Tips for managing telecommuters

1. Learn to focus on results, not on how goals are achieved. A good manager or supervisor of telecommuters should be able to say, "I don't see them physically, but I know my team members are working because the job gets done." 2. Communicate regularly with the teleworkers and always check their work progress. Not everyone has the amount of self- discipline required to successfully work on their own, and managers may need to check on them from time to time and prod them if necessary. Do not wait until a project becomes long overdue before you do this, because then it may be too late. 3. Insist that e-mail be replied to on the same day. This should not be difficult because Internet cafes (Warnets) are no longer difficult to find in case the telecommuter is away from home for some business. E-mail notifications can also be sent directly to cell phones, so your teleworker has no reason to say "I didn't receive the message". 4. Learn to communicate clearly and efficiently. You do not see your people eight hours a day, so every time you contact to them by phone or by e-mail you need make sure they understand exactly what you expect from them. Not all managers are effective communicators, but this is a skill that can be learned. 5. Set realistic targets for the people that you manage. In many ways, managing people who work in the office is not very much different from managing those working from their home.

-- Zatni Arbi