Avoiding misunderstanding.
WHAT TO STATE EXPLICITLY
What must be delivered By when To what standard How progress is reported When they should be available
WHY EXPLICITLY
Remote work has no informal signals.
Nobody notices confusion or a stalled task.
WHAT TO AVOID ASSUMING
That they know your standards That they will ask when unsure That silence means progress
THE STANDARDS POINT
Show examples of what good looks like.
Description is insufficient.
ON AVAILABILITY
Be clear whether you expect them reachable during specific hours, or only that work is delivered.
Do not expect constant availability without saying so and paying for it.
ON RESPONSE TIMES
Both ways. What you expect, and what they can expect from you.
WHAT TO PUT IN WRITING
All of it.
WHAT TO REVIEW
After a month, whether expectations were realistic.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Assume something is understood because you mentioned it once.
