer Web-based
instruction
Work remotely Stay connected 24/7
Motivated by immediate Reassured by frequent
praise validation/feedback

It’s easy to see the challenge that managers face in dealing
with such varied personalities when they are in the same work
group.

How Do You Manage Them in a

Virtual Community?

Regardless of where you are located, each individual has ever-
increasing personal and professional responsibilities that pull us
from collective goals and objectives. So, how do you keep your
staff members—whether they are on-site or remote—interested,
engaged, and invested?
We feel it is best to look at the most challenging case, virtual
employees. Have you ever known anyone who is visually chal-
lenged or hearing impaired? If so you may already know that when
one sense is removed, the others are heightened. Any input to the
remaining senses has a greater impact. The same applies to remote
employees. Therefore, when working with virtual employees who
cannot see you, all interactions and communications have to be
thoughtful and respectful. We recently spoke with a director at a
best-in-class virtual company. She shared some of her organiza-
tion’s principles for success, which can be helpful for managers of
any company.