Employee engagement is often listed as the biggest challenge for people who lead remote, virtual, or hybrid teams. But if this is a problem that requires brand new, cutting-edge solutions, why are so many companies using caveman techniques to keep employees engaged? If you are of a certain age, you remember the cartoons where a caveman would club a prospective mate on the head … [Read more...]
Discovering Burnout in Remote Team Members
Video conferencing just isn’t the same as being there. It’s easier to put on a happy face and pretend to be OK when things are just off. Leaders and managers must be extra vigilant with remote team members to discover burnout and head off the effects. It’s too easy to lose remote people to other opportunities when they feel like they’re not effective. What is … [Read more...]
Remote Work Isn’t for Everyone
With all the headlines about the wonders of remote work, and how everyone will be happier and more productive if we let them work wherever they want, it’s important to offer this little reminder: Virtual teams are not right for every company or every worker. There, I said it. This came to mind because an article in HR Today magazine had the scary title “Why are Companies … [Read more...]
Stress and the Remote Worker
by Chuck Chapman, Content Strategy Coordinator Have you ever had a stressful day at the office and thought about how much calmer and happier you would be if you worked from home? You're probably not alone in that thought, but according to a recent Baylor University study, the "chill" remote worker may just be a figment of our imagination. Sure, remote work offers a number … [Read more...]
Little Things that Add Up for Long-Distance Leaders
You might not have a favorite Greek philosopher, but I do. And you might not think someone who wrote at the time of the Roman Emperor Nero would be relevant to leading a remote team, but you’d be wrong. My boy Epictetus is still relevant. Particularly relevant today is this quote: “Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.” Yes, good … [Read more...]