A Blog For Virtual Teams - The Couch Manager

Start with a 7-Word Life Motto

A few years ago, I attended a leadership program. Most of those programs are filled with clichéd and forgettable activities. But one of the exercises stood out. We had to summarize our entire life motto in only seven words. We couldn’t use six. We couldn’t use eight. It had to be exactly seven. This was a challenge because picking one sentence that summarized everything you stood for felt daunting. However, after a couple of days of hard thinking, I came up with mine: “Family ... Read More

Focus on Remote-First with Hybrid Teams (Podcast Episode with Dave Stachowiak)

I was recently featured on Coaching for Leaders to talk about effective hybrid team management, and why you should focus on remote-first with your hybrid model. Click here to check out the episode about effective hybrid team management. If you're not familiar with it, Coaching for Leaders is a top-ranked management podcast downloaded over 20 million times, and Dave Stachowiak is a phenomenal podcast host (I highly recommend you subscribe to his podcast to learn how to become a more ... Read More

“Mental Models for Effective Managers” Book is Out!

I'm excited to share that my latest book "Mental Models for Effective Managers" is now published. It'll help you learn how to make better decisions and lead with confidence. This short book includes 13 stories that show you how to think better through powerful management anecdotes. You'll learn: How to delegate tasks the right wayWhy you should start with the big pictureHow to classify problemsHow to avoid common biasesWhy you should give clear directionsHow to think like Jeff Bezos ... Read More

How to Implement a Hybrid Team Evaluation Strategy (3 Simple Tips)

After you implement and manage your hybrid work model, your next step is to determine what’s working and what’s not by running a hybrid team evaluation. Before you start, here are a few things you should know about implementing a hybrid team evaluation strategy. First, measuring and evaluating the performance of a hybrid team is complex. In fact, measuring regular performance in any organization is not a straightforward exercise, and hybrid team evaluations make it a bit more ... Read More

How to Run Hybrid Meetings Effectively

As a hybrid leader, one of the main activities you’ll spend a lot of time on is hybrid meetings. Here are a few tips that will help you run a hybrid work model effectively using meetings. Tip #1: Conduct all Hybrid Meetings Online When it comes to hosting meetings in a hybrid environment, a good idea is to conduct all your meetings online, regardless of where the employees are located. In other words, host meetings as if everyone is remote, including your on-site employees. This is in ... Read More

How to Avoid a Two-Tier System in Your Hybrid Work Model

The top priority of a hybrid leader is to avoid a two-tier system and make sure all employees are treated fairly in their hybrid work model. Hybrid work models could create a two-tier system of first-class and second-class employees. In other words, companies might create two different employee experiences, where those who spend more time in the office would be treated as first-class, and those who spend more time remotely would be treated as second-class (and might feel left out). This ... Read More

Implementing a Hybrid Work Management Model (March 3, 2022 Talk at IIL’s Leadership & Innovation Conference)

I will be speaking at IIL's Leadership and Innovation 2022 conference on March 3rd, 2022 where I will share tips on implementing a hybrid work management model within your company. The video above gives a quick overview of what I'll be talking about. If you'd like to join, you can register by clicking here Use coupon code OSMAN at checkout to get $10 off Time-sensitive: The conference organizers gave me 5 free codes to give out to some of my followers who are interested in ... Read More

The Art of Delegation: Ideas That Help Leaders

I was recently quoted in an article about the Art of Delegation by the Animation Guild's Keyframe Magazine, and I wanted to expand on a couple of ideas I was quoted on. If you would like to read the full article, you can check it out by clicking here (page 39). It's well-written, and even though the audience is primarily leaders and managers in the animation industry, the concepts are field-agnostic. Here are a few takeaways. 1. The Art of Delegation is About Empathy ... Read More

How to present while reading notes (without appearing like you’re reading and by looking straight at the camera)

In the video above, I share how I use a teleprompter to read notes off my screen while looking straight at the camera and without appearing like I'm reading them. This helps when I need to present to a live audience or when I need to record a course Products I use in the video Teleprompter: Little Prompter Teleprompter App (iPhone and Android): PromptSmart Pro USB Camera: Logitech c920 Ring Light: Eicaus Ring Light with Stand Backdrop: Cowboystudio 10x12 ft Muslin ... Read More

Three Hybrid Planning Best Practices for Leaders

As you are working through your hybrid work arrangement plan, think through a few hybrid planning best practices for your team. Here are three that you can implement. 1. Make Special Arrangements for COVID As companies navigate the return to the office post-COVID, there are a couple of special considerations you should think about as you plan your hybrid work arrangement. First, be considerate of different employee needs and health situations. Some employees might have special ... Read More