Office. Hallway. Day. Employee #1: “I can’t believe you’ve decided to print your 2000 page report on the last working printer in the building.” Employee #2: “It’s technically 1977 pages long and it’s not my fault my supervisor doesn’t like to read from a screen.” Employee #1: “Well instead of making the whole marketing department…
Group Retreats: Does Your Remote Startup Really Need Them?
There’s a unique feeling of working closely every day with a bunch of people and not meeting them. It’s like you kind of know what they do, but at the same time, you have no idea. For all that matters, they can be wearing a pair of boxers while talking about improving customers retention by…
Maintaining Professional Relationships in the Workplace
One of the most challenging things about managing a team is establishing yourself as an authority figure while still being a likable boss that your team wants to follow. On one hand, if you get too chummy with your reports, professionalism and productivity will plummet: Problems won’t get dealt with properly, your team won’t do…
Do Degrees Matter Anymore for Startups?
Ever since you were a kid your parents have preached the importance of getting a good education. From the first day of kindergarten till the day you graduate from High School, they’ve been telling you, you need to go to college and earn a degree. But what if they were wrong? Of course, earning a…
Why Agile Fails in Some Companies – Is There Any Solution?
When it comes to today’s workplace, agility is a nice attribute to have. Being agile means you move quickly, change course easily, and you’re always ready to spring into action. But what about the term agile, as it pertains to project management? What does “Agile” mean in this context, and how does it apply to…
How to Conduct Agile Ceremonies with a Team of Introverts
There’s seemingly a contradiction between remote work and Agile methodology that I personally find fascinating. To start with, remote work is often deemed as a holy grail for introverts: According to Introvert Dear, introverts are people who enjoy spending time alone and don’t want to be around people all the time. In that case, remote…
How to Effectively Combine Agile Practices
Since the early days of the Agile Manifesto, published in 2001, the number of Agile practices that fit with its core principles has increased dramatically. If Agile territory had a subway, that would be its map. Some practices, like continuous delivery and pair programming, have been around even since before the manifesto was released. Others,…
The Difference Between a Leader and a Manager and Why it’s Important to Be Both
It’s a common misconception that leaders and managers are interchangeable, but the reality is that the two roles couldn’t be more different from each other! If your job includes directing a team of people, then it’s to your advantage to not only understand the difference between a manager and a leader, but also why you…
How Will Humans and Machines Work Together in 2019?
Humans and machines have been working together for more than a century. It’s not a new concept. In fact, since the first machine was invented, people have been creating more advanced machines for decades. And over the last 30 years, the advancements have been remarkable. Just look at the smartphone. It used to take five…
How Emotional Intelligence Is Changing the Workplace
When was the last time you took an IQ test? How’d you do? Be honest. Did your score reflect the mind of a genius, or maybe just an average Joe? For years people have put a lot of credence into IQ scores. In fact, it’s common for companies and universities to use IQ scores to…