project management

Nobody wants to be an asshole, right? That’s why in this article we’re digging into the principles of, wait for it, anti-asshole design (AAD). We also try to define “ethical design” and see how it can help teams and individuals get work done faster and smarter, with no fluff. 🤔 What Is Design Ethics & Ethical Design? “Design is in everything we make, but it’s also between those things. It’s…

“What is the best productivity system for my remote team?” Well, it depends on how much friction and how steep of a learning curve you can handle. If the answer is “as little as possible,” then Zen to Done (ZTD) is what you’re looking for. If you’ve ever tried David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD)—or any productivity framework for that matter—you know that implementing it takes time and dedication. That’s…

Virtual meetings are the perfect case study for Murphy’s law. Anything that can go wrong—hardware/software problems, poor participation, constant distractions—will go wrong. That is unless you have our virtual meeting checklist to save the day. In today’s article, we tackle some of the most common remote meeting problems. We also suggest a handful of solutions that’ll make your virtual meetings much more digestible. 💡Before you start… This guide is part…

Have you always dreamed of working from home but now feel exhausted, dissatisfied, and isolated? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. While the shift to remote work has panned out for many, some telecommuters are still suffering from remote work burnout.  The COVID-19 pandemic has proved that remote work is the future of work. But it also showed that we need to adopt it gradually and with due preparations.  Technical hiccups,…

The pandemic has not only changed the way we live and work. It’s also given new momentum to upskilling and workplace education in general. To properly address those changes, remote teams need to cultivate a culture of knowledge sharing. In today’s guide, we take a look at the benefits of knowledge sharing. We also break down several methods for implementing in a remote workplace. Here are a handful of questions…

Collaborative note-taking has a solid track record in the academic world. It helps students distribute workload, patch up revision materials, and mix in different points of view. Now, with a bit of tinkering, you can also turn it into a remote team superpower! In today’s article, we revisit Niklas Luhmann’s Zettelkasten and discuss three popular note-taking techniques. We’ll also show you how you can combine the two ingredients to create…

Checklists have saved lives, helped teams succeed, and… sent people into space (more on that in a bit). But did you know that they can also make your distributed team self-reliant and more productive? (checklist template inside!) A checklist—simple list of steps/tasks arranged in sequential order—is one of the most powerful organization tools in our personal and professional lives. In this article, we explore the origins of checklists and the…

The recipe for a productive video conference is simple. Take a clear agenda, add willing participants, and set it to a quick, vigorous boil. But there’s one secret ingredient all distributed teams need but few use—a crisp meeting notes template to put things down in writing. Writer and business management expert Patrick Lencioni says that “the majority of meetings should be discussions that lead to decisions.“ And we can’t but…

Navigating a 100% remote workplace can be tricky, especially when you’re not exactly the most confident person in the world. The good news is, we’ve put together five confidence-boosting tips that’ll help you tune in to virtual office vibes in a jiffy. 🤔 How Do You Define Confidence? 1. self-assurance: trust in one’s abilities, capacities, and judgment.2. a belief that one is capable of successfully meeting the demands of a…

Building a frictionless, perfectly-aligned distributed team is every leader’s dream. The good news is you can get pretty darn close to that goal by preaching—and practicing—a holistic approach to remote leadership. In this article, you’ll find answers to the following questions: 💡 Before you begin… This article is part of our series on remote leadership. Be sure to read our other stories for more practical tips: ✊ When Your Remote…