Leading from a distance - don't underestimate the need for face-to-face interaction

The recent downturn in combination with lowered travel budgets has naturally diminished leader's time spent with employees for in-person meetings across geographies.

Even though meeting technology is evolving towards more of a "live" feeling, leaders with disperse teams should not underestimate that face-to-face interaction remains essential to build trustful and long-term relationships. And leaders should not underestimate that leading on a distance can take as much or even more time than meeting in person, as there is an increased need for setting very clear expectations, delegating, planning and closer follow-up than one would need if working on the same location.

We at Alumni experience that many successful leaders we work with use the opportunity that the difficult economic environment gives to over invest in building strong personal and professional relationships with key stakeholders. These leaders win trust and confidence by showing employees that they are willing to invest in them, thereby creating the strong commitment, motivation and inspiration needed to reach and exceed performance expectations. Focus is on having a continuous dialogue with employees across locations and always acknowledge and celebrate good performance.

We also notice increased frustration from leaders and top talent working in non-HQ locations as they feel more and more alienated from the decisions made and the direction pointed out. Increased face-to-face interaction can help you break down potential barriers, improve collaboration and minimise the risk of tension between teams and individuals at different locations.

When strong and mutual relationships have been established, you can more frequently also use other means of communication.

Yes, in-person interaction across geographies is time-consuming and requires a lot of hard work, but the reward as a leader is immense. Are you willing to invest the time needed in your organisation and employees in order to go from good to great leadership?

By Jan Hemmingson, Country Manager Alumni Sweden, part of the Harvey Nash Group
First published in the Alumni Quarterly.