Posts from Awesome Folks #111

A weekly round up of blog posts I've been reading

Author

Emily Webber
June 21, 2024

Hello folks,

This week I have spent time designing more than one game. These are workshop approaches that use scenarios to bring people together to collaborate on ideas and concepts in a safe space. It’s been fun finding ways to balance learning, complexity, collaboration and game mechanics.

One of those games, “Multidisciplinary Team Building Game“ is now available as a Miro board which you can download here https://miro.com/miroverse/multidisciplinary-team-building-game-template/

A photo of seagulls, with a beach and blue sky in the background. And a photo of an orange sunset.

Photos from the week, did Summer arrive?

The seaside by me feels magical when the sun comes out, which makes the sometimes challenging winter weather a distant memory. I hope you are getting some calm and warm weather where you are.

Happy reading and happy Friday

Emily

People and Culture

Hybrid Work Has Changed Meetings Forever

Mike Tolliver and Jonathan Sass

More than four years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, what do we know about how meetings have (or haven’t) gotten back to “normal,” particularly amid calls back to the office? An analysis of 40 million virtual meetings from 11 organizations suggests that some habits, like using virtual meeting options even when in the office, are sticking. Further, data shows that meeting participation and camera usage correlates with retention.

hbr.org/2024/06/hybrid-work-has-changed-meetings-forever

When Hybrid Work Strategy Aggravates 20-Somethings | Brian Elliott and Amanda Schneider

Brian Elliott and Amanda Schneider

Gen Z — already adept at online communication — can model ways for hybrid teams to develop stronger digital connections.

sloanreview.mit.edu/article/when-hybrid-work-strategy-aggravates-20-somethings

Organisations and Systems

Why You Should Only Recruit Spontaneously Combustible People - Blog

Joost Minnaar

The late Kazuo Inamori , the charismatic founder of two major Japanese companies, Kyocera and KDDI, won worldwide fame for his unorthodox management…

www.corporate-rebels.com/blog/why-you-should-only-recruit-spontaneously-combustible-people

How to See and Stop Project Failure Before the Effort Starts - Johanna Rothman

Johanna Rothman

This is the June 2024 Pragmatic Manager Newsletter, from Johanna Rothman. The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this email. A newsletter reader asked me this question: Are there common reasons that projects fail? There are. These reasons aren't just for product development projects, but for any effort that has some risk and requires […]

www.jrothman.com/newsletter/2024/06/how-to-see-and-stop-project-failure-before-the-effort-starts

Multidisciplinary Team Building Game (another Miro template)

Emily Webber

This workshop is a game that helps people play at creating multidisciplinary teams while thinking about capability needs, learning opportunities and constraints.

emilywebber.co.uk/multidisciplinary-team-building-game-another-miro-template

Would You Invite Employees to Vote on Strategic Direction?

By Alexander Loudon

Apply these four lessons to successfully put employees at the heart of strategic planning and benefit from their input.

sloanreview.mit.edu/article/would-you-invite-employees-to-vote-on-strategic-direction

Outcomes and Objectives

Why is Simplicity One of the Best Problem-Solving Tools?

Amanda Swim

Simplicity is a compelling problem-solving tool. Simplicity leads to solutions that are: easy to understand, focused on what matters most, faster to test and adapt, easy to maintain. But human beings are prone to complexity bias!

code.likeagirl.io/why-is-simplicity-one-of-the-best-problem-solving-tools-5ada47cda4fb

Facilitation and Decision making

How to use visual aids to facilitate better collaboration

Jackie Colburn

Visual aids are a necessary tool for anyone who facilitates group collaboration, or multi-hour (or multi-day!) workshops. They break up…

jackiecolburn.medium.com/how-to-use-visual-aids-to-facilitate-better-collaboration-46daf87be61f

Team Approaches

Tackling Digital Inclusivity, One Bite at a Time

Lee Jeffery

In this article, Lee Jeffery explores the topic of Inclusive Design and reflects on the recent Figma Coffee Morning in Manchester. He shares a workshop activity that will enable your team to identify and prioritise areas of focus.

medium.com/sage-design/tackling-digital-inclusivity-one-bite-at-a-time-b7cc25a09246

Other Things

Deconstruct: 5-10 things. Design musings. In your mailbox. Twice a month.

A new newsletter from Afsa Akbar that’s worth a follow.

Bangers, Good questions, Tennis, Misbehaving, Signs...

afsaakbar.beehiiv.com/p/02