My family learned that Omicron changed the rules. Three tips for businesses.

Over the holidays, I experienced how Omicron has significantly changed the rules for Covid-19 for my family and businesses. Two members of my family -- both fully vaccinated, and one even boosted -- caught Omicron. The former had four days…

Work from home has become the new normal. Boldly adapt now!

Eighty-one percent of US office workers have been working at home four or five days a week since COVID-19, and 71 percent would like to continue working from home. Further, some 70 percent of managers report that their workers’ performance…

Coronavirus: Advice for your remote work plan

The Coronavirus is now growing faster outside of China than in China  — including in the US. More than 90 Americans have the virus from coast-to-coast, and six have died. Health officials expect the virus to infect hundreds if not…

Seven Ways to Assure High Performance with Global Teams

The new general manager of a recently acquired, innovative global business asked me if his new staff, which spanned seven countries and four continents, could understand English. “Yes, they can,” I responded with a smile. “But it doesn’t mean they…

IBM Marketing Calls It Quits on Telecommuting. It Doesn’t Have to Be All or Nothing!

After being a leader in telecommuting, IBM is calling it quits, due to declining revenues.  At least, it’s calling it quits in its marketing organizations in the US and Europe. It feels like a Marissa Mayer step backwards - it…

Six Steps that Enable Virtual Teams to Outperform Co-located Teams

MIT researchers found that there are three characteristics that allow virtual teams to outperform co-located teams. The three characteristics are: having team members who communicate effectively, participate equally, and are good at reading emotions. They also found that having women…

Have a Global Team? Here’s How to Make It Work!

Today’s companies, both large and small, can quickly find themselves needing a global workforce in order to succeed. The challenge of uniting and motivating workers separated by language, distance, culture, and time can be daunting. Uniting workers is key, however,…