Gradually and unseemly, more of us are starting to rely on mobile working. We find ourselves working on our two hour train journeys, in airports, in the supermarket queues...
Read MoreI couldn't imagine that a book about the US Military would be such a joy to read. But during my virtual coffees with Lisette Sutherland, she kept recommending the book every time we spoke about the need for transparency in organisations and the dangers of security concerns creating a culture of mistrust which prevents people from collaborating, innovating and keeping up with change.
Read MoreThere is a lot we can learn from Nick and Michele’s story. They started working together from the same location and then progressed to becoming a virtual team.
Read MoreDon't be like Leila, use the cards for good. Click here to go to the Collaboration Supercards store. and enter the code SUPERPILAR at checkout to get 10% off the normal price $19.95.
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Is too much information making us over-reliant on each other and destroying autonomous decision-making? As more and more of us rely on online tools to check in with our colleagues, unexpected challenges are starting to emerge.
Read MoreToday's guest post is written by Leila Machiavelli, determined to make the world of work a hellish place.
She has un-advice for managers who are struggling to give feedback to their team members. Please consume at your own risk.
Before I start my musings on nurturing team creativity, I’d like to define what I mean by creativity. I’m not referring to “artistry” – or the creative industries. I’m referring to the ability to come up with new solutions to problems, to change the way in which we do things, to improve our processes… I’m talking about using our imagination to see things that are not already there.
Read MoreWe all know the importance of looking after people who have just joined our team, of guiding them through our processes, of showing them where to look for help. But often we overlook the fact that new people need our help beyond the obvious practicalities. One-one time is often lost when we go flexi or virtual.
Read MoreWhile eating at my favourite London Thai restaurant yesterday with a friend from school, my hands clenched into fists a few times. He was telling me how difficult it is for him to work from home. It doesn’t help that he’s completely uninspired by his current work, of course.
Read Moreis one of those words that, like 'communication', is mentioned as a solution to many team problems, but the word is often used in a non-specific way and without really considering what it really means to our way of working.
Read MoreAdvocacy is something that's formally forgotten about when we talk about team leadership. In virtual teams, it might be more difficult to advocate for your team and to have access to a wide network that can help you.
Read MoreWell, it could be. If you want it to. But don’t let anyone tell you it has to be.
I attended a conference last week where one of the speakers talked about how technology is changing the workplace. The presentation at one point moved to virtual teams and the importance of leading by example to make them work. The dreaded word (email) was mentioned:
Read MoreGoing remote, or virtual, or introducing flexible working, however it's being labelled, is a change programme. And often this change will affect our identity.
Read MoreEarlier in the year I shared my concern that, when the hype of new, shiny online collaboration tools starts to fade, we'll take our eye off the ball and start making the same mistakes in the virtual workspace as we've been making in the co-located space. My fears are coming true.
Read MoreGradually and unseemly, more of us are starting to rely on mobile working. We find ourselves working on our two hour train journeys, in airports, in the supermarket queues... We start to work away from the office one day a week. We begin to recruit people who prefer to work from home, so will only take flexible (truly flexible) contracts. We beginto understand where and when we do our best work and want to schedule our days accordingly.
Then one day, we realise that it's not working.
Read MoreVirtual Rhymes - little poems to help your virtual commute
Read MoreNot being happy with guest posting on our blog, Leila Machiavelli has sneaked in front of the camera to tell you how to destroy trust in your virtual team.
Read MoreEvery morning, I go for a walk in the park. The walk is really just an excuse to listen to a podcast without feeling like I should be doing something else more “productive”.
Quite often during these walks, my mind (encouraged by the repetitive exercise and the sound of the podcast voices’ energy) suddenly solves a problem I’ve been tackling or just wanders off and brings me back something unexpected. This morning, it brought me back a memory. And I thought it was perfect to open the post dedicated to the last component of the Virtual not Distant model, Leadership.
Read MoreThis post covers the 'A' in the Virtual, not Distant® model.
Read MoreTo coincide with National Learning at Work Week, I’d like to focus on the U of VIRTUAL: Upgrowth. We also have articles on Visibility, Identity, Results, Trust and Appreciation.
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