Managing remote workers without micromanaging
In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the ongoing challenge of managing remote workers in the PR and marketing agency world. Five years after most agencies leaned in to remote or hybrid work models, many owners and managers continue to struggle with finding the right approach to managing employees that they don’t see in person every day. Chip and Gini address misconceptions about remote work, emphasize the importance of clear communication and trust, and highlight the need for detailed expectations and accountability. They advocate for flexibility and open dialogue between employers and employees. Using real-world examples and personal experiences, they present a balanced view of remote work’s benefits and challenges. Key takeaways Chip Griffin: “The same people who complain about remote workers today complained about in office workers 10 years ago.” Gini Dietrich: “I don’t think that you have to see people in the office to be able to do your work, but it does take a different set of skills to lead those remote employees.” Chip Griffin: “There’s no system or practices that you can put in place if you don’t have trust.” Gini Dietrich: “Are they getting their job done? That’s all you need to worry about.” Related Micromanage your way to agency failure Building trust and letting your team shine Do you trust your agency team members? View Transcript The following is a computer-generated transcript. Please listen to the audio to confirm accuracy. Chip Griffin: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: And I’m Gini Dietrich. Chip Griffin: And Gini, you know, I think that we shouldn’t do this remotely anymore. We need to do this podcast in person every week. Gini Dietrich: Can we do it with drinks? Chip Griffin: Well, I mean, I, I, if we were doing this in person, given our distance, I think it would be necessary to, because that would be a lot of travel. Gini Dietrich: I think so too, it would be a lot of travel. Chip Griffin: Either that or one of us would have to move permanently, and I don’t think that would work too well. Gini Dietrich: No, I’m not moving. Sorry. Chip Griffin: No, and I have no desire to live in Chicago. Sorry. I don’t mind some of the sausage there. It’s, you know, you got some good food there. Oh, well, sure. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, we do have good food here. No, I don’t blame you. Chip Griffin: So, but we are going to talk about remote work because we seem to be in a period where there’s this itch that a lot of businesses, I wouldn’t say there’s much in the agency world, but a lot of businesses, and so therefore you assume that there are probably agencies thinking along these lines too, itching to have people back in person. And I think it’s largely because despite five years now of being largely remote in the agency world, agency leaders haven’t really figured out how to appropriately manage remote workers. And so I think that it’s, it’s the, it’s the safety blanket of, of old people like me who are like, you know, just in the olden days, it worked so well when we were in the office, which is frankly misremembering the past. Gini Dietrich: Right. Yes. By a lot. Yes. Chip Griffin: Because the same people who complain about remote workers complained about in office workers 10 years ago. Correct. But so let’s, let’s spend a little bit of time today talking about the effective management of remote workers. And also, frankly, let’s debunk some of the myths because there’s a lot of sentiment that people who work remotely, even again, after a five year experiment in this. It’s just not as productive. Gini Dietrich: At all. And yes, so I am a big believer of being able to work remotely. I don’t think that you have to see people in the office to be able to do your work, but it does take a different set of skills to lead those remote employees. And I think that that’s the biggest challenge that we see right now is like Jamie Dimon last week released a stateme