What is the biggest complaint remote workers have about remote communication their colleagues? If you guessed too many emails, or being barraged by Slack messages, you’re in the top ten. But when we recently asked people “What’s the thing that drives you craziest about working with remote workers?” the answer was a little surprising. “I hate talking on the phone. I prefer … [Read more...]
Hello, Is Anybody in There? 6 Ways to Elicit Feedback in Web Meetings
One of the most frustrating things about leading virtual meetings is not being able to answer a simple question: are they out there and just listening silently, or are they silent because they aren’t really paying attention? The problem is that they can sound the same to your ears. How do you know the difference? Here are just a few simple ideas to help you get the feedback … [Read more...]
Managing Across Borders
With technology is making it easier to do business, companies looking for growth or cost savings are expanding internationally at increasing frequency. In fact, the number of employees on international assignments has grown as part of the continuing trend toward globalization. This is increasing the number of remote teams facing the challenge of working across borders. And of … [Read more...]
Helping Remote Workers Feel Like First-Class Citizens
One of the most common complaints remote workers have is they sometimes feel like “second-class citizens,” compared to the people who go to the central location every day. Whether it’s true or not, (and the people in the home office probably are prepared to argue the point) the perception of unfairness is the same as if it’s a reality. So why do remote workers feel they aren’t … [Read more...]
PowerPoint and the Zombie Apocalypse
I don’t know if you’ve thought about this, but when the Zombie Apocalypse hits, PowerPoint will be pretty much useless. Okay, maybe you haven’t thought about it. I know I didn’t until a recent speaking experience made me think about how we use PowerPoint, particularly in remote presentations, webinars and the like. Last month, I spoke at the Remote Work Summit, an … [Read more...]