Field Notes
How to Make a Professional Highlight Reel
I don’t think my nostalgia for back-to-school shopping will ever go away. Every year I have to remind myself: “Put it down! you don’t actually need another folder with woodland creatures on it!” One tradition I’ve kept? Picking up a paper planner. Not for scheduling…rather, I use it as a retrospective log to capture the moments that shape my professional story.
The Question Menu - August Edition
If you lead a team and dare to do anything that even resembles an ice breaker, someone will suddenly become very interested in their inbox. And at least one person will say, “I hate ice breakers.” There’s always one. Or ten. And yet…I am undeterred. Here’s my recipe to crafting the perfect questions and why they work so well.
The Wingperson - A Tip for Hybrid Meetings
Ever been a remote participant in a hybrid meeting, trying to jump in without notice while the conversation barrels on without you? And then having to awkwardly stop mid-sentence and pull your hand back down when you realize no one is watching the giant broadcast of your face in the conference room? Just me? 😅
The Bridge Seat - A Tip for Hybrid Meetings
A simple seat swap can keep the whole room, virtual and physical, engaged in one shared conversation. Here’s a tip to make your hybrid meetings more connected.
Solving for the Lack of Spinny-Chair Collabs
The loss of "circling the wagons" type of collaboration, is something I hear often from those who work in remote and hybrid roles. You miss those quick touch-bases with colleagues. You notice the loss of informal sharing and the tidbits of unwritten company knowledge that in the past were shared in break rooms and over-the-shoulder in unplanned ways.
As a people leader of a remote team, with two seasoned veterans and three brand new team members, I struggled to know how to replicate those spinny-chair collabs. But, just because something is different or seems missing, doesn't mean it's bad or that there isn't a good alternative. It's one of my most core beliefs when it comes to remote work, that these are just new problems waiting for new solutions to be found.
When to Make the Call (or Huddle)
It's one of the most important lessons I've learned about being a remote leader: knowing when it's time to pick up the dang phone. Almost like it's the olden days or something…
Feeling Seen Through a Screen
Every November in my department, names are drawn with great pomp for a small gift exchange. This event feels a little like the NBA draft, except much more festive and with a bunch of corporate professionals of average height. *Though who would could be sure really about the height thing? I've not met most of these colleagues in person and have only ever seen most of them on video calls. For all I know, some of them could very well be professional basketball player feet tall. * Anyways, when the big day for the exchange arrives,
Permission to Coffee Break
Once upon a time, I spent a summer as an intern, copyediting a book on copyright law. I cannot begin to tell you -- though I don't suspect it will be hard for you to imagine -- how excruciatingly mind-numbing that assignment was. What kept me from falling into a deep sleep daily, was that every afternoon…