We had a conversation with Mark Fritz, a world leading expert in the area of leading across distance.
Mark speaks, mentors, advises and coaches in the area of Leadership Across Distance in more than 50 countries throughout the world.
He is the author of The Truth about Getting Things Done, and Lead & Influence: Get More Ownership, Commitment, and Achievement From Your Team.
Mark had an international career living in seven countries around the world, leading enterprise change and international operations.
People at a leadership level across the globe are dealing with many different problems from ensuring their employees are okay to making sure that productivity is at optimum level.
“Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself if you’re managing a team from a distance:”
Are you feeling in control? -- how most people feel at a leadership level. Can be a double edged sword as you shouldn’t micromanage people. When you micromanage people you’re controlling their actions rather than letting them work.
Are you having too many meetings? -- sometimes too many meetings, lessens productivity. If someone has back to back zoom meetings, they might not be productive.
Are we using our communication tools productively? -- using one tool for everything wont make it productive. Organizations are using the right tools in different ways or make them the key to achieve the outcome in the least amount of time. Have a talk with the team on what would be the best communication platform to use.
How has being physically apart affect our team dynamics? -- being physically together doesn’t mean having to work in teams. It’s mainly building a relationship together in order for people to work well. Because we can do all the projects virtually but it’s building the bond you have with people that is extremely vital. Being able to naturally communicate with people outside of work will make it easier to talk about work inside the office.
What happens after all this? -- blended work environments. The ability to be able to transition from an office life to a home-office life seamlessly. Being open to work in a different environment than the traditional office. There will be days when people will need to integrate and collaborate in an office setting but still have a talk with people on what the best decision would be.
What are some of the traits some firms have that are doing better than others? -- collaboration and decision making. Trust some people that can make decisions on their own.
“Look at yourself like you are an orchestra conductor. You know you want to make good music, so you have to figure out the ‘how. The orchestra conductor doesn't play an instrument, the role of the conductor is solely to get people to work together and perform well.” -- Mark Fritz
