A few years ago, the concept of leading remotely was foreign and scary to a lot of supervisors and managers. New leaders, in particular struggled with the notion of trying to do all the “leadership stuff,” when people weren’t in the same location. But now there is an entirely new generation of leaders who got their first assignments either just as remote work was booming, or … [Read more...]
Reentry Causes Friction
Here’s something you probably never thought of. The last year and a half or so of the COVID pandemic has been a lot like a trip to the International Space Station. We were launched from our snug, regular office routines and sent to live and work in isolation, with most of our communication coming virtually. Now, that part of the mission is coming to a close, and things are … [Read more...]
Culture is THE Thing
by Kevin Eikenberry You don’t have to go far or read very widely today to find people talking about the future of the workplace – and if there will be a collective “place” at all. Those reading this are likely not all in the same place with their personal thoughts and feelings about this future, or their specific reality. To simplify, you largely fall into one of two big … [Read more...]
The First Rule of Remote Leadership
In all the talk about hybrid work and RTO (Returning To Office for those of us who are acronym-intolerant), it’s easy to stress out. Let me remind you of a very simple rule to help guide your thinking. In The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership, we have 18 (sort of 19) rules for leading at a distance. But whether all of your people are remote, only … [Read more...]
Be Honest About the Known Unknowns When Returning to the Office
What do you know about how the next couple of months look for your team? There’s a strange tension in the air right now as people see the end of the COVID tunnel. Many organizations are making concrete plans for returning to the office, a continuation of remote work, or some oddball combination of those. But what are the assumptions you’re working under, and how valid are … [Read more...]