Much like the current economic recovery, remote work sentiment during COVID-19 has taken on something of a “W” shape. Many organizations have navigated peaks and valleys since leaving their offices indefinitely in March. Some have returned in partial capacity; others have continued to work primarily from home, and many have redrawn their policies altogether. One…
Many of us are just casually familiar with the concept of “upskilling.” You’ve run across it on LinkedIn, or heard it mentioned in a webinar. It feels a little like a buzzword—a term with more style than substance. But here’s the thing: Upskilling is vital to highly functioning, cohesive teams. Developing new skills because you’re…
Great managers are constantly performing a high-wire act. They balance their people’s needs with a wide range of critical duties, often playing psychologist, strategist, and quality control specialist all at once. These managers are always striving for team cohesion. They’re also focusing on broader company goals and adhering to the stated mission—all of which becomes…
When you establish specific goals at both the organizational and team levels, you instill accountability and purpose in your direct reports.
Team cohesion is pivotal as your organization navigates the next phase of this crisis. But you can’t achieve cohesion without trust.
Indefinite remote work has forced many companies to ask: How do we maintain our culture?
If you’re like many companies, you’re past the remote work honeymoon phase. Video conferencing is no longer foreign, nor is it a fun novelty at this point. You’ve figured out where the mute button is and how many cats your coworker owns. You still need people on the same page, but like a parent wielding…
If you’re tasked with coordinating, communicating, or deciding on any aspects of a return-to-office plan this year, we feel for you. Simply put, it’s an unenviable position to be in. Social distancing mandates vary from state to state, sometimes even town to town, and different businesses require different levels of in-person interaction to function efficiently….
Like them, love them or leave them, virtual icebreakers are a staple of our current remote work world. Online meetings are vital to remote team building and communication. But to keep people engaged, we need to avoid approaching them like drones or military sergeants. Especially if you’re running regular stand-ups or check-ins, you need to…
The daily standup meeting has taken on new significance in the socially distanced workplace. On some days, it’s the only human interaction remote team members get. More extraverted employees may find themselves chomping at the bit when these discussions start. They’re eager to share what they have going on, but that eagerness needs to be…
No-meeting blocks are a great way to foster better remote work habits. Here are three reasons to consider implementing them within your organization.
Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re still figuring out what virtual leadership looks like. Maybe your business is familiar with this sort of experiment: Face-to-face meetings were replaced with video conferencing in an attempt to replicate the office environment, but Zoom or Skype fatigue eventually set in. You’ve started re-evaluating which meetings are truly essential….
What’s one thing all micromanagers have in common? They don’t trust their people, and as we know, trust is at the core of any high-performing team. Particularly in industries like tech, where autonomous work is essential to efficiency, micromanagement can be a morale killer. The best managers are adept at delegating work to highly engaged…
We’ve all seen it. Two co-workers, like cars skidding toward a low-speed collision, are increasingly at odds with each other. Disagreements and miscommunications pile up, and the next thing you know they can barely speak to each other, let alone work well together. Workplace conflict isn’t just a headache for managers and team members. It…
If you didn’t get the chance to attend the May 19 webinar, Rethinking Your Business Strategy with Talent Optimization, read this blog post to get key takeaways from each speaker you can implement immediately at your own organization. Key takeaway #1: Organize your talent for adaptability. JD Conway, Head of Talent Acquisition at BambooHR: “We’ve…