By Chuck Chapman, Content Strategy Coordinator We're over 100 years removed from the assembly line and the industrial leadership mindset that came with it. That leadership model is best illustrated by the foreman in this classic Charlie Chaplin clip from Modern Times: That micro-managing style of leadership, standing over the worker barking orders to "work faster" … [Read more...]
What Does Engagement Look Like?
Engagement is one of the topics remote leaders lose the most sleep over. In a recent poll, we learned that “keeping the team engaged” is more of a concern for leaders than team communication, measuring performance or making sure people are working when they say they are. So, there's no doubt today's question is one that's on the mind of every Long-Distance Leader, but a … [Read more...]
Does Your Online Communication Build Relationships?
By Chuck Chapman, Content Strategy Coordinator One of the foundations of being a remote leader is effective online communication. As we've well documented on this site and in The Long-Distance Leader, this is one of the principle leadership challenges for those heading up remote teams. Simply put, communicating remotely just isn't the same as communicating in co-located … [Read more...]
How to Delegate to Remote Team Members
If we ask managers, “should you delegate tasks to remote team members?” the answer is almost always a resounding, "Yes!" After all, they are smart, talented people and we’re paying them to add value to the team— of course we should delegate to them. The reality doesn’t always reflect this, though. Many remote workers complain that the plum assignments go to “those suck-ups in … [Read more...]
Getting Along Isn’t Rocket Science
Because next year is the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon, (and because I’m old enough to remember the actual event) I recently read James R. Hansen’s terrific biography of Neil Armstrong, First Man. It was fascinating on many levels, but one of the most intriguing things for someone who studies team dynamics is that the crew of Apollo 11 were not particularly … [Read more...]