Defining your goals in ways that are easy to measure and demonstrate will make it easier for your team and your boss to see your benefit to the team. This is important because telecommuting means nobody can see how hard you are working. There is no A for effort. You need to show real results.
Always redefine your tasks to show something tangible. If your boss assigns you to research a new technology then make sure there’s a document showing your results at the end of the assignment. Then present it to your team. If your manager wants you to implement a new subsystem, make sure there is some way to see the feature. Don’t expect your manager to look at your work, show them something they can try: an impressed client, a sale you made, a new project direction. Make it real for them. Then do the same thing for the rest of your team using micro demos.
Tangibility is the key. Make it easy for other people to understand what you were doing and why it is important. Metrics like “fixed 48 bugs” or “signed up two new partners” are also good.
It’s all about making it easy to give you an A. They won’t see you working, so make it clear you did good work. Make it as easy as possible for your engineer and the rest of your team to feel good about you. Define clearly measurable goals, show what you are doing, and show real results.
What are your tips for making your goals measurable? How do you show your results to your team?