Posts by Liz Richards
How to Create a Shareable Job Aid
The number one most effective form of shareable job aid I have seen is the humble checklist. It’s a simple but powerful tool used from kindergarten classrooms to nuclear launch sites. And in a world of increasingly remote, asynchronous work, these types of job aids will be invaluable. Yet, as simple as they may be,…
Avoid these 5 bad attitudes at work
Attitude may be intangible, but it really matters. You cannot always control your feelings (nor should you necessarily try to). But feelings are on the inside. Attitude is what you show everyone else on the outside—and that is always under your control. Everybody has bad days or bad moments. But, even if you are not…
Improve productivity by practicing good email hygiene
We all know it but don’t often say it—email is a huge productivity killer. Like clockwork, as soon as we are about to start working on a task or project, an email pops into our inbox. We may try to ignore it, and it may work for a little while, but the distraction of that…
When You Don’t Have Authority, Use Influence
When work is highly collaborative, there arises an authority conundrum. When there’s a problem or delay, and you’re left to work things out at your own level, nobody has the power of rank to resolve things swiftly and efficiently. In those situations, my advice has always been: when you don’t have authority, use influence. But…
The Go-to Person’s Guide to Great Meetings
Meetings can be great opportunities, but not all meetings are great. There are really only three good reasons for a meeting: To create a feeling of belonging and togetherness To communicate a bunch of information to a bunch of people, in the same way, at the same time To brainstorm about a project, or deal…
Practicing extreme alignment will set your remote team apart
The folks at Fellow recently posed this question on Twitter: What is the most underrated management skill? My answer? Alignment. Alignment — Bruce Tulgan (@BruceTulgan) October 6, 2020 Alignment has become a huge focus of my work with clients over the past decade or so. As silos have broken down across organizations and high levels…
Trust is required for progress. Here’s how to build trust on remote teams.
“I believe that all human progress begins with trust.” This was something Frances Frei said to me in a recent conversation we had about transforming toxic workplace cultures. And research seems to support this belief. In one Harvard study, employees in high-trust companies reported: 50% higher productivity 40% less burnout 74% less stress and 76%…
How the three part follow-up helps you get better and better at working together
One of the fundamental tenets of go-to-ism is to keep getting better and better at working with others. After all, in today’s high-collaboration workplace, your results are only as strong as the team behind them, right? It’s no longer enough to simply be the technical expert or the best at what you do—your success depends…
Managing Through Uncertainty
It’s hard to be a leader when all heck is breaking loose. In times of uncertainty or rapid change, people are looking to you and relying on you to support them in their work and their ability to earn. The pressure can make even the strongest managers fall back on bad habits. Stop, breathe, and…
When an Employee Has Personal Issues at Home, Focus on the Work
When it comes to managing attitude or personalities at work, the advice I always give is not to let it be a personal matter. Rather, make it all about the work and your working relationship. But what about when it really is a personal matter that’s causing the problem? When an employee has personal issues…