Leading from Afar: How to Manage People You Haven’t Seen Since 2021

Remember that person you hired right before the pandemic? The one with the great resume, infectious enthusiasm, and possibly a cat named Tater Tot? They still work for you. Allegedly.

Remote work—once a scrappy survival strategy fueled by Zoom, caffeine, and toilet paper stockpiles—has become either the future of labor or the slow death of workplace culture, depending on whom you ask. For some leaders, it represents the dawn of trust-based productivity. For others, it’s a blurry webcam image of someone possibly wearing pants. Maybe.

Is Remote Work Here to Stay?

Let’s address the virtual elephant in the chat box: is working from home a permanent shift or just a lingering symptom of global crisis? Data suggests that hybrid work is sticking around. A 2024 Gallup study found that 53% of remote-capable jobs in the U.S. are still either fully or partially remote. Meanwhile, office real estate weeps gently into its ergonomic keyboard.

While tech firms have embraced the model with a zeal previously reserved for ping pong tables and kombucha taps, other industries are seeing a slow gravitational pull back to in-person attendance. CEOs walk a tightrope between wanting their culture back and not wanting to read another think piece about "quiet quitting."

Leading the Invisible Employee

So how should modern leaders manage teams they rarely (if ever) encounter in three dimensions?

1. Trust, But Verify... Gently

Tracking software, keystroke monitors, and screenshot bots may tell you what your employee is doing every five minutes. But they also scream, "We trust you... like we trust raccoons near a trash can." Instead, focus on deliverables, outcomes, and the radical idea that grown adults don’t need digital babysitters.

2. Overcommunicate Without Overwhelming

In remote work, silence isn't golden—it's confusing. A weekly check-in, regular feedback, and clear goals are vital. But resist the urge to turn every update into a meeting. If your calendar looks like a game of Tetris, your leadership style might be the problem.

3. Cameras On... Sometimes

Video calls humanize remote work, but mandatory "camera-on" policies can be invasive. Let people preserve their dignity and mystery. Remember: it’s what they contribute, not what’s behind them (or on their head) that matters.

4. Culture is a Verb

Stop lamenting the death of "water cooler moments." Culture isn’t confined to an open-plan office with bean bags. It’s built through trust, shared values, inside jokes on Slack, and the occasional virtual trivia night that somehow still devolves into yelling.

5. Flexibility is the New Perk

In a world where employees can choose roles based on location freedom, flexibility is currency. Rigid return-to-office mandates may drive your best people to roles where they can both meet deadlines and walk their dog in daylight.

Remote Work: Fad or Future?

Like frosted tips or fidget spinners, remote work might seem like a phase. But unlike those, it has economic logic, employee demand, and technological support behind it. It's not a blip—it's a shift. Leaders who treat it like a temporary inconvenience risk being left behind, along with their dusty whiteboards and sad office birthday cakes.

The question isn’t whether remote work will last. It’s whether leadership will evolve with it. Because managing people you haven’t seen since 2021 doesn’t require superpowers. Just empathy, clarity, and maybe a Slack channel dedicated to pet photos.

After all, connection doesn't require proximity. It requires intention.

And if you're still wondering if Tater Tot is real? Ask HR. Or check the #pets channel.