Struggling to manage a remote team spread across time zones? This episode dives into the real challenges and solutions of leading from a distance, with a focus on trust,communication, and culture.
Laurie, our Director of Operations, shares how she builds high-performing remote teams without micromanaging. From setting clear expectations to fostering real connection across borders, you'll hear how strong leadership can drive accountability and loyalty—even when your team is never in the same room.
If you're running a remote or hybrid team and want to strengthen performance without sacrificing culture, this conversation offers the insight you need.
🔹 In This Episode, We Cover:
- Daily check-ins via Slack and Google Meet
- Mixing personal chats with work for better results
- Remote team tips for time zones and holidays
- Setting clear KPIs and expectations remotely
- Building a respectful remote work culture
- Global team communication and retention tips
- Emotional intelligence in remote leadership
- Hiring and onboarding international talent
🌐 More resources: Ownedandoperated.com
👤 Hosted by:
John Wilson
🎧 Guest:
Laurie Metz
Shout Out to FieldPulse 🚀
FieldPulse is an incredible Field Service Management platform that helps you save hours each week while keeping your operations running smoothly. If you're looking to streamline your processes, stay competitive, and focus on what truly matters, FieldPulse is a game-changer!
📅 Book your demo
📣 This episode is sponsored by Owned and Operated Pro
The private, vetted community for serious home service business owners. Inside OAO Pro, you’ll get matched with a small peer group of operators facing the same challenges, access behind-the-scenes content from top businesses, and tap into exclusive events and vendor deals.
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206 Transcript
John Wilson: [00:00:00] For any of our new managers that are about to get sent this video, talk to Lori. I think there's a shift happening as more and more small businesses have started looking offshore for their talent. Yeah. That's a big change for
Laurie Metz: them. Communication. 100% key. They are not used to working for someone who cares.
I
John Wilson: honestly did not
Laurie Metz: know that. Yeah. This is more of a conversation than it is just a dictatorship.
John Wilson: That's how I would do it. Really like respecting where they're at. In their career. You've taken that to the next level. Yeah. Yeah. Got it. A hundred. Yeah. What are some tips on like managing how to connect, how to like keep on target?
Honestly,
welcome back to Owned and Operated. Today on the show I have Lori Metz, our director of Inside Operations. Hi, welcome. Thanks John. This will be fun. This is our first time that we've had like a team member on. In a long time. [00:01:00]
Oh, I'm
excited. Yeah. Yeah, this'll be good. And you're the first of many. Uh, so you're gonna lead us in with, I think, a good topic.
We're gonna be talking both to our internal team, but also to the, you know, thousands of people that listen every week. So try not to be, you know, to intimidate. No pressure. It's just Got it. It's just 5,000 people. So today we're gonna be talking about managing a remote team. Uh, so when you came in, you started with Wilson.
A year and a half ago. A year and a half. Yeah. Sounds right. And we had already been messing around with remote staffing for like three years, probably four years. You really helped bring it together and you just did a really great job doing that. And, uh, you've expanded on it more and more, and obviously you've helped spearhead ai, uh, with Avoca inside our call center.
So I would just love it if you walked through a little bit of like, what's your team look like today and then. Some of, we'll talk about effective tools to manage after that. Sure. Absolutely. So Field Pulses is [00:02:00] the all-in-one field management solution for growing home service companies. Field Pulse is designed to simplify your day-to-day operations by combining everything you need into one platform.
It also includes integrations to help you save time like QuickBooks Desktop and online. It has a bunch of advanced tools and features like A CRM estimates and invoicing. Good, better, best options, maintenance plans, a robust price book and scheduling dispatching. Field pulse will transform the way that you manage your field teams altogether.
It will save you time and find revenue that you didn't even know existed, whether you're a small company that's looking to grow or a larger company looking to optimize. Field Pulse has the tools that you need to do it. And don't just take our word for it. Field Pulse has earned over 580 glow reviews with an average rating of 4.8 stars.
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Laurie Metz: More than half the team is remote. Mm-hmm. Uh, we have 11 TE team members, um, four of which are in [00:03:00] office. Hybrid,
John Wilson: like hybrid, like some work from homes. Some in office. Well, they
Laurie Metz: work from home two days a week. Yeah. And they're in office three days.
Yeah. So we have four reps that do that.
John Wilson: Okay.
Laurie Metz: And then the other seven reps are all fully remote. Yeah. This is just
John Wilson: call center.
Laurie Metz: This is just
John Wilson: call center, not dispatch, not okay. Correct. Yeah.
Laurie Metz: Yeah. And it works out fantastic. Mm-hmm. People really appreciate the opportunity to either have that better work life balance mm-hmm.
If they're doing hybrid, um, or be able to work. Thousands of miles away. Mm-hmm. Uh,
John Wilson: and do a great job being remote. Was this the first time you've managed in like a remote and or overseas? Because we have remote American as well as remote overseas. Correct. So this was, was this your first time like managing that type of team?
Laurie Metz: For the overseas? Yes. Yeah, for, uh, American, no. In my previous role, I managed a pretty [00:04:00] large group of remote and. Really it's all the same, um, no matter where that's happening.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: It's just a matter of one, getting the right candidates mm-hmm. And filling those positions well, and then making sure you interact with the remote team just like I would with my in-house team.
Sure. And having those. Individual conversations, really bringing them into trainings. Mm-hmm. So all of our trainings, even for the in-house team are all done via Slack. Okay. Or Google Meet.
John Wilson: Can you do video?
Laurie Metz: Mm-hmm.
John Wilson: Oh really? On both like video calls on Slack.
Laurie Metz: Yeah.
John Wilson: I honestly did not know that. Yeah. I've never tried.
Laurie Metz: Yeah. It's just a huddle at the top, so, okay, cool. Learned something new. Yeah, I did. I sure did. Um, and you can share your screen and everything just like you would on Zoom or Oh man, man, go meet or any of the stuff.
John Wilson: Yeah. That's sweet.
Laurie Metz: That makes them [00:05:00] feel like we're all doing the same thing. We're all part of the same team and we celebrate all kinds of stuff.
Mm-hmm. Not only professionally, but. What's going on in your life? Mm-hmm. Tell me about your kids. What are you doing for vacation? So that we're all just really getting to know each other.
John Wilson: Yeah,
Laurie Metz: and as the leader, I also have to be vulnerable and share my personal life and maybe struggles that I'm having so that they feel comfortable doing that with me.
John Wilson: How often are you doing those? Like huddle? Is that daily? Is that two times a week? Three times a week?
Laurie Metz: We do trainings two times a week. Mm-hmm. And, uh, we actually split the group in half. So each group is once a week.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: But then we have constant communication. Mm-hmm. On Slack. I meet with them individually, biweekly.
And, um, we really get into not only their [00:06:00] KPIs, their metrics mm-hmm. But also what's going on in your life. Mm-hmm. Right. And that's a weekly one-on-one that's a biweekly. A biweekly. Mm-hmm. I'm sure you've seen our Slack channel mm-hmm. Call center, where we not only put business related Wilson awesome stuff, but also.
You know, random memes, jokes, videos, um, happy birthday wishes, have a great day, those kind of things. So, yeah.
John Wilson: Well, is there like a daily, like morning touch base or like a daily connect? Not
Laurie Metz: typically because we have different shifts.
John Wilson: Yeah. That
Laurie Metz: sense. So you've got people starting at all different times.
Mm-hmm. Um, when we first come in, our call center really opens at 7:00 AM
John Wilson: mm-hmm.
Laurie Metz: And we've only got two people starting at that time.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: Then they start coming in 7 38, 8 30 and beyond.
John Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Laurie Metz: And how long, how late does it go? Like
John Wilson: 8:00
Laurie Metz: PM So we stopped taking [00:07:00] calls internal at, um, I. 9:00 PM Okay. We have our last actual CSR, but then Avoca takes over.
Yeah. And there are overflow after hours
John Wilson: call center. Yeah, that makes sense. That makes sense. So there's a no daily pulse that makes sense. Like different shifts. What was like the initial learning curve on like, hey, offshore. My half my team's offshore. Like what did that initial curve look like?
Laurie Metz: Well, the hours of course.
Oh yeah. You know, for us it's daytime. For them it's the middle of the night. Mm-hmm. So trying to remember that, especially when we're on video and they're completely dark around them. Yeah. Honestly, the challenge is not on my side. It's on the offshore side where they are not used to working for someone who cares.
John Wilson: Hmm.
Laurie Metz: They just have typically been the box checkers.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: Right. [00:08:00] Do the task and thank you very much. Yeah. Move on.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: But to work for a company that actually cares about them and treats them, they're too like
John Wilson: Yeah. Yeah.
Laurie Metz: Uh, that's a big change for them.
John Wilson: Yeah. Yeah, I can see that. Yeah, I, I remember a few years ago, like that whole industry, it still kind of happens, but I think it's become less as it's become, uh, like offshore hiring has become more of a thing.
But it was, everyone was called a va and like that was the whole industry. It's like, we'll help you hire VAs. And, uh, like we don't have any VAs, right? Like we have CSRs and we have accounting people, uh, like accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll. Recruiters, but like, there's no like, ba so I, I feel like that's a big, I think there's a shift happening in that as more and more small businesses have started looking offshore for their talent, that it's, it's gone from this like Yeah.
Sort of like a [00:09:00] grind. Yeah. Uh, to like, Hey, no. Yeah. You're, you're like an actual team member.
Laurie Metz: Yes.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: And. It really makes a big difference. Yeah. In not only the work they do, because when you take care of your team, they're gonna take care of you. Mm-hmm. But just in their overall attitude. Yeah. You know, so I know that they're gonna be honest with me.
Mm-hmm.
John Wilson: If
Laurie Metz: they need something from me that they feel comfortable coming to me.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: You know, we're just one big happy
John Wilson: mm-hmm. Group team.
Laurie Metz: Yeah.
John Wilson: Yeah. Yeah. That's fun. So seven overseas. Mm-hmm. For in-office hybrid. Mm-hmm. And different shifts. Yes. Working weekends. Yes. How are we handling holidays? So
Laurie Metz: the offshore team typically works holidays.
Mm-hmm. Christmas is. Optional
John Wilson: for
Laurie Metz: everyone.
John Wilson: Philippines has a strong Christian. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, presence.
Laurie Metz: Yes. So we don't want to take [00:10:00] that away from them. Yeah. Are they 12 hours ahead or behind? I'm not sure, but I know it's like one in the morning there right now. So I don't know
John Wilson: if, if that's the day, I think before behind us, because I remember, and this is how I'm gonna remember this, is I wanted a book every, I have like followed this author closely and he, he releases on Kindle.
I. At midnight, wherever you are. So I have to go and create an Australian Amazon account. Oh my good. And I get it an entire, entire 24 hours early. Yeah, for sure. You've taken that to the next level. Yeah. Yeah. Got it. A hundred, yeah, a hundred. One of the things that's helped our business grow the most has been peer groups, and that's been for both myself and our leaders.
Being able to talk to other companies about exactly how they've solved the problems that I'm dealing with today has just been instrumental, whether it's how to acquire companies or how to add new locations, how to hire directors or service managers, or what should compensation look like. All of those things are things that can be solved by just asking [00:11:00] people a little bit ahead of me inside that group.
We have Fireside Chats, weekly peer conversations by business size resources to help you grow your business and a lot more. Make sure you check out owned and operated.com and click on Join Pro. So
Laurie Metz: holidays, so typically the offshore team works on the holidays. Yeah. So what our American holidays are not their holidays.
You're right. Like Memorial Day or July 4th or Correct. Um, and since as a company we're really. Closed five days out of the year. Mm-hmm. As a company. Mm-hmm. The only one, two, I guess, that affect them are Christmas and New Year's.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: Yeah. That makes sense. Um, and so we give them. The option. Mm-hmm. I give them the option on those two.
Christmas, they did take off last year. Mm-hmm. Um, but we had two people in-house who volunteered to work. Mm-hmm. So that worked out. Um, and then for New Year's, they worked. Yeah. The offshore [00:12:00] team. It's very slow on those couple of days, as you can imagine. So they're able to do some other things. We kind of put together a little list of things you might be able to do, and we're not outbounding on those days.
That's what I'm smiling about. I'm just like, it's all outbounding. Don't call me on Christmas. Yeah. So you know they have other stuff Yeah. That they can be doing. Yeah. And one of our. Offshore actually kinda subs as a dispatcher. Okay. Um, she's fantastic. She does a great job. Mm-hmm. She does our full dispatching on the weekend mm-hmm.
And then helps out in the afternoons. And so she's able, is she four days a week? Five days a week? She actually works six days a week, so she works four tens doing. Two of those are inbound. CSR, two of those are dispatch. And then the other two days she works only three hours a [00:13:00] day and she's help. Does she want that?
John Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Laurie Metz: Okay. Yeah. Yeah. They typically want all the hours. Mm-hmm. They can get, love it, but she helps one cover dispatch and call center just for those couple of evening hours.
John Wilson: Yeah. If you were talking to someone on our team. And they just joined or they're, or they've been here for a while, but they're just getting a remote team.
Like what are some tips on like managing how to connect, how to like keep on target
Laurie Metz: communication? I. 100% key.
John Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Laurie Metz: Um, sometimes we as humans are like outta sight, outta mind. Yeah. Type situation. And you start to lose track of the person, but also what are they doing? What are they doing? Yeah. And how are they reporting to you?
So depending on the position, for instance, in call center. I can see everything you're doing. Yeah. Activity's easy, right? I can [00:14:00] clearly see your numbers, but in something like purchasing or accounting, you don't have that type of visibility.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: So you need to have regular accountability. From the employee themselves.
Mm-hmm. Like here, here are your tasks and I want you to report to me every afternoon, every morning, whatever that cadence is, and then have minimum of weekly meetings. Mm-hmm. To. Have that individual feedback from them to understand, are the numbers that they're giving me, accurate? Mm-hmm. Um, really dive into that, but it also gives you the chance to get to know them and them to get to know you.
Mm-hmm.
John Wilson: Yeah. I, I think that's good. I think, uh, some of the teams that have been the most successful, it's like the daily pulse. Mm-hmm. Um, I either the Daily Pulse where it's like every, every morning like a, uh. Patrick and Accounting does this where [00:15:00] every morning his team gets together on like a Zoom for like 10 minutes.
Yeah. It's like, Hey, here's the day, here's what we're gonna do, here's how you can help me. Here's how I can help you. Jesse, for years now in marketing has like, uh, his remote team reports in like the marketing channel. Like, Hey, here's what I'm gonna do today. And then at the end of the day, here's what I did today and that replaced the um.
The like morning call, but I, either one I feel like works, but like the daily cadence, uh, Cassandra and recruitment also is doing that daily call. I. And I, I feel like that's, that's how I would do it. Just 'cause I feel like that's easiest.
Laurie Metz: Well the call gives you the personal aspect.
John Wilson: Mm-hmm. You
Laurie Metz: know, if I'm just giving you numbers.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: I don't feel any kind of connection to you.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: I'm just giving you numbers.
John Wilson: Yeah, that makes sense.
Laurie Metz: But when you have that personal and you can see my face, I can see your face. Yeah. We happy I, yeah. I require [00:16:00] them to use cameras. When we're in meetings, they know that now, you know, that's just our norm.
But that really gives you that connection. I can see your facial expressions, you can see mine. You understand this is more of a conversation than it is just a dictatorship.
John Wilson: Yeah. Yeah. I, I feel like that's great. Yeah. What, uh, if, if any other like tips for the, the new to offshore. Manager,
Laurie Metz: I think it would be finding the tasks that you want them to do and understanding how you're going to measure them.
Mm-hmm. Because being offshore, they do want to know what are my tasks? How are you measuring those things? How do I know if I have won?
John Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Laurie Metz: Have I. Done what you wanted me to do. Am I succeeding? They do want constant feedback. Yeah. In my [00:17:00] experience.
John Wilson: Yeah. Well, I agree and I feel like a lot of it is because I can't walk over to them mm-hmm.
And give them that feedback or like, you know, they, they're, they're siloed, like they're inside their own bubble of. I don't know. Yeah. Because I'm just in my living room or whatever trying to figure this out. So I feel like that tracks, um, I would want that too.
Laurie Metz: Yeah. And oftentimes we'll set up just random meetings.
I know you've seen at the office. I'm, I. Kind of the resident therapist in my team. Mm-hmm. And so people come in and talk to me about whatever's happening at work, you know? Mm-hmm. They need advice, help with a problem, whatever it is.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: And we'll have random calls like that with offshore as well, where we have a topic to discuss.
Yeah. Maybe they need a little bit of coaching, um, training on a new process, something like that. [00:18:00] But we take the time to talk about any struggles they might be having at home or you know, these great things.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: And it's so important to have that personal connection.
John Wilson: Yeah, I think I agree. So speaking often, ideally face to face, either camera to camera or like face to face.
Yes. Really like respecting the. Where they're at in their career. That's my own version of wording that. Yes. But like, they're not a virtual assistant. They're like a high performing call taker. Yes. Or they're a recruit recruiting, uh, expert or, you know, whatever it is. But like these are, you know, people on our team making it personal.
Getting personal, yes. Uh, connecting. Yes. And a lot of conversation. Yes. That makes sense. I think it's hard. It's definitely hard. It's more intentional. Maybe not hard, but like it's way more intentional.
Laurie Metz: Well, yes, because you can't just look over to the next desk. Yeah. You can't just walk in and bullshit.
Yeah. Yeah. You have to make the time for it. Mm-hmm. Set that time [00:19:00] aside and. When they need you, they need you.
John Wilson: Yeah.
Laurie Metz: You know, so you have to either be available. Mm-hmm. Um, maybe you have certain hours that like, Hey, I'm happy to answer all your questions. Let's plan Yeah. For a 10 o'clock hour and a two o'clock hour where, you know, if you have any questions, we can quickly meet.
Might be five minutes, might be 20. I'll answer all your questions. Open office hours. Yeah. Mm-hmm. But, you know, we have an open door policy, right? Anybody can come talk to us anytime. Mm-hmm. They need to have that same availability.
John Wilson: Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. This was great. I feel like we dove into how to manage a remote team.
Yeah. This was helpful. Killing. Um, yeah, for any of the, for any of our new managers that are about to get sent this video. Talk to Lori. She's got a great team. Been they're all performing, uh, like at a really high level. Um, and I feel like you've just done a great job, [00:20:00] you know, cleaning up the mess that I made
Laurie Metz: for anybody who's new this channel.
That's not shocking.
John Wilson: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you for listening. Uh, if you like what you heard, make sure you hit like and subscribe and go to owned and operated.com.
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