If you didn't get the chance to read my "Influencing Virtual Teams" bestselling book, or if you have read it and would like a simple refresher of the 17 tactics presented in it, here's a quick 60-second overview on SlideShare. I hope you find it helpful! Hassan P.S. - Can I ask for a quick favor? If you've read the book, would you take 1 minute to review it on Amazon? I would love to hear your feedback (I read every single review), and it would mean the world to me. Click here to ... Read More
6 Uncommon Tips for Running a Virtual Meeting
I recently wrote an article for the premier edition of SOLVE Magazine, a new publication created by Time Warner Cable Business Class. The article discusses 6 unconventional tips about how to run virtual meetings. The title is “Remote Meetings That Get Results: Keep your employees on the same page, even when they’re not in the same city,” and is a relatively short read (1 page). I’ll think you’ll find some of those tips quite helpful, especially the “Don’t bother with meeting minutes” ... Read More
6 Tips for Virtual Team Managers from “REMOTE: Office Not Required”
I just finished reading Jason Fried’s and David Heinemeier Hansson's latest book “REMOTE: Office Not Required” and thought it was a great primer about working remotely. The book focuses mainly on why companies should consider shifting to a remote workforce if they haven’t already. So if you are not already sold on the idea that having a virtual team is better for you, your employees, your company’s profits and the environment, then this is a must read. The book also discusses how Jason and David ... Read More
How To Increase Confidence and Reduce Stress in 2 Minutes Using Simple Power Poses
I just watched this video and thought it was remarkable. Professor Amy Cuddy from the Harvard Business School conducted research on "Power Poses" and the impact they have on your confidence and stress levels. Apparently, doing simple power poses (like standing with your hands on your hips or putting your feet up on a desk) for only 2 minutes before a meeting, presentation, or performance could give you a significant confidence boost that makes you perform at a much better level. It's ... Read More
How to Listen like a CEO (and a great parent)
“You’ve spent years learning how to read and write, years learning how to speak. But what about listening?” – Stephen Covey So true. Whether you listen as a salesman, a consultant, a CEO or a parent, you’ve probably spent very little time honing your skills as a listener. In Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which I just re-read after reading it around 13 years ago, the chapter on Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood (which happens to be my one-sentence ... Read More
How to Create Hand Drawn Pictures to Explain Anything (Even if You Don’t Know How to Draw)
Drawings and sketches are some of the most effective ways to explain anything to anyone (that's why I use them frequently on my blog). They help people understand a problem and see its solution in a much more efficient way than talking about it or writing it out. I’m not referring to the usual PowerPoint diagrams or Excel charts (even though those are definitely helpful), but rather to plain old hand-drawn pictures. I can guarantee that regardless of what industry you're in, you can always ... Read More
How to Manage a Small Virtual Project Using Free Online Tools (Includes Templates)
For most small virtual projects that require communication among 5 people or less, you probably don’t need to use any sophisticated project management or online collaboration software to manage them. Instead, you can just use a combination of free online tools such as Google Docs, Doodle, and Skype. Here are five simple steps to help you set up and manage a small project (the templates I use below refer to a graduate school course project that includes writing a final report & ... Read More
How to Investigate a Project Issue: 4 Techniques Used by Lawyers
I’m currently taking a course on managing workplace performance, and as part of the readings, we were given an excerpt from a book entitled “Fundamentals of Trial Techniques” which I thought was very intriguing. I couldn’t help but notice the parallels between how a trial lawyer questions his or her witnesses and how an effective project manager conducts an investigation of a major issue with his or her team. Here are four techniques that lawyers use in court which can be used to ... Read More
The 4 Types of Managers According to Abraham Lincoln’s Productivity Rule
Abraham Lincoln famously said: "Give me 6 hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first 4 sharpening the axe" I'm a big fan of this quote, and I’ve used it over and over during my career – especially when planning large and complex initiatives. In essence, the quote refers to how much time you should spend planning versus executing a project. According to Lincoln, you should spend two-thirds of the time you have sharpening the axe (planning your project), and the remaining one-third of it ... Read More