The manager may never actually meet these direct reports,
and yet is still accountable for their outputs. How can this be accomplished so
that both parties are satisfied?
First of all, it is critical that role clarity, agreed-upon
accountabilities and fully vested authorities are established. Without clearly
defined roles, employees will flounder. They must be able to answer the
question, "What is the purpose of my role?" This is true of any employee, even the one whose
office is next door to their manager’s, but it is especially vital for the
manager and the direct report who live and work thousands of kilometers apart.
To a clearly defined role are assigned accountabilities.
Again, the employee needs to be cognizant of what they are expected to deliver.
Lastly, and once the accountabilities are spelled out,
authorities need to be granted to the employee in order for them to get the
work done. There is nothing more unfair than to expect an employee to do a
piece of work without making sure that they have the necessary authorities from
other staff members in the organization to accomplish the task. For instance,
if the employee requires service from another function, this needs to be
recognized.
Provided the above three steps are undertaken (and there is
no doubt this may take some time at the beginning of the manager-direct report
relationship), distance then becomes irrelevant. Face-to-face meetings are not
required; email, telephone and other modes of communication can suffice. The
manager can rest assured that the direct report is clear on their role, their
accountabilities and is confident in knowing that they have the necessary
authorities to get work done.
Pity the direct report who has no idea what their role is
about, what they are accountable to deliver, and does not have any authority.
In a long distance relationship, all this becomes magnified to the nth degree.
