Remote working, flexible working (where an employee works remotely some of the time), virtual working, e-working, telecommuting…it is happening, its commonplace and it is on the increase.

The benefits of remote working are many and varied, for both the organisation and the employee. Not only has remote working demonstrated significant cost-saving benefits for companies in reduction of deskspace, equipment, running expenses and real estate costs, and also higher levels of productivity , but now increasingly remote working is used as an incentive to retain skilled staff and attract new talent.

For employees, remote working has the immediate advantage of the absence of long commutes, and remote workers report a better work-life balance, and greater job satisfaction.

However, with the benefits of implementing a remote working programme in your organisation, there are challenges, and these benefits can only be enjoyed by identifying and meeting these challenges head- on.
Telecommuting, virtual working, remote working- Whatever you choose to call it, the challenge is this- you as a project manager or team leader cannot walk out of your office and see your team at work. Your team has been separated and is situated in virtual offices in remote locations. They are working in their own homes in the same city as head office, in other cities, possibly even in other countries internationally.

In actual fact, where they are is absolutely and totally irrelevant. The distance between a manager and members of a remote team may be 1 mile or 10,000 miles, and the challenges are the same.
The problem requiring a solution is lack of face-to-face interaction in the office environment, both between managers and employees, and between the employees themselves. There are well documented issues around trust, communication, consistency, collaboration, focus, security and career advancement, among others.
With the ongoing upsurge in remote working, managers must adapt their skills accordingly.
‘Remote leadership is not rocket science-it is more difficult. A leader must possess the passion, wisdom and tenacity to prevail’, ( Kennedy Group, 2006). The article highlights the fostering of trust-based relationships as the best way to build performance across distance, and cites geography as a main enemy of leading a virtual team, as it ‘makes individuals see themselves as separate from one another’.
The author emphasises the vital role that the remote leader has in re-defining the team dynamic so that geography is removed as a barrier to effective team work. A really effective communication system is seen as key.
The article recommends periodic face-to-face meetings to develop team unity, that each team members role and accountabilities by very clearly defined at the outset and reviewed at intervals, and a total communication system with agreed mechanisms for the different types of information. For example, e-mail can be used for routine announcements,updates, accomplishments, ideas and learnings; audio-conferencing for regular, informal, non-agenda meetings for the whole team to problem solve and share ideas; and conflict or misunderstanding should never be addressed by e-mail or voice-mail, but always by direct contact.

And so it is clear that effective Remote Leadership lies in the marriage of human resources and technology- excellent people and project management skills, and keen utilisation of a really well designed communication strategy, where hardware and intuitive soft ware are employed to your best advantage.
In stepping up to the plate as a Remote Leader, for every challenge, there is a solution. In implementing appropriate solutions, your employees, your team leaders and project managers, and your whole organisation, will reap the many rewards that remote working delivers.

References
The Kennedy Group: ‘Remote Leadership’, 2006. Accessed 17th January 2010.