by Chuck Chapman, Content Strategy Coordinator Kevin and Wayne spend an entire chapter (chapter 11 if you want to reference) in The Long-Distance Leader talking about the importance of trust with remote teams and unpacking their model (see below). Trust is one of those "squishy" concepts, however, that can make some leaders uneasy. While it's usually pretty apparent when … [Read more...]
What Does Professionalism Mean to Remote Workers?
Is there a different standard for professionalism for remote workers compared to those who go into an office everyday? This question gets asked a lot these days, and while I don’t claim to have definitive answers, I’ve gotten really good at asking some of the questions that are part of this important discussion. You don’t have to ask teleworkers why they choose to work … [Read more...]
Getting Along Isn’t Rocket Science
Because next year is the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon, (and because I’m old enough to remember the actual event) I recently read James R. Hansen’s terrific biography of Neil Armstrong, First Man. It was fascinating on many levels, but one of the most intriguing things for someone who studies team dynamics is that the crew of Apollo 11 were not particularly … [Read more...]
Long-Distance Leaders: How Much Do You Trust Your Team?
by Chuck Chapman, Content Strategy Coordinator It's sad, but it's true. Some leaders view their employees more like children than professionals. In their minds, if they aren't watching every second, work won't get done. And don't even think about allowing people to work off-site or remotely. How in the world will any work get completed without the expert "supervision" … [Read more...]
How Not to Micro-Manage Remote Employees (And Still Know What’s Going On)
Nobody wants to be a micro-manager. We want to trust our employees (even when they’re remote and we can’t always know what’s going on). We know they’ll do a great job, and we want to be seen as supportive but not over-bearing. It often comes as something of a shock when we’re accused of being micro-managers. The problem may well be how your hard, well-intentioned work is being … [Read more...]