Conversation Planner · for managers
How to talk to a remote employee who is unresponsive
Read the approach below, or skip ahead and get a plan written for your own situation.
Plan my conversation — free ↓Why the usual approach fails
The instinct is to add tracking or check in constantly, which signals distrust and makes good people leave. The real problem is almost always that response expectations were never agreed. Set them together and most of it disappears.
How to open
"I want to talk about how we stay in touch. On Tuesday I messaged about the client issue at ten and heard back the next morning, and the client was waiting. I don't need you online all day. I do need to know what I can count on."
Ask before you tell
- "What does your working day actually look like right now?"
- "What gets in the way of replying sooner?"
- "What response time feels reasonable to you for urgent and non-urgent things?"
What to agree before you leave the room
Response windows you both agree — for example, urgent within an hour, everything else same day — and how they'll flag when they're heads-down.
Make it yours — free
Edit the details below to match your situation and get a full five-step COACH plan by email.
Other conversations
- How to talk to an employee who overpromises and underdelivers →
- How to talk to an employee who doesn't keep you updated →
- How to talk to an employee who argues with everything →
- How to talk to an employee who is always on their phone →
- How to talk to an underperforming employee →
- How to talk to a top performer you're afraid of losing →
Built on the COACH method by Jon Kludt, Business Coach · Certified EOS Implementer® · thecoachconversation.com