Performance: A Playbook for CEOs & Managers

Remote work isn’t the problem—bad management is.

If your company is struggling with remote teams, it’s not because people aren’t working hard enough. It’s because you’re measuring the wrong things.

Too many leaders still equate physical presence with productivity. But in a results-driven world, the real question is: How do you know work is getting done when you can’t “see” people working?

Here’s the answer: You measure what actually matters.

Forget Attendance—Measure These Instead

1?? Outcome-Based KPIs, Not Hours Logged ?? Stop tracking “time at desk” and start measuring deliverables, deadlines, and results. ? Define clear objectives and key results (OKRs) ? Assign measurable goals with deadlines (e.g., X% revenue growth, Y customer tickets resolved) ? Use weekly progress tracking, not micromanagement

2?? Output Metrics Per Role Each team should have its own success metrics. Examples:

?? Sales & Biz Dev: Revenue closed, outbound calls, lead conversion rates ?? Marketing: Engagement, content performance, campaign ROI ?? Customer Support: Resolution time, CSAT scores, ticket volume ?? Engineering/Product: Feature releases, bug resolution speed, system uptime

?? Pro Tip: Make goals visible in dashboards (Asana, Jira, Salesforce, etc.) so teams stay accountable.

3?? Regular Performance Check-ins, Not Surveillance ? Don’t install tracking software—trust your people. ? Hold weekly or biweekly 1:1s focused on progress & blockers ? Use team standups to align priorities (15 min max, async options encouraged) ? Quarterly reviews should highlight contributions, not just “hours worked”

4?? Clear Communication & Documentation When people work remotely, transparency is everything. Make sure: ? Everyone knows what’s expected of them and by when ? Teams document progress in Notion, Confluence, or Google Docs ? Communication is intentional: Use Slack for quick convos, Zoom only when needed

5?? Collaboration Without the Noise ? Replace endless meetings with: ? Asynchronous updates (Loom, Slack, Notion) ? Shorter, structured calls (No more “this could’ve been an email” moments) ? Results-focused discussions (Is the work getting done? What’s blocking progress?)

The CEOs Winning with Remote Work

Smart companies across various sectors are not just tolerating remote work—they're optimizing for it.

• Technology: @Automattic operates fully remotely, managing platforms like WordPress.com with a distributed team.
• Financial Services: @Citigroup has committed to a hybrid working model, allowing staff to work remotely two days a week, distinguishing itself from other major Wall Street banks.
• Healthcare: @Doximity embraces remote work, enabling medical professionals to collaborate effectively from various locations.
• E-commerce: @Sticker Mule runs a highly successful remote operation across 17 countries, serving thousands of customers in 70 more.
• Telecommunications: @zLinq has innovated to enhance the work-from-home experience, fostering camaraderie and collaboration among remote teams.

These companies aren’t asking, “How do we make sure people are working?” They’re asking, “How do we empower them to do their best work?”

Top Leadership:

• Automattic: CEO Matt Mullenweg
• Citigroup: CEO Jane Fraser
• Doximity: CEO Jeff Tangney
• Sticker Mule: CEO Anthony Constantino
• zLinq: CEO Patrick Hagan

These leaders are pioneering remote work strategies, setting benchmarks in their respective industries.

Final Thought: Results Over Visibility

If you need to see your employees in an office to believe they’re working, you don’t have a productivity issue—you have a trust issue.

The future of work belongs to leaders who understand this.

?? What’s your biggest challenge in managing remote teams? Drop a comment—I’d love to discuss!

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