Situation: A company just acquired a remote office, including a team that has worked together for years. The manager has 20 years of experience. During the early weeks working with this office, some challenges have developed, specifically resistance to the new reporting relationship. Meeting schedules have been adjusted to accommodate the manager. The principal concern is buy-in from manager’s reports. How do you manage a remote team?

Advice from the CEOs:

• From the discussion, the remote manager has been getting disparate and sometimes conflicting direction from several different people at the home office.
  • Meet with home office team. Develop a consistent set of expectations and priorities so that the Manager is not struggling with different directions from different people.
  • Consider that in the coming months there will be two business phases:
    • Phase A: Business and client transition to the new ownership.
    • Phase B: Client maintenance and business expansion.
  • Different strategies and objectives will be needed to address each stage.
  • Ask for input from the home team on how best to achieve these strategies and objectives.
• Have a discussion with the remote office manager.
  • Explain Phases A and B and the focus of each phase.
  • Expectations will be flexible during Phase A as business is transitioned.
  • In Phase B the focus will be on Team procedures and development.
  • Listen to the remote office manager for her thoughts and suggestions on the strategy for each stage and how her team will best meet expectations.
• Similar advice applies to working with remote managers and employees, a situation that has become more common following the COVID Pandemic. Listen to their input and ask for suggestions as how to best achieve their objectives.

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