By Chuck Chapman, Content Strategy Coordinator To say this last 12 months has been a struggle would be one of the bigger understatements ever. This pandemic has quite possibly been the greatest challenge our world will ever face in our lifetimes. The good news is that all indications point toward lower case numbers (and with that, fewer hospitalizations and fatalities). … [Read more...]
Engagement is NOT Your Boss’s Job
All companies worry about employee engagement, especially those who work remotely. There are books written (see below) about what a problem it is, and how to better engage with your people. It’s a big deal that will cost you if you ignore it. Turnover and lost productivity are just two of the problems you'll have to deal with when your people don’t care enough to give that … [Read more...]
Remote Workers Own Their Own Development
Alice had a nice little career track going. When she worked in the office with everyone else, she took part in a lot of training, got promoted regularly, and managed to find lateral promotions that offered new challenges and opportunities to feel challenged. That began changing two years ago when she started working from home, and has only gotten more noticeable since COVID … [Read more...]
A Letter from a Long-Distance Teammate
by Chip R. Bell Dear Long-Distance Leader. If you will provide a partnership-like relationship with me, it will free you up from having to “snoopervise” me. Here are my aspirations for how we might work together in the future. I will work harder, longer, and with greater zeal when I am convinced my work matters. I am not a human form of a capital asset; I need a purpose. … [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...]