I manage a group of more than thirty employees at six different locations, and my office is at yet another location. Needless to say, I do not see or speak to each person every day. I have set the expectation—with multiple reminders—that everyone needs to be in the office by a specific time, but I have heard that some employees don’t meet this expectation. I don’t have someone to report to me when someone is late—chronically or otherwise—and I have no way of knowing when a person arrives at work because these are salaried employees who do not punch a time clock. How can I hold my employees accountable to my expected arrival time or any other unmeasurable performance expectations when I manage from afar?
Posts by Joseph Grenny
I have a longtime friend who is an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, experiences combat stress, and has been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
How do you hold your peers accountable when you don’t have the support of their supervisor, or in some instances the support of your own supervisor?
I was recently elected leader of a 30,000 person district in Kenya and my leadership is under threat.
How does one escape the addictions of pornography, drugs, alcohol, etc?
I’ve concluded I should just not say anything meaningful on social media. Do you disagree?
I lost my job due to a reduction in force and haven’t been able to find another job due to my age. Everyone seems eager to hire me until I show up for the interview and they discover that I am sixty-one years old. How can I prove to potential employers that I have a lot to offer, despite my age?
My father is nearing retirement age, and we have strong reason to believe he is in some serious financial trouble. He receives all of his credit card bills electronically (which means my mother doesn’t see them) and he refuses to tell her what the balance is on these cards. We are also aware of two risky “investment” ventures he put on the credit cards that did not pan out.
How do you handle a job promotion when you are promoted from within your peer group? I was recently promoted to a manager position and oversee the team members that were once my peers. What is the most effective way to transition from team member to manager?
Since our organization runs 24/7, it’s sometimes difficult to communicate face-to-face with all employees. Our managers often use e-mail to communicate important messages, including giving performance feedback. Would you share your thoughts on what is and is not appropriate to communicate by e-mail?