The International Institute for Learning (IIL) is hosting an online conference called "International Project Management Day 2020" (IPM) and I'll be speaking about "Influencing Virtual Teams: 5 Best Practices for Success" to help project managers be more successful at their job. The live opening day with keynotes will be on Thursday, November 5, 2020. You can also watch all the on-demand videos between November 6, 2020, and February 7, 2021. If you're interested in attending, the great ... Read More
Three (More) Team Building Activities for Remote Teams
This is a guest post by Brian Thomas from Enlightened Digital, and covers a few additional team building activities for remote teams to the ones I’ve covered previously here. Remote work is becoming the new normal amongst companies with the capabilities to do so. Whether you have been with your company for a year or two months before quarantining, it can still get lonely in your home office without the constant bustle of office life happening around you. For new hires, it can be even more ... Read More
“Better Online Meetings” Book is Out! (Profits Donated)
I'm excited to share that my latest book "Better Online Meetings" is now published! It's listed for only 99 cents for a very limited time on Amazon. The book will help you facilitate virtual team meetings (on Zoom or Webex) in easy steps. It's a super-short book (less than a 30 minute read) about what to do before, during, and after your remote meetings so that they’re more effective Click here to grab it on Amazon for only $0.99 (limited time)100% of the ... Read More
Quick tips about Managing Remote Teams (plus other thoughts)
I usually publish random thoughts about managing remote teams, communication and leadership on LinkedIn. Those thoughts are usually based on an interesting experience or conversation I had, or on something I recently read. So I thought I'd consolidate the last few posts and share them here. On Sending Confidential Emails If you're sending a confidential email, it's a good idea to: Use an ambiguous subject line (and type "Confidential" as a prefix)Avoid referencing the topic ... Read More
4 Tips to Get Quiet Virtual Team Members to Speak Up during Remote Meetings
One question that I usually get is how to make virtual meetings more inclusive so that everyone's thoughts are heard. With leaders that manage large remote teams, what typically happens is that only a handful of team members actively participate, and several others stay silent. This happens due to several reasons, such as team members who are naturally quite or others who are naturally more vocal. Over time, it feels like the same few people are the only ones participating in the ... Read More
6 Advantages Of Virtual Teams
The freedom to work from anywhere while still having a full-time job is a perk that many employers use to draw the best talent. This is just one of the many advantages of virtual teams. To understand why remote teams are so desirable, here are a few more pros of moving out of a physical office. The Six Advantages of Virtual Teams 1) Potential Employees are Everywhere When an office is located in a specific city, employers and managers often have to convince their prospective ... Read More
6 Challenges Of Virtual Teams (and How to Avoid Them)
While some companies have built their organizations remotely, others are just starting to consider to make virtual teams and management work. From measuring productivity to building an “office” culture, many tasks are conducted differently when there is no physical office to work from. There are both pros and cons to having a virtual team, so let’s dive into some challenges of virtual teams that managers may face. The Six Challenges of Virtual Teams 1) Equipping Your Team With the ... Read More
Tips for Better Productivity as a Remote Worker
The traditional workspace that we have come to know throughout the 20th and early 21st century has become a thing of the past. More businesses than ever are transitioning to a predominantly remote workforce and moving away from buying or renting costly office space for employees. Through the evolution of software and corporate communication capabilities, the need to interact in-person is becoming obsolete by the day. Although many industries still rely on face-to-face interaction when ... Read More
Top 5 Reasons Why a Remote Collaboration Project Fails
Small business owners can cut costs by hiring work-from-home employees, while large enterprises may choose remote workers so they can hire the best of the best no matter what country they live in. Still, other companies offer remote work options to long-time employees as an added job perk. Yet managing remote employees and projects has its own unique challenges—including security issues, managing different time zones and quality collaboration. Even an experienced manager may struggle ... Read More
The Future of Remote Work: What to Expect in 2020
The past decade has witnessed incredible growth in remote and flexible work opportunities. As 2020 draws nearer, it’s evident that remote work opportunities are here to stay and will play a larger role in how businesses and people accomplish their work. A recent report, which mapped the popularity of remote work from the early 2000s onward, reveals just how impactful off-site work opportunities will become in the new decade. In 2017, for example, 4.7 million people telecommuted for their ... Read More