Since my role in the firm requires so much travel, the upside is that I’ve learned how to work and communicate effectively from just about any place you can imagine. The downside is that, generally, I see my partners and staff only three to four days a month. This makes it challenging to stay connected and aligned with my partners, my direct reports and our common goals. How do I stay productive as an off-site manager?

1. I focus on what I love. When my partners and I first went into business together, we struggled to delineate our different roles and responsibilities, which became confusing and demoralizing for all of us, both as partners and as a management team. One of the smartest things we did was read The Truth about You: Your Secret to Success, by Marcus Buckingham. This book taught us to focus on the job responsibilities we really loved (and in turn, the things we excelled at as individuals). As a result, we were able to put some perspective around what each of our roles needed to be.
   
   For example, I hated working with Excel spreadsheets and sitting in long meetings with our finance team, but I loved interacting with clients and speaking at conferences. Being in the office (at least on a daily basis) was a poor use of my time, so we worked together to figure out strategies that allowed each of us to play to our strengths. In general, my partners are more internally focused, which allows me to focus externally. I get to work on the business, as opposed to in the business.
   
2. I schedule weekly calls. Weekly strategic and tactical calls with both senior and middle management are imperative for staying connected and ensuring that our business is on track. In addition, I’m on the phone for at least an hour each week with each one of my direct reports to make sure they’re on task and getting the level of guidance they need from me. By staying on top of my team, I can ensure everything is going to plan.
   
3. I make the phone my best friend. When I’m on the road and out of the office, there’s a real tendency to rely on e-mail. Unfortunately, e-mail doesn’t always cut it. I’ve found that tone is often misconstrued in e-mails. As such, I make an effort to pick up the phone if there’s really bad (or really good!) news to convey. When in doubt, I call.
   
4. I always make myself available. Both my partners and staff need to feel that even though I’m not in the office, I’m present in the business. That means promptly returning calls and e-mails and being an active participant in decision-making processes. Whether I’m on the road or sitting in my home office, I’m equally engaged and responsive.
   
5. I know when I an in-person meeting is a priority. I make an in-person consultation a priority for board meetings, budget planning, major staff events and so forth. From my perspective, there’s nothing more miserable than trying to stay engaged on the phone during a four-hour strategy meeting — it’s just not practical.

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Overdrive: February 2010

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