Thanksgiving in the US is usually considered the beginning of “the Holidays.” But if you work with international teams, this raises a couple of important questions. Exactly which holidays are we talking about? And, will we actually be able to get our work done and still allow people to celebrate according to their local and religious traditions? This matters in ways big and … [Read more...]
Do Remote Leadership Rules Apply to Contractors?
When talking about people who choose to work remotely we often make some (reasonable) assumptions: They crave human contact, they want to be in touch with their teammates and bosses more often, they need to feel like part of the larger organization, and they miss talking to live humans. These ideas sound rational...but what if it’s not true? Not everyone wants to work that … [Read more...]
Relationships Still Matter on Remote Teams
by Chuck Chapman, Content Strategy Coordinator Think of all the people who have "remote" roles in our lives. It doesn't matter if they're celebrities who deliver us entertainment through our screens, people we've "met" via social media, or customer service reps we only talk to over the phone. These are people we've never locked eyes with or spoken to face to face. It's very … [Read more...]
How NOT to Drive Everyone Crazy on Slack
Team collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams are becoming more common for organizations with remote workers. So are complaints. Time that used to be spent cursing email is now spent rolling our eyes every time that little hashtag symbol pops up on our screen. It doesn’t have to be that way. Like every communication tool, there are appropriate ways to use Slack and … [Read more...]
Can There Be Workplace Bullying When There’s No Workplace?
There have been a number of stories in the news about workplace bullying. Most of them revolve around incidents of physical intimidation and threats. So, working from home seems like a good answer to the problem. But a recent conversation with someone brought something else to light: Can you be the victim of workplace bullying and harassment when you aren’t in the same location … [Read more...]