What to be focused on when evaluating the remote managers

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If you have coached your team properly during whole year, performance reviews should be no problem for you. Especially if you have set clear and reasonable objectives. However, when there are remote team leaders, it can get a little bit more tricky. The situation you are about to review is slightly different from reviewing  the performance of traditional team leaders, who are all working at the same location . A crucial skill for remote managers is the ability to effectively use technology that is available for managing remote team members, claims the management-issues.com website.

Significant distinction of remote team leaders’ skill set

It does not matter whether a manager is in the very same office with his team or is thousands of kilometers away, in many respects, your expectations are clearly the same. You want to see the work done and targets reached. But being a manager who leads remotely requires certain skills that are particularly important for such a position. As vague and hazy as it usually is, the communication section of performance review suddenly is more clarified and comprehensible. One element of communication is crucial in the case of remote management, it is technology. Almost every manager uses one of the online collaboration tools and considers the tool to be critical to success.  But the number of managers who think they are using it well is surprisingly low. In fact, no more than 1 manager in 10 expressed confidence in their ability to use it..

Skilled users of technology

Managers of remote teams, of course, have to fulfill all the traditional objectives of  leadership. They have to create a common vision and communicate company policies. Now, to be skilled in the use of technologies mentioned above is an additional requirement. Presently however, not many firms explicitly demand this particular skill.

-jk-

Article source Management Issues - British website cntaining practical information, tips and advice to managers
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