DistantJob Podcast

Today we present the very real story of someone who tapped into remote work to build scalability into a business in the healthcare industry - one that’s not usually associated with remote. There are many challenges inherent to managing an hybrid remote team - one where part of the company operates from an office, and part from their homes or co-working spaces - and with a near 50/50 split, MeCasa sets a sterling example of how to do it. 

Welcome to the DistantJob Podcast, a show where we interview the most successful remote leaders, picking their brains on how to build and lead remote teams who win.

After devoting a significant portion of his life understanding the financial industry Oliver Weiss pivoted his career into healthcare, which he found to be his calling, by becoming the founder and CEO of MeCasa. MeCasa (https://www.mecasa.de - English version coming soon) aims to provide excellent home care by connecting the best professional caregivers with the people who need them the most, and their families.

In this episode, we talk about how Oliver takes an active role in conceiving and creating a healthy company culture. A lot of people mention the importance of culture, but few get into the practical specifics and examples like Oliver does! We talk about communication ( Why complicate? Telegram is enough!), we talk about how remote work provides the opportunity for scaling, we talk about planning and leading bookclub-like workshops with the team. 

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Want to continue the conversation with Oliver? Find him on  LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-weiss-59a61b56/

Recommended Books:

Fooled by Randomness (https://amzn.to/2PIoVYp)

Delivering Happiness (https://amzn.to/2PMCNky)

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As always, if you enjoy the podcast, we humbly ask that you leave a review on iTunes or your podcast syndication service of choice – and if you could share it, that would be even better!

Need that one incredible employee to bolster your team?  Get in touch at https://distantjob.com/contact/  and we’ll find you who you need.

If you’re working hard to create a no-distraction, high focus and productivity environment for your remote employees, what does that mean for the need to socialize, to turn your team into a real family? DistantJob founder Sharon Koifman and podcast host Luis discuss their management journey in this special episode. 

Welcome to the DistantJob Podcast, a show where we interview the most successful remote leaders, picking their brains on how to build and lead remote teams who win.

Sharon Koifman believes every company, from the biggest enterprise to the newly-launched garage startup, should have access to world’s top talent. That’s why he used over 10 years of experience in tech industry recruitment & HR to create DistantJob. 

This episode is a free-flowing conversation where Luis and Sharon explore their growth as managers over the past few years, as they expanded DistantJob into a much bigger operation and tried to apply the big lessons they learned from the best leaders in the remote work space - many of whom have been interviewed in this very podcast!

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Want to continue the conversation with Sharon? Poke him on Twitter through our official account: 

https://twitter.com/distantjob

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As always, if you enjoy the podcast, we humbly ask that you leave a review on iTunes or your podcast syndication service of choice – and if you could share it, that would be even better!

Need that one incredible employee to bolster your team?  Get in touch at https://distantjob.com/contact/  and we’ll find you who you need.

And if you would like to receive the transcript of this episode and previous episodes to read, annotate and love forever and ever (creepy!), subscribe below.

How can remote teams be Agile? Are there any tips, tools, strategies that can help communicate the Agile principles and implement them in distributed teams? There are. Many. And that’s a good thing, because no single one applies to all teams. Authors Mark Kilby and Johanna Rothman explain how their latest book is meant to pave the way for a new age of distributed work. 

Welcome to the DistantJob Podcast, a show where we interview the most successful remote leaders, picking their brains on how to build and lead remote teams who win.

Mark Kilby is a seasoned agile coach, and co-founder of several North-American Agile communities. Johanna Rothman is a prolific author, management expert, and teacher of best management practices. Both are experienced software engineers, and by their powers combined, they are the co-authors of the newest book about remote agile: “From Chaos to Successful Distributed Agile Teams.”

In this episode, we go through their experience with writing the book, and take a long, hard look at the common pitfalls that remote teams face - and where adopting Agile principles might help. We discuss how to promote cross-functionality; how to “sell” management and employees on Agile practices; how to preserve the health and sanity of remote managers; the importance of timezone overlap; and much, much more!

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Want to continue the conversation with Mark and Johanna? 

Find them on Twitter and LinkedIn: 

Mark Kilby (@mkilby) on Twitter (https://twitter.com/mkilby)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkilby/

Johanna Rothman (@johannarothman) on Twitter (https://twitter.com/johannarothman)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannarothman/

Johanna’s Books, Blogs, Newsletter and services:

https://www.jrothman.com

Everything Mark Kilby (Blogs, Talks, Podcasts):

https://www.markkilby.com

Recommended Books:

From Chaos to Successful Distributed Agile Teams: Collaborate to Deliver (https://amzn.to/2GpLMDE)

This is Lean: Resolving the Efficiency Paradox (https://amzn.to/2GzfYg3)

Project Retrospectives: A Handbook for Team Reviews (https://amzn.to/2GldfXp)

Recommended Tools:

A Good Webcam (https://amzn.to/2Gsi41c)

Jabra Speak 510 (http://bit.ly/2UKZATe)

DIODER LED 4-piece light strip set (http://bit.ly/2Gqxt1V)

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As always, if you enjoy the podcast, we humbly ask that you leave a review on iTunes or your podcast syndication service of choice – and if you could share it, that would be even better!

Need that one incredible employee to bolster your team?  Get in touch at https://distantjob.com/contact/  and we’ll find you who you need.

As the real and the virtual world start blending more than ever, we brush more and more with a kind of “uncanny valley” effect in communications. We have high fidelity video, but it feels odd not being able to move around in a room, not being able to have individual conversations in a call. Peter Lee is the man trying to solve that problem, and he’s taping into many insights from his career as a facilitation coach in order to do so. 

Welcome to the DistantJob Podcast, a show where we interview the most successful remote leaders, picking their brains on how to build and lead remote teams who win.

Peter Lee is an Agile Coach based in Sydney. He is a prolific writer, sharing his Agile strategies and facilitation philosophy, and is currently hard at work building Video Facilitator, the next generation of video software to use in distributed teams.

In this episode, we talk about why he feels that something is missing to allow for true online collaboration, and how Peter believes that Video Facilitator is the missing link that will let us have really effective online meetings. That’s just the beginning though - we then go on to discuss the dangers of siloing and creating filter bubbles in a team, how to build real empathy among distributed employees, and how developing a culture code is the key to reframing and acting upon your company’s values.

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Want to continue the conversation with Peter? 

Find him on Twitter and LinkedIn: 

@innovativepete - https://twitter.com/innovativepete

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-lee-90a88634/

Peter’s Work:

Medium Blog: https://medium.com/@innovativepete

Video Facilitator - https://www.videofacilitator.com

Recommended Book:

The Art of Action: https://amzn.to/2G8qFWs

Recommended Tool:

Collaboration Supercards: https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com/supercards/

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As always, if you enjoy the podcast, we humbly ask that you leave a review on iTunes or your podcast syndication service of choice – and if you could share it, that would be even better!

Need that one incredible employee to bolster your team?  Get in touch at https://distantjob.com/contact/  and we’ll find you who you need.

Is it possible to have your team members work visibly and still respect their own individual processes? Pilar Orti says “yes” - but only if you are willing to have some hard conversations - and ask the right questions! Join us for a diverse conversation with the co-author of Thinking Remote, the latest book that should be part of every remote leader’s library. 

Welcome to the DistantJob Podcast, a show where we interview the most successful remote leaders, picking their brains on how to build and lead remote teams who win.

Pilar Orti is a voice actress, a coach, a writer, and a speaker, as well as the host of the 21st Century Work-Life podcast. She is one of the most prolific producers of content covering both remote working and managing remote teams, and her new book, Thinking Remote, was released just last month.

In this episode, we discuss topics such as how the concept of “Visible Teamwork” beats “Working Out Loud,” how to coach incredible employees that are having trouble adapting to the remote work-style, and the value of understanding that no tool was made specifically for you, so you shouldn’t be committed to letting them dictate your processes. And we also ask the taboo question: how can remote work go terribly wrong?

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Want to continue the conversation with Pilar? 

Find her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PilarOrti

Pilar’s Work:

Training, Coaching, Podcast & Blog: www.virtualnotdistant.com

Book - Thinking Remote - https://amzn.to/2FR2j3w

Recommended Books:

Team of Teams: https://amzn.to/2FWQ2dR

Under New Management: https://amzn.to/2FVF34c

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As always, if you enjoy the podcast, we humbly ask that you leave a review on iTunes or your podcast syndication service of choice – and if you could share it, that would be even better!

Need that one incredible employee to bolster your team?  Get in touch at https://distantjob.com/contact/  and we’ll find you who you need.

What if you could upgrade your speaking and writing in the same way as you upgrade your favorite apps and hardware? What if you had a set of language tools - frameworks and questions - that you could wield as productively as your coding, marketing or management suites? Judy Rees gives us this, in the form of Clean Language. 

Welcome to the DistantJob Podcast, a show where we interview the most successful remote leaders, picking their brains on how to build and lead remote teams who win.

Judy Rees, our guest today, has helped dozens of trainers, coaches, and facilitators through live online training. As a news editor and a media executive, she has extensive experience managing large remote teams. She is the co-author of Clean Language: Revealing Metaphors And Opening Minds, and a regular keynote speaker at Agile and other events around the world.

In this episode, we talk about the power of clean language and how it can provide us with the tools and frameworks to develop a deeper relationship with (and better understanding of) our teams. Judy provides the listeners with specific techniques for giving and receiving feedback (actual useful, step-by-step ones, not your usual management blog post snake-oil) and engaging in deep communication with the people working with you.

We also discuss topics such as the challenges of video communication, cultural norms, and degrees of separation, as well as some strategies on how to build psychological safety in the team.

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Want to continue the conversation with Judy? 

Books:

From Contempt To Curiosity by Caitlin Walker (https://amzn.to/2U83OEf)

Clean Language by Wendy Sullivan and Judy Rees (https://amzn.to/2FvweOg)

Your Clean Language Questions Answered by Judy Rees (https://amzn.to/2FARsul)

Recommended Websites & Software:

 https://liberatingstructures.com 

 https://qiqochat.com 

 https://videofacilitator.com 

 https://personifyinc.com/products/presenter 

Judy’s Businesses & Courses:

 https://judyrees.co.uk 

 https://reesmccann.com 

 https://school.lucidmeetings.com/p/engaging-distant-participants 

 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/remote-meetings-masterclass-how-to-rock-your-online-and-hybrid-meetings-tickets-58635770167 

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As always, if you enjoy the podcast, we humbly ask that you leave a review on iTunes or your podcast syndication service of choice – and if you could share it, that would be even better!

Need that one incredible employee to bolster your team?  Get in touch at https://distantjob.com/contact/  and we’ll find you who you need.

How can you follow Agile principles with a distributed / remote team? Several high-profile coaches and speakers in the Agile world say it isn’t possible. But in this episode, Molood Noori points out that the whole ethos of Agile is about embracing change, and being unwilling to adapt to the future of work is, in that sense, the least Agile thing you can do. 

Welcome to the DistantJob Podcast, a show where we interview the most successful remote leaders, picking their brains on how to build and lead remote teams who win.

Molood Noori is the founder and owner of Remote Forever (https://remoteforever.com), and is behind the organisation of the worlds first fully web-based Agile Remote summit, the Remote Forever Summit (https://remoteforeversummit.com). She’s also a certified scrum master and has worked as an agile coach with clients all over the world.

In this episode, we dive deep into a conversation about why Agile practitioners have been historically reluctant to embrace remote work; what are the problems of trying to replicate the real world office and its way of working in the digital real; and in what way scrum can be like an old Ericsson phone if you’re not mindful of the real purpose of using frameworks. There’s something here for anyone wanting to embrace the ethos of adapting to change by thinking differently.

Want to continue the conversation with Molood? 

Remote Forever - https://remoteforever.com 

Molood’s twitter - https://twitter.com/moloodnoori

Her most gifted book: “The Icarus Deception” by Seth Godin - https://amzn.to/2Ombzk3

As always, if you enjoy the podcast, we humbly ask that you leave a review on iTunes or your podcast syndication service of choice – and if you could share it, that would be even better!

Need that one incredible employee to bolster your team?  Get in touch at https://distantjob.com/contact/  and we’ll find you who you need.

And if you would like to receive the transcript of this episode and previous episodes to read, annotate and love forever and ever (creepy!), subscribe below.

While a lot of the problems with not having an office are a myth, there are some challenges. How do you prevent your employees from becoming isolated? And can they really feel secure in their jobs when working from home? We talk to Rose Barrett from Grow Remote about this, and much more. 

Welcome to the DistantJob Podcast, a show where we interview the top remote leaders, picking their brains on how to build and lead remote teams who win.

Rose Barrett is the owner of Folio Digital (https://foliodigital.eu) and a co-founder of Grow Remote (https://growremote.ie) - the people behind Ireland’s first remote work conference, and devoted to helping remote workers from all the world connect and grow together.

In this episode, we talk about what businesses can do to make remote employees feel secure in their jobs; the benefits of building a remote peer group and why bosses should incentivize their employees to be part of one; how the key to building value is to focus on helping others develop, and much more.

Want to continue the conversation with Rose? 

https://growremote.ie is your first stop to get involved!

As always, if you enjoy the podcast, we humbly ask that you leave a review on iTunes or your podcast syndication service of choice – and if you could share it, that would be even better!

Need that one incredible employee to bolster your team?  Get in touch at https://distantjob.com/contact/  and we’ll find you who you need.

In today’s ever-changing business world, only those who learn can thrive. Doubly so when it comes to building and leading remote teams - everyone is still figuring out how to do it! Enter Tammy Bjelland, serial founder of remote companies and expert in the art of learning.

Welcome to the DistantJob Podcast, a show where we interview the top remote leaders, picking their brains on how to build and lead remote teams who win.

Today’s guest is Tammy Bjelland, the founder, and president of Learning in Bloom, a learning solutions company that specializes in instructional design and a task-based approach to talent and expertise development. She is also the founder of  workplaceless , where she provides resources to individuals who want to advance their careers while working remotely, and to organizations that want to build and grow productive, engaged distributed workforces.

This episode sees us talk with Tammy about what it means to decide on working remotely as a career choice, not a lifestyle choice; what are some practical ways to act as a transparent leader while getting the pulse of your distributed organisation; and what the leaders of today need to know in order to be always making the best use of the learning material out there.

Want to continue the conversation with Tammy?
Find her on LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/tbjelland/

Tools Tammy Recommends:
Mural (for team collaboration):
https://mural.co/
reMarkable (for learning & note-taking):
remarkable.com

As always, if you enjoy the podcast, we humbly ask that you leave a review on iTunes or your podcast syndication service of choice – and if you could share it, that would be even better!

Need that one incredible employee to bolster your team?  Get in touch at https://distantjob.com/contact/  and we’ll find you who you need.

How can you figure out the best way to be metrics-driven when performance happens over several different disciplines? How to develop disciplined focus without stifling creativity? And what are the best ways for a remote leader to build a peer group online?   TimeDoctor’s co-founder Liam Martin tells us all about his strategy. 

Welcome to the DistantJob Podcast, a show where we interview the top remote leaders, picking their brains on how to build and lead remote teams who win.

Today’s guest is Liam Martin, the co-founder and CMO of TimeDoctor.com, Staff.com and co-organizer of RunningRemote.com - the largest conference on building remote teams. After working with remote employees for over 10 years, Liam regularly speaks about how to build and manage top-performing, metric-driven remote teams.

In this episode, we talk with Liam about a broad variety of topics. He lays out how focusing on metrics is a boon for productivity, and shares his thoughts on how to measure creativity and stay disciplined as an idea person. But for the aspiring leaders out there, it will also be of great interest to learn how he goes about building peer groups online, and why it’s a bad idea to pay for masterminds - at least initially.

Want to continue the conversation with Liam? 

Find Him on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2NJribR

Books Liam Recommends:

The Lean Startup — https://amzn.to/2XyQ3gb

Zero to One — https://amzn.to/2C2iHNn

Radical Candor — https://amzn.to/2UcRlv6

Remote — https://amzn.to/2NCjj0C

As always, if you enjoy the podcast, we humbly ask that you leave a review on iTunes or your podcast syndication service of choice – and if you could share it, that would be even better!

Need that one incredible employee to bolster your team?  Get in touch at https://distantjob.com/contact/  and we’ll find you who you need.