Dear Madeleine, In the middle of the pandemic, I took a job that I love and am good at. At the time, my boss made it very clear that the job was classified as “remote” and the deal was that I would never need to work in the office. This wasn’t just because everyone was…
The hybrid/virtual work world presents many challenges for leaders. One of them is creating a culture of accountability. Some leaders still think accountability equals “butts in seats.” But that outdated belief has become completely antiquated during the pandemic. People have proven they can succeed in a remote work environment. Considering how quickly the workplace is…
Dear Madeleine, Before COVID, I led a high performing, intact team. There are twelve of us and we all used to work in one office. I hired three new people just as the stay-at-home order was instituted, and I worked hard to do everything I could to onboard them and get them up and running…
Hybrid teams are nothing new. Pre-COVID, many hybrid virtual teams existed. Some team members worked from the office full time, some worked from home or from the road full time, and others did a mix of the two. So what’s so different as we look ahead to work in the future? What’s different is the…
With all of the change and disruption in today’s world, leaders are being asked to lead their teams through new situations never navigated in modern history. It can be overwhelming when everyone is looking to you for the answers. Leaders can take a cue from the coaching world on serving people and meeting them exactly…
Can’t we just get to work? Why do we have to spend time getting all touchy-feely about how we will work together? If you lead or assist virtual teams of engineers, programmers, scientists, or technical experts, you have probably heard similar comments. The most effective virtual teams have a clear agreement—often called a charter—that spells…
If you don’t work as part of a virtual team on a regular or occasional basis, chances are you have colleagues or friends who do. Fifteen years ago it was a different story. I remember asking my boss at the time if I could telecommute one day a week. I have a 40 mile (one…
If you really want to pay better attention to what is going on in your team, stop running your own virtual meetings. It’s almost impossible to run a meeting, manage an agenda, present ideas, and also pay attention to group dynamics. Here’s why: 1. If you create the agenda, you have a vested interest in pushing…
“Since you are interested in virtual work, let me show you our video conferencing capability.” The room was impressive. The huge wall screens provided a full view of participants at tables in other locations. The ceiling-mounted microphones and speakers and the large, locked cabinet of sophisticated controls showed the effort and expense invested in this…
This is a great time of year to celebrate holidays around the world, commemorate team accomplishments, or just take time to build relationships for the year ahead. When people work together face to face, celebrating can be spontaneous. Without prompting, someone brings in snacks or puts up decorations to celebrate a holiday, group achievement, or…