Purpose and priority are paramount in measuring productivity in remote developers. A strategic game plan that advances the company towards its goals requires guiding your developers towards a clear objective. Like any plan of attack, it demands that the higher-ups tactically approach the smaller targets, understand the terrain, preempt the difficulties, and maintain morale.

Purpose and Productivity

Purpose is the compass that guides the whole operation. In other words, what is the end result look like? Productivity is then a product of a steady advancement towards that expressed purpose.

A remote developer is not privy to the everyday exchanges of company happenings. They don’t see the small victories that steer the operation onward. Maintain communication and having the end goals in sight is key to cohesive advancement. Begin by understanding the larger mission driving your forward:

• What is the fundamental mission of the company and how does it manifest everyday?
• What bedrock principles are you trying to uphold on a day-to-day basis?
• What do results look like to you in a week? A month? A year?
• Maintain morale by keeping your remote employees feeling part of the bigger objectives and letting them know of your everyday victories.

Hierarchy of Purpose

The purpose is the driving force, but in order to work towards it there needs to be organization of tasks in what the Harvard Business Review calls a hierarchy of purpose. Project managers and company heads should identify what tasks are needed first. Don’t waste manpower fighting for something that is not strategically important. Keep in mind:

• There are always trade-offs. Be clear what needs to be done and what can wait.
• Prioritizing tasks aligns everyone’s efforts on a cohesive path.
• Your prioritization system sets the stage and percolates down to your employees.
• Discuss your system of prioritization with workers as a way to help them internalize it and implement similar systems in their own tasks.
• Organize meetings and communication around the priorities and keep them in the frontlines of the conversation.

Don’t Waste Ammunition

In the 21st century, the word “notification” has acquired an entirely new meaning. We all get them. All the time. On any given day, a remote worker might be dealing with an incoming bombardment of notifications in the form of new information, tasks, supplemental data, emails, requests and more. How do you keep them moving swiftly towards what is most important without getting bogged down or distracted?

• Always emphasize and communicate prioritized tasks first.
• Have specific criteria to measure progress and have conversations about it with your team.
• Every initiative should have specific milestones that mark important stages of completion.
• Always recognize and reward efficiency and progress.

Create the Path

It’s not the speed, it’s the direction. Motion is often confused for progress. Just because you’re moving doesn’t mean you’re traveling in the right direction. Purpose and prioritization are your compass with which to navigate difficult projects. If there is a need to correct course upon analyzing the current path, don’t be afraid to do so quickly and swiftly. In the end, you pave the path. Part of measuring productivity in remote developers comes with prioritizing and defining purpose.

Finally, make sure you always demand that these are respected, followed and implemented, as they have the power to define the results and priorities of your company’s future.

In what other ways does priority play a role in your company’s advancement? Leave us a comment below.

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