When you were a kid and you broke something, or treated your parents’ property with disrespect, were you told, “This is why we can’t have nice things”? It’s the same idea with technology and team collaboration tools. The tools are (mostly) fine. People are the problem. When we talk to our clients about the challenges to team productivity, there are a lot of complaints about … [Read more...]
Teaching Remote Teammates How to Work with You
If your remote teammates are driving you crazy by constantly interrupting, sending messages and emails at all times of the day and night, or dragging you into too many meetings, there is definitely a problem. Contrary to what you might think, that problem may be you. Whether we are aware of it or not, we teach people how to work with us and what to expect. It sounds … [Read more...]
A Curmudgeon Looks Back on Email
When people complain about email, I get it. You’re working from home and the barrage of pinging, flashing icons and messages piling up never seems to stop. We hear all kinds of moaning about the volume, lack of clarity, and just plain rudeness in people’s inboxes. Those are all legitimate complaints. But I am old enough to remember the “before times.” I was around before … [Read more...]
Emojis, GIFs, and Avoiding Confrontation
Do you find yourself using emojis, GIFs and other electronic symbols in your writing more than you used to? Do you love them or hate them? Have you ever sent an emoji or GIF and it didn’t mean what you thought it meant? (Eggplants mean what?) Like it or not, the way we communicate is undergoing a change. Pros and cons of written communication You are part of an evolution in … [Read more...]
Two Sides to the Work Flexibility Coin
by Kevin Eikenberry Recently LinkedIn was abuzz about a post from Carly Martinetti, the co-founder of PR firm Notably, as she announced the organization would not be instituting a Return to Office policy. There is plenty to cheer about and agree with in this post. And as a remote leader of a largely remote team who has written, coached, trained, and spoken widely on … [Read more...]