Editor's note: This popular story from the Daily Briefing's archives was republished on Apr. 7, 2023

Writing for the Harvard Business Review, Raghu Krishnamoorthy, senior fellow and director of the University of Pennsylvania's Chief Learning Officer doctoral program, details the findings of his new study, which surveyed managers and employees to determine the things that did — and did not — work as managers and employees "navigated managing and being managed remotely" at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Employees 'want their managers to micro-understand  their work'

For the study, Krishnamoorthy evaluated the way effective managers engaged employees while driving performance in a remote setting in 2021 and 2022. According to Krishnamoorthy, his primary finding "was a subtle but important shift in how employees expected their managers to work with them."

"They wanted their managers to be present, hands-on, and operationally vigilant without being intrusive," Krishnamoorthy writes. "In other words, employees don't want their managers to micromanage them; they want their managers to micro-understand  their work."

Managers who focus on micro-understanding trust their employees, while ensuring that "there are no unanticipated bumps." They delegate, but remain present "to keep workers from stumbling," and they remain flexible, while "always heeding the warning signs," Krishnamoorthy writes.

According to Krishnamoorthy, the most effective remote managers take steps to ensure that they are not micromanaging, including:

Acting as an enabler, rather than an enforcer

In any setting, managers should aim "to motivate employees and organize resources to drive performance excellence," Krishnamoorthy writes.

"So what  managers do remains the same; it's the  how   that changes," he notes. "Many managers are concerned about how to manage their staff when they can't see them."

In his study, Krishnamoorthy found that employees started to value managers more when they transitioned to full-time remote work during the pandemic.

"Having a manager was helpful, provided the managers shifted from managing time, activity, or physical presence to managing results and outcomes," he writes.

During the pandemic, employees started to see managers as even more of a "key resource in getting the job done remotely," Krishnamoorthy writes. "They expect their managers to devote more time and effort to removing interpersonal and work barriers, coordinating among many stakeholders, as well as coaching and orchestrating their performance." 

In a remote setting, "good managers act as enablers, and not as enforcers," he adds.

Trying to maintain the 'delicate balance' of remote management

Effective management in a remote setting requires a "delicate balance," according to Krishnamoorthy. While leaders are often seen as micromanagers when there is too much oversight, "insufficient monitoring may lead to a laissez-faire leader, which is also problematic," he adds.

Ultimately, employees' productivity and morale can be impaired under both of these management styles. "This is where micro-understanding comes in," Krishnamoorthy notes. "It's like being a coach who is very much in the game but not on the field."

"A present leader generates better organizational outcomes and increased employee engagement in a virtual environment," he adds. "Presence here entails being approachable, visible, mindful, and having frequent individual and team check-ins, as well as being a valuable resource to employees in accomplishing their tasks."

When is micro-understanding necessary?

According to Krishnamoorthy, micro-understanding is particularly important in three situations, which include:

1. Creating and clarifying priorities

Remote settings require "ruthless prioritization," Krishnamoorthy writes. "Everyone on the team needs to understand what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and by whom."

Micro-understanding allows managers to recognize how priorities connect to drive results, allowing teams to "produce the intended product on time and with the required level of efficiency," he adds.

2. Solving problems

In a remote workplace, managers must create alerts for any potential problems and timely solutions as issues surface.

"This means that managers must develop an ability to scan constantly and instantly know vulnerabilities and obstacles," Krishnamoorthy writes.

3. Building trust and showing compassion

During check-in meetings, managers should focus on "fostering interpersonal trust and connection," Krishnamoorthy writes. "Remote work lacks opportunities for spontaneous connection and coaching. They need to be created."

When workers initially started transitioning to remote work during the pandemic, most managers scheduled frequent check-ins with team members. However, Krishnamoorthy found that these meetings have "gone down in importance and frequency over time, with managers feeling exhausted by the emotional drain it causes."

"However, check-ins are necessary in a remote working environment since most employees view their immediate managers as the most important link they have with their organization," he notes.

Ultimately, "[m]icromanagement is an employee obstacle; micro-understanding is an employee resource," Krishnamoorthy writes. "As the world continues to change dramatically, micro-understanding offers a new template for leading employees who are increasingly dispersed and work remotely." (Krishnamoorthy, Harvard Business Review, 10/26)