Offering feedback to people who aren’t located with you can be complicated. Should you send an email or get on the phone? Do you need to set up a zoom call, or will a quick shout-out on Slack get the job done? And why do they act like you’ve never told them something before when you said it just the other day? Maybe we need to think backwards when we consider offering feedback … [Read more...]
What If You Did Yelp Reviews for Your Team?
I read recently that negative reviews online carry so much weight it takes eight positive reviews on Yelp to counteract a single bad review. While this is bad news for your local diner, why is it relevant to those who lead remote teams? The reason is that people take negative feedback much more seriously than positive feedback. The problem with long-distance reviews Our … [Read more...]
Leaders: Remember You Have Superpowers
As leaders of a remote team, it is easier to get down on ourselves. We aren’t getting the participation from our team we’d like. People aren’t honest with us about how their work is going, and we think everything is fine only to have fires pop up in the least likely places. We feel powerless. It seems funny then that others think of you as a superhero (or villain, depending on … [Read more...]
Feedback: When They Just Don’t Get “It”
What do you do when your remote direct reports seem surprised by the feedback they get? They shouldn’t but some people seem to know exactly what and how they’re doing, while others seem oblivious. What’s a leader to do? When I teach our Coaching and Feedback at a Distance sessions, no matter who these folks are or what industry they’re in, the question remains the same: “How … [Read more...]
Why Remote Teammates Should Give Feedback
Working remotely by definition means you aren’t in constant contact with your manager or the members of your team. Sometimes, let’s face it, that’s a blessing, and the whole reason you work from home. But as social animals, we all need some contact with the outside world in order to do good work and build the social relationships that make work effective and pleasant. One of … [Read more...]