More from the Connected Manager
The invisible killer of remote teams
Wayne Turmel
There is one factor that can be lethal for remote teams that usually isn't a problem when everyone is in the same place. That invisible killer is exclusion.
There's nothing soft about the heart
Wayne Turmel
Every animal depends on its heart for its existence. Organizations do too, except that rather than a multi-chambered muscle, they rely on leadership, managers and flows of information.
Accountability is more important than accounting
Wayne Turmel
What's more important: that people are working on exactly what you want them working on at that exact moment, or that important tasks and outputs are done on time and team goals are met?
Building trust remotely
Wayne Turmel
Trusting the people you work with (and for) has never been easy. But when you work remotely it's even tougher.
Managing time in meetings
Wayne Turmel
One of the main concerns when running a webinar or virtual meeting is managing time effectively so we don't lose sight of what the meeting is actually supposed to accomplish.
Presenting online is still presenting
Wayne Turmel
Presenting online is more like a traditional presentation than most people think. But too often, those delivering material online do so in just about the least effective manner possible.
Learning is everywhere
Wayne Turmel
What you know now is good for now, but might be completely outdated by tomorrow. This means there's a constant need to learn new things, both formally and informally.
The mortar in a project's wall
Wayne Turmel
What holds a wall together is the mortar between the bricks. And what holds a project together is the effective, clear and proactive communication between individuals.
New year questions for team leaders
Wayne Turmel
What better time than the New Year to stop, reflect on what’s happened in 2020 and gird our loins for what looms ahead. In that spirit of reflection, here are five questions all team leaders should be asking themselves.
How to take expert advice
Wayne Turmel
You could drive yourself crazy trying to follow every piece of advice you get - and often the experts disagree. So how is a rational person supposed to take all this advice without their heads imploding?
Staying on track isn't easy
Wayne Turmel
It's surprising how often teams lose sight of their goals. There are plenty of reasons, and maybe understanding some of the most common will help you and your team reassess where you are headed.
Don’t confuse task completion with productivity
Wayne Turmel
People who work remotely often claim to be ‘more productive’. But productivity is a long-term measurement that means more than just getting more tasks finished in a given time period.
Data, information and webmeetings
Wayne Turmel
Turning raw data into meaningful information is a key part of a manager's job. And smart managers know that webinars or videoconferencing tools can help translate one into the other.
Snip those email threads!
Wayne Turmel
if there’s one complaint everyone has about communicating with their teammates it's long email threads - you know, the ones that start as a simple request for information and grow like a virus.
Reacting vs responding
Wayne Turmel
Do you interrupt what you're doing to read incoming emails? Do you hit “reply all” when you probably shouldn’t? Too often, we react rather than respond. And that can lead to trouble, especially for managers.
Office politics when you're not in an office
Wayne Turmel
People who work remotely often view the absence of office politics as a real plus. But they’re wrong. Understanding organizational and inter-personal dynamics is a critical part of that thing called ‘work’.
Shut up first, talk later
Wayne Turmel
Sometimes it it can seem almost impossible to get people to contribute or share information effectively in a video conference. Here’s how you can change that.
Don't use technology as an excuse for bad management
Wayne Turmel
When it comes to managing a remote team, technology is not a communication problem. So stop blaming the tools if you chose the wrong one for the wrong reason.
Open questions, open communication
Wayne Turmel
Working remotely, we miss the non-verbal signals we see when working face-to-face. That's why asking open questions is one of the most critical skills the manager of a remote team can possess.
Do you run meetings or lead them?
Wayne Turmel
Why do some online meetings get the job done, while others don't? The difference is that successful meetings need to be led - and there is a huge difference between running a meeting and leading one.