Stacie M Johnson

[staciemjohnson]

Getting Started is Hard: 3 Tips to Get You off the Procrastination Bus

(Photo by STIL on Unsplash)

Hey Friend,

Let’s be honest, we have all said one of these phrases at least once in our life.

~I’ll get it done tomorrow

~I’ll start next week

~I’m going to start using this now

~I’ll get to it in a little while

And if you are like me, then you’ve said all these phrases at least twice this week. The thing is our good intentions are there, but our mind simply hasn’t caught up with those intentions yet. The truth of the matter is…starting is hard!!

Every day we must push ourselves to stay on target and accomplish the goals that we set out to do. Whether it is in our personal or professional life, we must change our mindset and our approach to getting things done.

So, what can you do to get moving and motivated? Try incorporating a few of these ideas into your daily routine to help you kick procrastination to the curb.

1.       Take 5 Method- Complete any task that takes less than 5 minutes right away. These usually include a small task that can often be overlooked if not taken care of right away. This can include tasks such as answering quick emails, updating calendars, sending meeting invites, or scheduling/canceling appointments.

2.       Shiny Object Syndrome- Curb your display of the “Shiny Object Syndrome”. Often when we have great ideas, we tend to impulse buy to make our ideas come to life. It is easy to buy things like software, gym equipment, online courses, or some other product simply because it is shiny and new.  What often happens is we use the product a few times and it ends up falling by the wayside. Ultimately, we need to avoid this overspending and underutilizing method when getting started with something new. When purchasing a new product, set a time frame for when you will utilize the product or expect to yield results from your purchase. This is especially important when making purchases that you are expecting to receive a return on your investment.

3.       To-Do-By Model- Create the ultimate effective to-do list to get tasks done.  Assign priorities to the task listed and put dates next to each task. This ensures that you complete the most pressing items first and serves as a reference when looking back on past accomplishments. You can also create To-Do-By lists per project or goal to maximize your focus and completion efforts.

I know what you’re probably thinking, “I’ll try this tomorrow”, but we all know that starting is hard. So, get up and get going now, you’ll be glad you did!

[staciemjohnson]

4 Simple Tips to Building Effective Communication for Remote Teams

Everyone needs to feel a part of something greater than themselves. When people are separated by distance, it can be difficult for them to experience this kind of fulfillment. This can be especially true in the remote work environment.

It is essential that leaders find a way to bridge the gap that is often left by both distance and communication. Deciding how you want to communicate with your team is the first step toward successful team interaction.

Setting up the proper channels of communication will help teams with:

·       Completing tasks

·       Meeting deadlines

·       Accomplishing set goals

·       Sharing information

·       Collaborating on projects

·       Group decision-making

·       Team building

Choosing the right tools for communication is vital for remote teams. While email is the most common form of communication, it is by far the most limiting and often most open to misinterpretation. 

In an effort to avoid misunderstandings and organize team tasks, utilize your companies project management tools. Document your teams work and track the progress of assigned work across the team. This can also help in balancing the workload of the team. If your organization does not have a project management tool that it uses, check out tools such as Asana, Basecamp, Airtable, or Trello.

Quick forms of messaging and video conference calls are also a great way to keep remote team members in constant communication. Team members can chat back and forth with one another in real time and opt for the luxury of seeing each other face to face. Products like Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Cisco Jabber, and Slack all offer interactive ways for your team to stay connected.

One-on-one touch bases can be equally important to bridging communication within remote teams. This presents a great opportunity for leaders and staff to focus on individual work and ensure alignment with team goal. Leaders are also able to provide coaching and feedback on job performance throughout the year.

It is also important to build in social communication methods for remote teams. Setting up a “Virtual Break Room” allows for the team to socialize, share hobbies, and chat about things outside of work. Set up a chat forum dedicated to encouraging casual conversations and sharing random things. Incorporating birthday calendars to your team is also a great way to boost team spirit and build relationships.

Although it may take some time to find the perfect combination of what works best for your team, having the most effective systems and protocols in place will ensure there is clear communication amongst your team.

[staciemjohnson]

Overcoming Challenges Faced by Leaders of Remote Teams

Some employees may be in the same location, while others may be remote. Without question, remote work has its pros and cons for many organizations.

The biggest challenges often come, when we assume the team will work together without any intervention from a leader.

Here are some of the common challenges faced by remote teams:

§  Lack of cohesiveness

§  Lack of trust

§  Lack of social interaction

§  Unequal work distribution

§  Poor time management

To overcome these challenges and build a successful remote team, communication and collaborative skills are crucial. As a remote team leader, you need to know how to bring out the absolute best in your team.

First things first, get organized and start with sharing your vision and business values with your team. When your team recognizes your values, they will have a better sense of how the team will run under your leadership.

In order to be an effective remote team leader, you must take time to learn and understand your team, your goals, and your purpose. When these three things come together, you will achieve more effective communication, productive collaborations, and team cohesiveness.

Take a moment to answer the following questions to get started bringing out the best in your remote team.

1.   Who are we as a team? What do we know about each other?

2.   What is our common purpose as a team?  

3.   What are our primary roles, goals, and tasks?

4.   What outcomes do we expect to achieve?

5.   What forms of communication and processes do we need to achieve our  outcomes?