More teams are working in hybrid ways than ever before. That creates opportunities and challenges, none more obvious than for people joining a hybrid team right now. The COVID pandemic has certainly impacted some teams more than others. We work with clients who have kept their team intact for the last 20 months with productivity high. They’ve managed to maintain relationships … [Read more...]
The Invisible Killer of Remote Teams
When we think about remote and hybrid teams, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. First of all, everything that negatively impacts a traditional team can cause havoc. Things like a lack of alignment, or micromanagement, or unclear objectives create problems no matter where people work. But there’s one factor that's lethal for remote teams that usually isn’t a problem … [Read more...]
Are You Practicing Linguistic Racism?
What is linguistic racism? Of course, racism is such an emotive word, we need to use it cautiously. "Bias" and "racism" share many similarities. I believe that even the most fair-minded of us are biased to some degree - it's an inevitable consequence of our life experiences. But racism takes it a step further by introducing the notion of "superiority." When we're talking … [Read more...]
No Culture is Perfect, But One is Right for You
If you have your Business Buzzword Bingo card handy, get ready to put another phrase on it. The hottest topic in remote and hybrid work is "culture." Specifically, creating a “one-team” culture as we move to more hybrid work. The idea of “one team” is important. The phrase recognizes that hybrid work contains the seeds of disruption, that a hybrid team can easily splinter into … [Read more...]
Lessons Learned from a Pain in the Neck
Have you ever had an employee who was a pain in the neck? One who you just didn’t like interacting with, and who created more work for you than everyone else? If you’re honest, the answer is yes. Don’t feel bad, every manager has, and we won’t ask the person’s name. Your secret is safe with us. What have you learned from them? I recently heard that a former employee of mine … [Read more...]