79 | Navigating the Challenges and Benefits of Remote Work | Chris Dyer

Building Better Cultures

Our world was flipped upside-down when COVID-19 entered the vernacular in 2020, and virtually everything, including how and where we work, changed. Eighteen months into the pandemic has society adjusting to this “new normal” in ways few could have predicted. One of those adjustments? —working remotely has become much more of the rule than an exception.

On this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, host Scott McInnes sits down with bestselling author and CEO Chris Dyer to discuss all things remote work and how it has affected both managers and employees. Chris is the author of The Power of Company Culture and Remote Work. A self-described remote work leader and advocate, Chris is a firm believer in the fact that company culture is built not through in-person chats at the watercooler, but instead by principles like transparency, listening, mistakes, and recognition—all things that can be practiced whether workers are together around a table or meeting via Zoom.

Throughout their conversation, Chris and Scott share practical examples of remote work success stories, the reasons why hybrid work is inherently difficult, and the types of meetings Chris and his team use to signal expectations no matter where employees are joining from.

Although remote work can have its difficulties, Chris and Scott both agreed that this new form of work, spurred on by the pandemic, is here to stay and should be embraced for its many benefits.

Grab a copy of Chris’s new book here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• About Chris, an accidental expert in remote work.
• Chris’s definition of what an amazing culture looks like.
• The pillars of great company culture:
  • Transparency
  • Positive leadership
  • Being good listeners
  • Celebrating what makes us unique
  • Recognition programs
  • Mistakes
• Why transparency is hands-down the foundational pillar of amazing company culture.
• Chris saw the most transparency during COVID, because companies actually had the time to share and they were all in the mess together.
• Good company culture isn’t impacted negatively by remote work because good leaders know how to lead well from anywhere.
• Chris’s biggest problem is his people overworking, not underworking when they’re remote.
• It’s hard work to figure out how to do remote work and remote management well.
• Leadership failures and how leaders can become better for their employees.
• The giant pile of work waiting when you get back is often why Americans don’t take vacation.
• Practical ideas Chris’s teams use to help employees taking vacation not work while out of the office.
  • How to help the employee avoid FOMO while they’re on vacation.
  • Carve-outs for salespeople who are closing a sale while they’re out.
• Hybrid work is inherently problematic because it forces a square peg into a round hole and everyone is at a different place.
• Remote work is successful when we use the familiar “signposts” of in-person work that we’re all used to.
• The types of meetings Chris and his team use to signal to team members what to expect:
  • Cockroach meetings
  • Ostrich meetings
  • Tiger meetings
  • Tsunami-planning meetings
• The talent opportunities remote work presents in this new world of work.

Benefits of remote work for employees is varied and needs to be communicated by employers.

ABOUT CHRIS DYER

Chris’s website: https://chrisdyer.com/

Twitter: @ChrisPDyer

LinkedIn: Chris Dyer

ABOUT SCOTT MCINNES

Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO

To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.