by Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel No matter where your team members are located, good, strong working relationships are critical in order to have a high performing team. Remote team members don’t have to be “best friends.” They don’t even necessarily have to like each other all the time, but there has to be enough of a relationship to serve as a foundation … [Read more...]
How Not to Micro-Manage Remote Employees (And Still Know What’s Going On)
Nobody wants to be a micro-manager. We want to trust our employees (even when they’re remote and we can’t always know what’s going on). We know they’ll do a great job, and we want to be seen as supportive but not over-bearing. It often comes as something of a shock when we’re accused of being micro-managers. The problem may well be how your hard, well-intentioned work is being … [Read more...]
How the Long-Hours Culture is Killing Us
It's fairly normal today for people to work more than the standard 40 hours a week. In past years, you would go to work at 9, be off at 5, and then have the rest of the hours to do whatever you wanted. It's become normal in our culture, however, for people to work longer than this, sometimes by as much as double! Not only are work days longer now than they ever have been … [Read more...]
Create a Chain of Connection for Project Team Contractors
If you lead a remote project team, you probably worry that people aren’t feeling connected to the rest of the team. This is difficult enough when team members rely on each other for help, resources, and joint efforts. For many of us, the problem is made more complicated by the fact that some of these folks are contractors, and don’t technically work for you or your company. … [Read more...]
The Sky’s the Limit for Remote Teams with the Right Tools
At BlueSky, we have been managing remote teams for the last 15 years. Over that time, we have observed that there are certainly challenges when managing teams operating in different regions. However, with advancements in technology, it’s now easier than ever to overcome these obstacles. Making the most of technology has helped us reap the benefits of our remote teams. The main … [Read more...]