Guest post by Ainsley Lawrence Every new manager gets confronted with challenges. Leadership classes and experience working under other managers can help you gain some of the skills and insights you need to oversee a team of workers, but there will always be elements of the job that you have to learn through trial and error. The rise of hybrid work arrangements has … [Read more...]
When Will My Team Get Back to Where They Were Before the Pandemic
By Guy Harris In recent Bud to Boss workshops, I have been getting a question similar to the title of this post in several ways. While the questions are not always phrased the same way, they tend the same direction: longing for a return to “normal” as we reach the end of pandemic-imposed lockdowns, shutdowns, and isolation. Every situation is a bit different, and the … [Read more...]
Getting Clear on Your Relationship Building Expectations
by Guy Harris In 20 years of working to help leaders grow their skills, I have yet to meet a leader who did not understand the need to be clear about their expectations with their team. I am not saying that I have never met a leader who had challenges in this area. I am saying that all of the leaders I have worked with were at least aware of the need to set clear … [Read more...]
Going Back to Old Spaces in a New Way
by Stacy Henry If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that you can’t go back to where you used to be. This is especially true today. Since 2020, our lives have changed. Our collected experience has given us better understanding, different expectations, and a new direction. As things are opening up and employees are returning to work, it’s important to recognize a … [Read more...]
Picking Alternatives to Email
by Wayne Turmel New leaders rely on the skills we had as teammates and the habits that made us successful. But what if there’s one thing you did that wasn’t as productive as you thought it was, and now is a great time to change? We’re talking about the over use and abuse of email. As team members, there’s a pretty good chance we were “that person.” You know, the one who … [Read more...]
Coaching Leaders of Hybrid Teams
by Guy Harris Coaching team members can be challenging even when everyone is in the same place. Coaching a team with everyone working remotely introduces additional challenges. And coaching a team with some members working in the office and others working remotely (a hybrid team), introduces still more challenges. Coaching a hybrid team of leaders who also lead hybrid teams … [Read more...]
Avoiding Cliques on Your Hybrid Team
If you’ve become a leader in the last year or two, you’ve begun your career in the weirdest, most complex circumstances imaginable. There are a lot of reasons for this, but one of the main challenges is the increase in hybrid teams. It’s enough of a challenge when all your people are in one location. When everyone is remote, there are similar but unique challenges. But when … [Read more...]
The Future of Work Is More Than a Policy Change
by Kevin Eikenberry Now that you are a leader get used to your role in implementing new policies. As long as there are organizations, there have been policies and procedures, and I don’t really expect that to change. Today your organization may be asking you to implement policies related to hybrid and/or flexible work. While there is a policy – the future of work is more … [Read more...]
How You Can Create Collaboration on Your Hybrid Team
by Kevin Eikenberry We need our teams to collaborate to get great results. Often, we think of collaboration as a face-to-face activity. Have you figured out how to do that at a distance from some or all of the team? Do you know what you need to do to create hybrid collaboration? Here are three things you can do right now to start changing the level and success of your … [Read more...]
Transitioning to Your Leadership Role with a Hybrid Team
by Guy Harris The transition from individual contributor to leader calls for changes in at least three areas of your work life: your relationships, your skills, and your mindset. Managing these three transitions simultaneously is almost always a challenge, and the challenge is made even more difficult when you work with a "hybrid" work in the office/work from home … [Read more...]