“Prove” That You’re Working Away from the Office

The question a lot of leaders ask themselves is, “How do I know that people are working when I can’t see what they’re doing?” If you are slaving away at home or in a hotel room, that might seem insulting. Many leaders feel guilty asking the question, but the answer matters.

Trust is evidence based. Managers need evidence that the right work is getting done the right way in the right amount of time. Without it, they are working blind. Workers may feel they’re being judged incorrectly, especially compared to those in the office all the time. Both leaders and workers need to be confident that the work is getting done to the right standard and it is recognized.

This means both parties have information needs that must be met to build and maintain trust. Here’s what each party requires:

Proof of Work as Needed by a Manager

You need to understand both what you need and how to communicate that to your team members.

• What are the work outputs you expect of someone, no matter where they work?
• What “team behaviors” do you expect? This can include attendance and contributions in meetings, being active in group chat and discussions, and being a great teammate to others, regardless of where they work.
• What evidence helps you appraise a person’s output and quality of their work? This should be evaluated with measurable outputs: How many calls did they make? Are deadlines met? Is the quality consistent and appropriate to the work? “Do they log on and off Teams at the appropriate times?” is not an output; it’s a behavior.
• Do the team members have the necessary resources to do the job? Do they know where to find answers to their questions? Can they reach you or someone you’ve deputized when necessary?
• Are these expectations documented?
• Are these expectations supported in your one-on-one coaching conversations?

Proof of Work as Provided by a Team Member

It is not inherently insulting or a sign of bad faith to have accurate measures of your work and output. It is a reasonable expectation of someone paying you money to receive fair value for their money. As the employee, you can choose to be transparent and proactive. This limits the amount of checking up and arbitrary performance indicators you have to endure.

• Do you clearly understand the measurements your leaders require for the role and the work? “Putting in eight hours” is how long you are online and in the chair. It doesn’t measure the quality or volume of work output. If you feel a metric is irrelevant or unreasonable, it’s your job to raise it with your manager.
• Do you exhibit the team behaviors expected of you? That meeting might be a waste of time in your eyes, but logging on and ignoring the proceedings isn’t helpful. People need evidence that you’re engaged and productive. If you stay on “Do Not Disturb” and are late responding to requests, it’s natural for people to be suspicious. Remember that productivity, proactivity, and awareness of the potential outcome of your work are the hallmarks of a great teammate.
• How can you help your manager get a clear vision of how you’re working and how it’s going? This may mean being forthcoming in your coaching sessions or submitting some kind of evidence. Often, this can be as simple as a quick, informal report weekly or bi-weekly. Periodically volunteer this information. Provide honest and candid feedback with a mutually agreed upon measurement tool. Otherwise, your manager will impose a measurement tool , and you’re probably not going to like it.
• What do you need to do the job? Does your boss know that? If you find yourself without resources or answers you need, go get them.
• Are you getting what you need from your one-on-one coaching sessions? Despite their best efforts, sometimes these conversations inadvertently become box-checking exercises. If there’s something you want, such as development opportunities, it’s up to you to ask. Don't wait for it to be offered. Or worse, be put off by the fact that it hasn’t been offered. Are you getting the feedback you need to do a good (or better) job? Ask for it. Specifically.
• Are you visible to your manager and teammates? Frequent communication and team participation leaves no need for questions about what you do the rest of the time.

For remote and hybrid teams to succeed, both the leader and the team members have responsibilities that must be met. While blind faith is wonderful, it’s hard to come by. It’s far easier to set clear expectations and then meet them. For all concerned.