If they’re putting in 2 hrs/day on a remote job and not making the cut it’s not worth my effort to try to coach them out of that. Right, but it's your job to t

If they’re putting in 2 hrs/day on a remote job and not making the cut it’s not worth my effort to try to coach them out of that. Right, but it's your job to treat them like adults, not babies. And the first rule of dealing with adults is: how they spend their time is up to them. Granted, if they were working onsite ... you could at least require that they be on site during certain times. And then there would be the implicit surveillance that comes from just being the same room with other people and all that. But sorry, the situation has changed and that luxury is no longer available to you. Accordingly, your recourse should be: tell them what deliverables you expect, and by when. If they don't meet these goals -- sure you can offer coaching -- but it's not up to you to "diagnose" them (never mind whether this involves invasive techniques or not). Just tell them what you want, and leave it up to them to manage their own time and resources to deliver. If you can't that -- that is, articulate your expectations, offer support and treat them like adults -- then as a manger, you're the one not "making the cut".