The virtual workplace is different.
The setting is different; cubicles don’t divide the virtual space. Neither do city lines, time zones, or continents, for that matter.
The employees are different; without that immediate group feel, employees have no other option than to be more independent and self-starting than their on-site counterparts.
And, above all else, management is different. When dealing with such an unconventional and independent staff, it becomes abundantly clear that “traditional” workplace motivation and efficiency strategies simply aren’t going to be effective.
As we ease into 2012 and the pace of work is evolving, virtual employees are the first to struggle under the rigidity of outdated management practice.
Herein lies the problem: as a manager, how can you amp up and guide your staff through a computer screen?
The solution is a lot closer than you think. All signs point to social goals:
Social goals are a lightweight, nimble solution to an otherwise rigid workplace. As the pace of work changed, the chaos of work changed. We can’t all wait for next week’s meeting or the conference call. We need to make effective solutions now.
When remote employees are as independent as they are, their objectives and priorities need to flex with them (whereas projects and tasks remain stagnant), so there is an increased need for management to become nimble as new focuses and priorities become important.
Ultimately, a social approach works because the information is spread to the worker from every employee they follow or the team as a whole. They are always in sync.
Social performance steers management away from rigid projects and enables employees to set goals that are lighter and move by priority buckets as well as longer term goals. In this vein, goals are employee-created, allowing your staff to align with the focus while you can focus on the bigger picture.
What do you think? How do you think a virtual workforce can operate with social goals?
