Podcast Archives | FreeAssociates

Managing remote teams effectively

Remote working is pretty clearly the way forward for many of us. Even once we’re fully re-opened — and as we record this, many countries are still struggling — people and companies have discovered the benefits of working from home. It’s not right for everyone, obviously. But it’s right for a lot of us. And managing remote teams effectively will be a critical skill for leaders everywhere.

Lukasz Szyrmer is the author of Align Remotely: How to Achieve Together, When Everyone is Working From Home. He’s also host of the podcast Managing Remote Teams. In addition to his own years of experience managing remote work, he’s interviewed experts from across the globe. Luke’s goal is to help teams thrive and achieve more together when working remotely. Let’s find out how he does that, and how we can all be better leaders of our far-flung crews.

We talk about:

Giving people autonomy rather than worrying about the hours they work
Helping your team work smarter by judiciously using rest
Creating an “operational heartbeat”
Setting teams up for alignment and keeping them on track
Holding better meetings for Zoom-fatigued remote workers.
The new LeanPub publishing model to engage readers with the process, not just the end result.

Show notes

Luke’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

- IdeaBoardz whiteboarding
- Miro whiteboarding
- Mural whiteboarding
- David Mastronardi, CEO of Gamestorming Group
- Jonathan Raymond, founder of Refound
- The Pomodoro Technique time management method
- LeanPub

You can subscribe on your favorite podcatcher app — Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn and PocketCast — or wherever you normally listen.

And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review. It’ll help other people find us. Thanks!

Music: Happy Theme by maxmakessounds and Atrium Loop by dpren used under standard Creative Commons attribution license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Careers: Good Girls & Second Acts

Even after this pandemic is over and things return to “normal” — whatever that ends up looking like — many, many of us will still be working from home. And managers will have to figure out how to build strong, connected teams of folks who are located… well…everywhere and anywhere.

Meanwhile, high-achieving women everywhere are wondering, “Where do I go from here? How do I deal with kids, a spouse, a complex life — and still be the person I want to be?”

Kate Gigax is a certified Executive Coach, facilitator, and the founder of Development Corps, a group that helps its clients learn to live what they call “bigger versions” of their lives, whether that means getting unstuck at work — or becoming a stronger leader.

We cover:

managing your remote team well
figuring out the Second Act of your career
facing fear and self-doubt
learning how you can thrive while being both vulnerable and valuable
and lots of other career-oriented topics

Welcome to WorkLife@Home!

Episode Notes

Kate’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

Brene Brown’s TED Talk on vulnerability
Seth Godin’s Akimbo podcast where he discusses “dancing with the fear” (it’s in the Q&A segment starting at 21:28)

You can subscribe on your favorite podcatcher app — Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn and PocketCast — or wherever you normally listen.

And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review. It’ll help other people find us. Thanks!

Music: Happy Theme by maxmakessounds and Atrium Loop by dpren used under standard Creative Commons attribution license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Hype Handbook

If you’re trying to make a difference in the world and nobody’s noticing, maybe what you need are the skills of a Hype Artist. The hustlers, the cult leaders, the promoters all have something to teach us about human psychology and how to connect with people emotionally.

Whether you’re starting a band or a company, whether you want to advance your ideas or your career, understanding hype can be helpful. Even essential. That’s the premise of Michael F. Schein’s “The Hype Handbook”, just published by McGraw Hill.

We talk about the Grateful Dead, the Grand Guignol, hip hop and rebellious project management. We touch on Jim Jones and Andrew Loog Oldham. Join us to find out how you can have more impact on the world, even when you’re working from home.

Episode Notes

Mike’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

You can subscribe on your favorite podcatcher app — Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn and PocketCast — or wherever you normally listen.

And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review. It’ll help other people find us. Thanks!

Music: Happy Theme by maxmakessounds and Atrium Loop by dpren used under standard Creative Commons attribution license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

David Hockney at Home: A Narrative

This isn’t my standard interview-style podcast. Instead, it’s an affectionate account of the 83-year-old David Hockney, whom writer Barbara Isenberg interviewed in late 2020. Barbara graciously gave me permission to share the story with you.

Neither age nor the pandemic have slowed Hockney down. The master uses current technology alongside more traditional materials to remain productive and enthusiastic about his work, under lockdown at home.

Just as I hope you can be.

Thanks so much for listening. And please email me at josh@worklifeathome.com if you enjoy this and would like to hear more of these short narrative pieces.

Music for the episode includes two little piano variations by DJ Griffin.

Episode Note

Barbara Isenberg’s website

You can subscribe on your favorite podcatcher app — Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn and PocketCast — or wherever you normally listen.

And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review. It’ll help other people find us. Thanks!

Music: Happy Theme by maxmakessounds and Atrium Loop by dpren used under standard Creative Commons attribution license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Get control of your time

When you work from home (or anywhere else) your time is your most valuable resource. Using it badly can lead to frustration and even depression. And using it well can change your life. Figuring out how to use your time is an art form that most of us don’t entirely master. But the tool that can help most is your calendar.

My guest this episode is John Sindelar, CEO of Seedcode, the leading developer of Filemaker Pro extensions — and the creator of DayBack, a system for managing your calendar and reclaiming your day. DayBack is designed to help you balance your time and use it for the things in your life that are really important to you. It integrates seamlessly with Google Calendar, Office 365, Basecamp. Filemaker and Salesforce. Not mention Slack, Harvest and Zoom.

John talks with us about where this idea came from, how it’s being used, and how it can help us all be more effective and do more of what we love. We talk about time in general — how it evaporates and how you and your team can get it back. And we talk about how he uses it himself to… you guessed it… work from home.

This episode will give you tools and insight into managing your time more effectively. And you’ll also find out about custom camper vans, artists and…surfing!

Episode Notes

John’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

You can subscribe on your favorite podcatcher app — Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn and PocketCast — or wherever you normally listen.

And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review. It’ll help other people find us. Thanks!

Music: Happy Theme by maxmakessounds and Atrium Loop by dpren used under standard Creative Commons attribution license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Taste our podcast on Pod Buffet

We’re thrilled that WorkLife@Home was featured on Pod Buffet!

Host Steve Heatherington gives listeners 5-minute tastes of an eclectic mix of new podcasts from around the world. It’s a cool idea that exposes podcasts to new audiences, and audiences to new podcasts.

Steve is one of the coaches at Akimbo Workshop’s Podcasting Fellowship. He’s also host of his own show Alpaca Tribe, which just goes to prove that there is a podcast out there for every interest. (And if there isn’t, you should make one because there are people like you out there!)

Have a listen!

Photo by Vladimir Proskurovskiy on Unsplash

“Inventing” Work from Home at Chiat/Day

Way back before the pandemic, before Zoom, before LinkedIn, the ad agency Chiat/Day (creators of the infamous “1984” spot that introduced the Apple Macintosh) figured working virtually was a viable way to run a company.

Zach Rosenberg was on the task force that declared working from home — or from anywhere for that matter — was the future of advertising, and figured out to how to make it work. In 1993!

Since then, Zach has run entire agencies, and is now a consultant. Find out how Chiat/Day “invented” WFH, and how Zach recommends that you promote your own business despite a pandemic.

In addition, you’ll hear about exploding glass, how networking really works, helping to build a company from millions to billions, and marketing brands in outer space. Yep, for real.

All this and more in Episode 15, plus a little Easter egg for patient listeners!

Episode Notes

Zach’s links:

zachrosenbergconsulting.com
On LinkedIn
On Twitter: @ZachRosenberg
zach@zachrosenbergconsulting.com
Articles by Zach, including…
“Has The Virtual Office Finally Come of Age?”
Metatron Media Partners

Stuff we talk about:

You can subscribe on your favorite podcatcher app — Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn and PocketCast — or wherever you normally listen.

And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review. It’ll help other people find us. Thanks!

Music: Happy Theme by maxmakessounds and Atrium Loop by dpren used under standard Creative Commons attribution license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Homeschool and leading teams

Patrick Fredrickson talks with us about managing a creative team — while managing to home-school his 9-year old son. We discuss the post-virus future, maintaining professionalism, and the value of boredom.

Episode Notes

Patrick’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

You can subscribe on your favorite podcatcher app — Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn and PocketCast — or wherever you normally listen.

And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review. It’ll help other people find us. Thanks!

Music: Happy Theme by maxmakessounds and Atrium Loop by dpren used under standard Creative Commons attribution license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Corporate exec to entrepeneur

Patrice Varni shares her workout obsession, her working setup, her love of teams and the enviable setting of her quarantine by the lake. All in service of her transition from corporate exec to home-based entrepreneur.

Episode Notes

Patrice’s site:

Patrice Varni on LinkedIn

Stuff we talk about:

You can subscribe on your favorite podcatcher app — Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn and PocketCast — or wherever you normally listen.

And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review. It’ll help other people find us. Thanks!

Music: Happy Theme by maxmakessounds and Atrium Loop by dpren used under standard Creative Commons attribution license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Stay visible and valued while working remotely

When you work remotely, it’s easy to become invisible. In a world of Zoom calls and emails, it’s harder to have an impact on your organization. It’s harder to bond with your boss and your co-workers. It’s harder to get noticed and valued. But not impossible.

Leah Ryder writes extensively about working remotely. As the Brand & Content Marketing Lead at Trello, her distributed team manages five blogs, all their social media, quarterly cross-team campaigns, community engagement and copywriting for this project management service that has 35 million registered users.

Join us as we discuss how to stay visible and valued when working from home, and how to manage your team so that everyone gets a shot, gets credit, and stays fully engaged.

Episode Notes

Leah’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

You can subscribe on your favorite podcatcher app — Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn and PocketCast — or wherever you normally listen.

And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review. It’ll help other people find us. Thanks!

Music: Happy Theme by maxmakessounds and Atrium Loop by dpren used under standard Creative Commons attribution license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

12 3

Managing remote teams effectively

Show notes

Luke’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

Careers: Good Girls & Second Acts

Episode Notes

The Hype Handbook

Episode Notes

Mike’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

David Hockney at Home: A Narrative

Episode Note

Get control of your time

Episode Notes

John’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

Taste our podcast on Pod Buffet

“Inventing” Work from Home at Chiat/Day

Episode Notes

Zach’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

Homeschool and leading teams

Episode Notes

Patrick’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

Corporate exec to entrepeneur

Episode Notes

Patrice’s site:

Stuff we talk about:

Stay visible and valued while working remotely

Episode Notes

Leah’s links:

Stuff we talk about:

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