Coaching isn’t easy, but it’s especially difficult when you’re coaching a remote employee. When people share an office, they have more context with which to interpret each other’s actions. Without that, it’s harder to help someone understand how her successes and failures fit into the larger whole. In addition, coaching requires trust, which is harder to build over phone calls and video conferences. To make coaching a remote employee easier:
- Have an honest discussion about the relationship’s challenges. Acknowledging the problem gets you both on the same page and helps to set expectations.
- Use structure to compensate for context. Set a schedule for regular meetings, and spend time discussing the employee’s coworkers, office politics, and life outside work.
- If possible, find a trusted adviser in the employee’s location. Having a local sounding board will help you make more relevant recommendations.
Adapted from
“When You Have to Coach Remotely,” by Mark Mortensen.
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