Page 201 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

180 � mAnAgIng the moBIle workForCe

New considerations, with new rules and boundaries, present chal-
lenges to existing styles, formats, and even personalities. The mobile
workforce is engaged over different time zones, cultures, languages,
and Internet connections. Changes are necessary for everyone who
touches a mobile team. A mobile support staff quickly learns that their
training needs are very different from those who work outside of the
brick-and-mortar offices—they certainly are more urgent. The com-
munication style for coaching and helping remote workers solve issues
related to security issues, connection and VPN issues, accessing vari-
ous files, and/or setting up rights management is foundational. It all
seems the same—until you realize that many of the issues now involve
and are made more complicated by having mobile workers. There is
also more responsibility on the shoulders of the mobile worker to
solve his or her own issues and to be resourceful enough to do it with
efficiency. IT departments are also learning to communicate more
effectively—coaching, listening, and helping to solve problems faster.

` mAnAgers oF moBIle workers: how to mAnAge
theIr trAInIng And gAuge theIr needs And styles

Leading members of a trusted enterprise global team is a calling, an
opportunity, and a challenge for you as a manager. The weak will
shiver at the idea, but the confident and strong will embrace it. Lead-
ing mobile workers requires doing more, moving more, and engaging
in more collaboration than what used to suffice during five-minute
meetings. The challenge is to take the time to become the carbon
copy of what you expect in the field. Be remote yourself, use the tech-
nology, travel, be mobile, be collaborative, and resolve issues 24/7.
Then go back to leading.
In 2010 a well-advertised television series debuted, called Under-
cover Boss. On the show, the company CEO “anonymously” showed
up in the workforce in the guise of the Average Joe. The workers were