Remote Work
I’ve just been reading the book Remote Work by Chris Dyer and Kim Shepherd. We share the same publishers and Chris and I hosted an online event together earlier this year. Chris is the founder and CEO of PeopleG2, where he manages 30 full-time remote employees and 3,000 independent contractors. I loved his thinking around meetings and his passion for remote work, so I had to read his book.
It’s an honest book. And it tells the story of their journey to remote and the reality of doing it. One of my favourite quotes is: “To do this [remote] well, you have to be always on, always working to keep culture fresh and sticky – that is, keep it so interesting and engaging that no one will want to leave… we both found that being the CEO of a remote company is exhausting.”
As we continue to look at the role of hybrid work and how we manage new ways of working, we have to be realistic about the challenges that come with remote. The authors clearly outline the fact that there is the difference between structural obstacles and cultural obstacles which are worth exploring, as well as the seven pillars of culture and the importance of appreciative leadership. If you’re never going fully remote, it’s still a book to pick up because so much of it applies to leaders and organisations no matter the location.
“Be curious, not judgemental”
We watched the first season of Ted Lasso on Apple TV a few weekends ago. In fact, we watched the whole thing in a day! Jason Sudeikis plays Ted Lasso, a college football coach from Kansas hired to coach the fictional Richmond FC. What an absolute delight in terms of positivity, different styles of leadership, and getting to know people. There is so much to take away from this – the writing and casting are brilliant, but the importance of building human connections and spending time getting to know people more is a constant thread. Ted’s approach is upbeat and leads with kindness; he sees the good in everybody. I always believe the majority of people step forward with optimistic intent and this programme is a great reminder of how we can approach life in a more positive way. Season two is currently streaming. And you can find out more about how the programme came about in this interview with Brené Brown.
Going Sideways
I’ve just discovered the Sideways podcast with Matthew Syed. I’m a huge fan of his work and wrote about his recent book Rebel Ideas in my last Inspiring Goodies post. This podcast “explores the ideas that shape our lives with stories of seeing the world differently”.
The conversations cover a broad range of topics from how children’s television has evolved over time, to restorative justice, to the role of ego and confidence and also exploring alter egos and how they can help you and show up as your best self. It’s been keeping me company as I catch up on the last two seasons while I do a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle my friends got me for my birthday!
