How much time do you spend proving to others that you’re working when you’re not in the office? This sounds silly, but my long-time colleague, Jessica Stillman wrote an article for INC.com recently that gave a name to that behavior: Productivity Theater. Productivity Theater is engaging in behaviors that aren’t terribly productive but give the appearance of working hard. A … [Read more...]
Five Ways to Manage and Lead Better in a Virtual World
by Angie Morgan You can lead without being a manager. You can manage without being a leader. Leadership is always a choice. Choose to lead. I’ve managed, I’ve led, and I’ve coached managers who’ve aspired to be stronger leaders. I can distill my experience and advice down to five simple things that I think every manager, at any stage of their career, can benefit from … [Read more...]
When Your Team Whines about Technology…ASK
In the last few weeks, I’ve been working with a lot of clients who are unhappy with the communication technology at their disposal. In some cases, the complaints have reached the point where they aren’t just a cause for griping, but people have just thrown their hands up and let it interfere with team productivity. Maybe you hear similar things from your team: “Why are we … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Ruin a Virtual One-On-One
As leaders, we know that one-on-one communication with our team is critical. When we can’t just look out and survey the cubicle-farm to see how people are doing, the little time we get to spend with each employee becomes more precious. That’s why conducting these meetings is perhaps the most important skill a long-distance leader can have. In many ways they are just like … [Read more...]
Get Your Remote MBWA
A client of mine recently started talking to his project managers about getting their “Remote MBWA.” I had never heard of this particular degree, so I asked him what that was. He said it wasn’t some new kind of MBA, rather it means Management By Walking Around. Here’s how he described it to me: "Management By Walking Around" is the term used for the kind of manager who walks … [Read more...]