Why (bad) managers fear a remote work culture

In recent years, remote work has become more prevalent and necessary. While many managers have embraced this change and navigated the challenges with finesse, there are still those who find themselves struggling to adapt. Let’s explore why some (bad) managers harbor reservations about a remote work culture.

1. (Bad) managers pay attention to employees’ working hours instead of measuring productivity.

In a co-located office, bosses can scan their workers to see who’s always at their desk, who’s on the phone constantly, or switching tabs from Facebook to Excel every time they walk by. This has been made even easier with the advent of open offices! Oftentimes, managers don’t fully understand the complexity of the tasks their employees take on – which means they are not able to effectively estimate how long a given task should take or an employees’ overall productivity based on work output alone. This won’t fly in a remote office! Unless you opt for invasive monitoring software (which has many issues and ultimately demotivates employees), you will need to primarily measure productivity based on work output – which requires a good understanding of task complexity. Many managers attempt to adjust by asking employees lots of questions about the task status and why work is taking so long – but this leads to great employees feeling stressed about needing to justify everything (when they never had to in the co-located office).

2. (Bad) managers believe that building culture is not part of their job description. 

Building great culture includes fostering a sense of belonging and building relationships within the team. In a co-located environment, this can happen organically through water cooler conversations and regular happy hours. In a remote environment, a manager is responsible for growing team relationships and unity. In practice, this means using soft skills to organize team building activities (game time, coffee time, holiday parties), facilitate conversation during team meetings, and celebrate team accomplishments (release parties). These types of events have, historically speaking, been relegated to “women’s work”, and many (male and female) managers stay away from organizing and leading these social activities. And these events are harder than they appear in a remote setting! Especially for newly formed or introverted teams, it’s common for (inexperienced) organizers to host an activity that becomes awkward when no one speaks up.

3. (Bad) managers find it difficult to handle underperformers. 

This is difficult even in a co-located environment, and many managers struggle to help employees significantly improve their productivity in a way that is compassionate, motivational, and actionable. As a result, underperformers frequently aren’t handled at all. They are put on a “goodbye” PIP (performance improvement plan) or left to slack off until they leave the company. This is a problem in a remote environment because many more people will struggle with addressable issues (such as adapting to new tools, reaching out for help, or improving their technical skills). It may also be that they need a little more guidance from their managers to stay on track in the absence of physical context cues. This means it’s important, especially for new hires and junior team members, to have a manager that can effectively and positively guide them towards success.

4. (Bad) managers don’t know how to inspire and motivate employees.

Even without a manager focusing on increasing employee engagement and social interactions there are plenty of opportunities for comradery within the walls of a company campus.  You can exchange smiles across cubicle walls, have conversations about weekend activities at the watercooler or discuss your favorite activities over lunch – even just seeing others with their heads down working can be energizing. 

In a remote environment the feeling of togetherness is not there by default. That means managers are responsible for making sure that their team is collaborating in a way that feels synergistic and engaging. They should also foster excitement for the company and team mission. And finally, they should keep a close eye on the day to day temperature of the office climate – does it seem like people are in need of a pick me up? Does it seem like there is an unresolved conflict that is lingering on people’s minds? 

5. (Bad) managers micromanage.

Even a good (or ok) manager can fall prey to becoming a micromanager in a remote environment. Good intentions of checking in and making sure everyone has what they need to perform their best can easily be perceived as micromanagement. In a remote workplace there is no such thing as an informal check-in as the context changes once a meeting invite or instant message is required to start the conversation.

6. (Bad) managers don’t want to learn how to manage differently.

Just like any other job, managing requires continuous learning: updating your work style based on the needs of your team, changing work requirements, and our rapidly changing world. Many managers that were forced to work remotely because of Covid did not bother to reflect on their management style or change the way they manage. This was detrimental to both themselves and the people around them – especially to their direct reports. Managers that adapted well to Covid not only updated their day to day activities with their team but also the way they interviewed candidates for job openings, built relationships and promoted individuals. 

In conclusion, the fears that bad managers harbor towards remote work culture are often rooted in their reluctance to leave their comfort zones. It’s a challenge, no doubt, but one that offers a unique opportunity for growth – both for managers and the teams they lead. Remote management isn’t just about shifting location; it’s about shifting perspectives, reimagining processes, and embracing the nuances of a digital workspace.