One of the big challenges we hear about hybrid and remote work is that “collaboration is difficult.” One CEO I spoke to said, “My people just come up with better answers when they can work together physically.” That led to an interesting discussion: What does it mean to come up with the best, or right, answer? What makes it "right"? Before you can make a great decision … [Read more...]
Need Help Pondering the New Year?
You’re probably getting a lot of advice about how this time of year is good for taking stock of you and your team, where you are now and where you want to be. People who do this mean well, but just saying, “Give some thought to where you want to go,” is not all that helpful. At best you will focus on some things that matter, at worst you become a blubbering pile of insecurities … [Read more...]
Did Working from Home Screw Up a Video Game Release?
Is working from home working smoothly for you and your team? Or is it causing all kinds of drama, delay and frustration? If we’re honest, it’s probably a bit of both. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal illustrates the point well. One of the most anticipated video game releases of the year is CyberPunk 2077. CD Project SA, the Polish company responsible for it, … [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...]
Don’t Let Long-Distance Performance Reviews Ruin Your Holidays
Tis the season… Relax, this isn’t another “prep for the holidays” blog post. It’s worse. Because while everyone around you goes into holiday mode, you have to prepare for the worst thing about the end of the year—performance reviews and development plans for yourself and your people. If you lead a long-distance or dispersed team, this can be even more stressful. As with most … [Read more...]