When we ask managers what the hardest part of their job is, inevitably, the issue of coaching from a distance comes up. Having supportive, productive and empowering coaching discussions is really hard. (That’s why teaching those skills is an industry unto itself.) But when you add the complicating factors involved when working remotely, the hard
I have been assessing, buying and learning software most of my adult life. Whether it’s big, enterprise-wide stuff or the latest version of Windows Whatever, most of us have had to learn, use, unlearn and relearn ways to get the machines we rely on to assist us in getting our work done. That’s okay, but
What do the Ancient Greeks and Romans have to do with today’s modern communication technology? At first glance, not much. (I mean, if you despise using webcams now, imagine how goofy togas and Skype would be the next time you’re avoiding your webcam!) But the Greeks (and later, the Romans) invented and perfected the art
Have you ever considered how much email costs you? One of the deceptive things about email is that we think it’s free. But the majority of us are too young to remember the days when velociraptors ruled, and we had to actually PAY for email services (Prodigy and AOL represent!). Even at work, the email costs
Recent studies have suggested that nearly 59% of you (okay, us) read email in the bathroom. That statistic has my brain running RAMPANT with jokes that I can’t even begin to share in a public space like this, and it’s easy to get silly. It does, though, raise some very important questions about how we
While teaching a workshop concerning working remotely, I unintentionally caused a controversy by asking a simple question. The discussion wasn’t about pay equality… ..or diversity representation… …or anything you’d normally think of as divisive or potentially upsetting. Not even close. Apparently, the controversial topic was over my question regarding whether the participants, who all were
Every day, quietly, and perhaps even subconsciously, your team is yearning for appreciation and recognition. It doesn’t all need to come from you as the boss, but you are an important source of that appreciation and recognition. While this is true for all of us as human beings, the needs in some cases are even
What’s more important: that people are working on exactly what you want them working on at that exact moment (accounting), or that important tasks and outputs are done on time so that team goals are met, and other people can get their work done as well (accountability)? When asked that way, the answer is probably
Regardless of the industry or organization, managers commonly (and often mistakenly) share assumptions concerning their team’s performance. And this is especially true when working remotely, as we literally can’t see what’s occurring with our team on a daily basis. Perhaps the statements listed below sound familiar? No one takes our online meetings seriously. They’re all
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