Why do I need to attend all these boring meetings? Can I skip this meeting today? These are typical questions that I hear all the time. “Death by meeting” is a common complaint which sooner or later leads to lowered motivation and job satisfaction. I already raised this issue 2 years ago in another post, …
Deep work: how to learn one of the most valuable skills in the market
What is deep work? The concept of deep work was introduced in one of the blog posts by Cal Newport, an author and computer science professor at Georgetown University, and later on described in his 2016 bestseller entitled “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” [1]. By Newport’s definition, deep work refers …
Typical dysfunctions of remote teams: how to deal with them
Succumbing to distraction One of the biggest problems of working from home is being exposed to a lot of distractions. Pets, crying children, TV, fridge and all the other things are just waiting to steal your attention. Distractions didn’t just appear when we started working from home. They were already there before, in our offices. …
Zoom fatigue: why do video calls drain your energy?
For decades, people have predicted that video conference technology will disrupt the practice of commuting daily to and from work, and will change the way people socialize. And here it is – 2020 forced us to use video conferencing tools at an ever-before unprecedented scale. In the past, it was mainly used for just a …
Remote Scrum Master: how to make it work?
If you’re a Scrum Master trying to follow the best Agile practices, I bet you are a bit confused about your role nowadays. During every course and workshop Agile trainers emphasize how important collocated teams and face-to-face interactions are. Since 2001 the official Agile Manifesto position has been that: “The most efficient and effective method …
How to keep Millennials motivated in the workplace: What do Millennials want?
Each generation is a bit different. They have distinct expectations, priorities, cultural norms, levels of education, family status, and these issues, among others, affect the employment trends. It’s because shared generational memories of key events and experiences contribute to shaping attitudes and values. That’s why if you describe the differences between these groups, you can …
5 communication mistakes that cost you your good reputation at work
Here’s an example of a paradox. There are many skills every professional develops, but there is a single skill we all practice since the day we are born. It’s communication. But even though we practice it each and every day, we frequently miscommunicate. We fail to see the point, avoid difficult discussions and assume that …
Remote work: does it improve productivity?
Remote work is getting more popular each year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2005 and 2015 the number of U.S. employees who telecommuted increased by 115%. That’s a lot! There are many concerns about allowing employees to work from home. That’s why, in this article I’d like to demonstrate how working …
Leading the team of junior software engineers
There is a moment in each leader’s career when they need to take care of a team consisting of inexperienced people. It can be an overwhelming task in the beginning, and not every leader will be able to cope with it. Many leaders, especially those who have only been working with experienced staff before, might …
Coping with complainers at work
We all know at least one chronic complainer. These are the people who truly believe that the whole world out to get them and they have to speak about that loud and clear all the time. They love to complain about everything. You can notice them quite easily, because they tend to use strict qualifiers, …