Likewise, the employee uses that mini-meeting in the hall to ask a question or try out an idea and get the manager's reaction. An unconscious frown from a manager who leans over a cubicle to listen in on the discussion of an idea can kill that approach without anyone saying a word. The fact that the manager does not have direct physical contact with an at-home worker requires the manager to communicate in different ways to the employee. The failure comes from the assumption that we can manage at-home workers with the same process we use in the office. For the at-home worker, this process is devastating.
Many organizations manage projects with only task durations and estimated percentage complete.
For the at-home employee, we must monitor performance in relation to hours worked. With in-office employees, we may ask them to report their work progress once a month. Again, between such formal contacts, managers rely on informal interactions to get progress reports. With the mechanical foundation described above in place, the project manager can proceed to build on it. Adaptations in leadership style, project team culture, rewards and punishments, discipline, evaluation process and other issues must be different for the at-home worker.