A recent report from Microsoft acknowledges and puts numbers to something many of us who work remotely have felt in our guts: Many remote managers are thriving with work-from-home, while their employees are feeling more stressed than ever. Microsoft's latest white paper, The Next Great Disruption is Hybrid Work-Are We Ready? is full of fascinating insights into how the last … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Ruin a Virtual One-On-One
As leaders, we know that one-on-one communication with our team is critical. When we can’t just look out and survey the cubicle-farm to see how people are doing, the little time we get to spend with each employee becomes more precious. That’s why conducting these meetings is perhaps the most important skill a long-distance leader can have. In many ways they are just like … [Read more...]
Helping Remote Employees Cope With Perfectionism
Do you manage remote employees? Whether your company is remote by choice or not yet back in the office due to Covid-19, having a remote team can throw up some challenges as well as some great opportunities. While you might worry that remote employees won’t work so hard when they’re not in the office, the truth is that most people are more productive when working from home. … [Read more...]
Performance Reviews in a Post-Pandemic World
Leading a remote team is not easy. One of the most difficult things is knowing what, and how well our people are doing at their jobs. This impacts everything from the daily affirmations and “atta girls” that keep people engaged and motivated to year end performance reviews. The biggest question many managers ask is this: “How can I give feedback on performance when I can’t … [Read more...]
Self-Talk When You’re by Yourself
Would you really yell at an employee for missing a deadline? Do you swear at people who blow off meetings or forget about appointments? Hopefully, the answer is no. Now, let’s ask another question. Would you talk to or treat an employee the way you speak to yourself? That’s always a good question to ask yourself, but it becomes especially important when you work remotely. Why? … [Read more...]