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Five reasons remote teams fail

Wayne Turmel | 20 April 2020

Many managers are now discovering that leading a remote team isn’t that different to leading a co-located one. But they do have to re-think how they do certain things. Here are five ways you can get that wrong.

Key skills for virtual leaders

Wayne Turmel | 26 March 2020

Suddenly finding yourself sitting at home leading a virtual team is a tough call, particularly with everything else that's going on in the world. So here are seven key behaviors that will make the task of virtual working much easier.

How different is leading remotely?

Wayne Turmel | 10 March 2020

If you've never led a remote team and you're worried about how you might cope if the Coronavirus puts you in that position, fear not. For a competent team leader, the differences aren't as great as you might think.

A whole new ballgame?

Wayne Turmel | 14 January 2020

Adopting remote teams might seem like a whole new ball game, but it’s the same game - just played on a slightly different field. The WHAT doesn’t really change, it's the HOW that's different.

The best gift this Christmas

Wayne Turmel | 23 December 2019

Want to do something nice for your team this holiday season? How about helping them do nothing at all - or at the very least, a bit less - even if you have to enforce it strenuously.

Getting virtual meetings to start on time

Wayne Turmel | 25 November 2019

Why do webmeetings always seem to start late? While there’s no silver bullet that will solve the problem, there are some simple things you can do to help your odds of starting (and finishing) on time.

Mapping the power in your organization

Wayne Turmel | 21 October 2019

Forget job titles, do you know who has the real power in your organization and who has real influence where it matters most?

Getting feedback from a virtual audience

Wayne Turmel | 10 September 2019

Speaking to large groups on-line can be deeply disconcerting. Why? Because even in a lecture-type presentation, you get all kinds of feedback. But doing it virtually feels like you’re talking into a void.

Faith, trust and teamwork

Wayne Turmel | 28 August 2019

Having faith is a wonderful thing. But today's project and functional teams need to run on trust. Why? Because unlike faith, trust is evidence-based, built on measurable results and can be restored through hard work.

Vital lessons from an eight year old

Wayne Turmel | 30 July 2019

The most important business lesson I ever learned, I learned at eight years old. And it’s something that is as relevant to all of us today as it was to me as a kid back then.

Code is easier than people

Wayne Turmel | 11 July 2019

Going from being a ‘doer’ to being a manager isn’t easy, because managing others demands interpersonal and communication skills that need to be worked on.

The 'golden suggestion' for managers

Wayne Turmel | 17 June 2019

The old saying “do unto others as you’d like them to do unto you” Is fine advice. But when it comes to management, it's not so simple. Let me explain why it doesn’t stack up.

The two big communication questions

Wayne Turmel | 27 May 2019

Communication increasingly seems to be a question of technology. But it isn’t. It's a complicated process with lots of moving parts. And it starts with two very important questions

Great advice from a sketchy source

Wayne Turmel | 23 April 2019

Ian Fleming’s James Bond books don’t normally spring to mind as sources of useful management advice. But there’s a line in ‘Goldfinger’ that is actually quite brilliant if you run a remote team.

Are your teammates competent?

Wayne Turmel | 08 April 2019

One of the biggest factors in building trust is believing in the competence of the people you work with. If you work in the same place, that isn’t so hard to do. But if you work remotely, gathering evidence of competence takes more effort.

The cost of bad meetings

Wayne Turmel | 26 March 2019

Bad meetings cost companies billions of dollars every year. But this waste is easily avoidable if only we'd all ask ourselves a couple of basic questions and think a little more about how and why we have meetings.

Are you hiding behind technology?

Wayne Turmel | 06 August 2018

We all get tired, rushed and overworked. And when we do, it's tempting to use technology as an excuse to take the easy way out by avoiding confrontation or uncomfortable conversations.

Earning attention on webinars

Wayne Turmel | 12 July 2018

I’m always being asked how to get people to pay attention during webinars. My answer is to ask a simple question: what are you doing to earn their attention?

Ask your team a 3,000 year-old question

Wayne Turmel | 22 June 2018

If you're mindful as to your meeting's purpose and desired outcome, you will accomplish far more than if you approach it as an empty ritual.

Your team members aren’t pawns in a chess game

Wayne Turmel | 22 November 2017

Project management and team leadership are often viewed as chess games. But there’s one important difference. Those pieces on the chess board aren’t human. Your team members are - and they need to be treated accordingly.

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