rossing a bridge requires trust that the structure is sturdy, reliable, and will be there to support you as you go about your business. Nauticom.net C

HOW TO LEAD FROM A DISTANCE Building Bridges in the Virtual Workplace Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 “I know you’re there— but are you really working?”. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Realities and Practicalities of Leading From a Distance “You can count on me.”  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Building Bridges of Trust “Do you see what I hear?” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Building Bridges of Effective Communication “So, what have you done for me today?”. . . 36 Building Bridges of Performance Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 —  5  — TA B L E   O F   C O N T E N T S

hen you’re through changing, you’re through. Bruce Barton W

—  9  — I N T R O D U C T I O N INTRODUCTION The days of going to work and seeing everyone you work with are gone forever!   T he ways we “see” one another, communicate, build teams, estab- lish   trust,   collaborate,   and   achieve   results   have   all   changed. Separation  brings  a  whole  new  set  of  issues  and  problems.  And leaders  must  adapt  by  bridging  the  gaps  that  can  occur  when  people  work apart from one another. What  was  once  a  nontraditional  way  of  working  is  now  commonplace. Managing from a distance is a growing reality for leaders across a broad spectrum of organizations and industries. So if this describes you, your team, your organi- zation – or how it could become where you work – you need to prepare, as a leader, to build bridges across the virtual workplace. Look around – there are signs everywhere of the need to change with chang- ing times and ways of leading. Increases in mergers, expanding global operations, decreased travel budgets, and worker demands are propelling many organizations

into  geographically  dispersed  environments.  And  this  means  you  need  to  build bridges – and close gaps – to connect people in the virtual world. The three key bridges you must build are: v Trust v Communication v Performance This book will show you how to do that – as you explore what’s different (and  what  isn’t)  about  leading  in  a  virtual  work  environment.  Many  of  your existing management and leadership skills are still important – but not sufficient for the leadership demands of the virtual workplace. That’s about to change! The skills to lead virtually are needed for many different situations. Whether you’re responsible for a small team with some or all members remote or you manage a large group with multiple teams operating at various levels of remote work, you’re leading from a distance. In a nutshell, you must now “talk” with people, motivate and coach, provide feedback, and offer support – all without the  “comfort  zone”  of  face-to-face  communication.  Learning  how  to  “con- nect” with people remotely and get results from a distance is your key to vir- tual leadership success. —  10  — H O W   T O   L E A D   F R O M   A   D I S TA N C E

ne must be fond of people and trust them if one is not to make a mess of life.   E. M. Forster O