When you work alone, you often get to choose what you work on and when. You get to set your priorities, and create your own to-do list. You are large and in charge. (Some of us larger after the Holidays, but I digress.) Other times we know people need output from us by a certain time, and we’re guided by that. But what if we have things we should be doing but … [Read more...]
If You’re Not at Your Desk, Are You Working?
When it comes to working remotely, one of the biggest differences between successful leaders and those who burn out, making themselves (and everyone else) crazy, is how much time they spend worrying about “if people are working.” It’s not that we’re not concerned about how people spend their time, it’s just usually the wrong question. If we break that question down to what … [Read more...]
The 3 P’s of Being a Great Remote Teammate
It’s no secret that Kevin Eikenberry and I are working on a new book to follow up The Long-Distance Leader- Rules of Remarkable Remote Leadership. This one is all about being a great remote teammate. Not a team member. Anyone with a log-on password and an employee number can be part of a team but not be a real teammate. What’s the difference? In researching all the latest … [Read more...]
Beating Procrastination as a Remote Worker
When you work remotely it’s amazing how much you can get done. You’re often left alone, uninterrupted, and can pick the hours (to a degree) that you work on things. That’s great. Every once in a while, though, there’s a task with a deadline staring at us and we just…can’t…get…started. Here are some simple techniques for jump-starting your work when procrastination is getting … [Read more...]
Help Your Remote Team’s Productivity with Attention Management
by Maura Nevel Thomas Some managers judge the productivity of their team members by what can be observed during time in the office. Are they staring intently at their computer? Constantly running to meetings? When did they arrive and leave? It’s true that “knowledge work” has intangible outputs, like analysis, relationships, and creativity, and these things … [Read more...]