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Faith, trust and teamwork

Wayne Turmel | 28 August 2019

Having faith is a wonderful thing. But today's project and functional teams need to run on trust. Why? Because unlike faith, trust is evidence-based, built on measurable results and can be restored through hard work.

Vital lessons from an eight year old

Wayne Turmel | 30 July 2019

The most important business lesson I ever learned, I learned at eight years old. And it’s something that is as relevant to all of us today as it was to me as a kid back then.

Code is easier than people

Wayne Turmel | 11 July 2019

Going from being a ‘doer’ to being a manager isn’t easy, because managing others demands interpersonal and communication skills that need to be worked on.

The 'golden suggestion' for managers

Wayne Turmel | 17 June 2019

The old saying “do unto others as you’d like them to do unto you” Is fine advice. But when it comes to management, it's not so simple. Let me explain why it doesn’t stack up.

The two big communication questions

Wayne Turmel | 27 May 2019

Communication increasingly seems to be a question of technology. But it isn’t. It's a complicated process with lots of moving parts. And it starts with two very important questions

Great advice from a sketchy source

Wayne Turmel | 23 April 2019

Ian Fleming’s James Bond books don’t normally spring to mind as sources of useful management advice. But there’s a line in ‘Goldfinger’ that is actually quite brilliant if you run a remote team.

Are your teammates competent?

Wayne Turmel | 08 April 2019

One of the biggest factors in building trust is believing in the competence of the people you work with. If you work in the same place, that isn’t so hard to do. But if you work remotely, gathering evidence of competence takes more effort.

The cost of bad meetings

Wayne Turmel | 26 March 2019

Bad meetings cost companies billions of dollars every year. But this waste is easily avoidable if only we'd all ask ourselves a couple of basic questions and think a little more about how and why we have meetings.

Are you hiding behind technology?

Wayne Turmel | 06 August 2018

We all get tired, rushed and overworked. And when we do, it's tempting to use technology as an excuse to take the easy way out by avoiding confrontation or uncomfortable conversations.

Earning attention on webinars

Wayne Turmel | 12 July 2018

I’m always being asked how to get people to pay attention during webinars. My answer is to ask a simple question: what are you doing to earn their attention?

Ask your team a 3,000 year-old question

Wayne Turmel | 22 June 2018

If you're mindful as to your meeting's purpose and desired outcome, you will accomplish far more than if you approach it as an empty ritual.

Your team members aren’t pawns in a chess game

Wayne Turmel | 22 November 2017

Project management and team leadership are often viewed as chess games. But there’s one important difference. Those pieces on the chess board aren’t human. Your team members are - and they need to be treated accordingly.

Confessions of an ENFP lion-otter hybrid

Wayne Turmel | 01 September 2017

I have officially taken every personality profile known to man. Other than telling me that I'm an ENFP, Independent-Working Blue-Green Lion-Otter hybrid, the one thing they have in common is unanimous agreement that I DO have a personality.

Five simple, curmudgeonly email rules

Wayne Turmel | 01 September 2017

Many things in life are necessary but annoying - especially email. So here are five simple things everyone can do with their emails that will help make everyone less generally cranky:

It's the little things, stupid

Wayne Turmel | 26 July 2017

For most of us, the big things - like the global economy - are out of our control. So let's turn off the news for a while and focus on the little things that happen at work that make so many managers lives far more complicated than they need to be.

Are remote workers less loyal?

Wayne Turmel | 07 December 2016

Remote and virtual workers leave their jobs at a slightly higher rate than those who work in a fixed location. Are they simply ungrateful weasels, or can something else explain this increase in turnover?

North America's accent problem

Wayne Turmel | 04 October 2016

As a Canadian who spends a lot of time on international conference calls and webinars, it's impossible not to notice that almost everyone can deal with foreign accents except (North) Americans.

The hidden history of remote working

Wayne Turmel | 20 September 2016

Forget Gartner studies and erudite articles in HBR, the way we work remotely today has come about through guesswork and trial-and-error. It was never planned - which is why organizations have a hard time dealing with it.

What to say when your kid becomes a manager

Wayne Turmel | 13 September 2016

I had one of those moments of intense pride followed by a blinding flash of panic this week. My kid has gotten her first real big-girl management job. There are a few things I’d like to tell her - but she won’t listen, of course.

Five ways to present like an Olympian

Wayne Turmel | 23 August 2016

Being right is no guarantee of success when trying to sway others. When putting information across to others, you need to be clear, organized, appealing, in control and deliver in ways that boost your credibility.

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