Posts from Awesome Folks #138

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

Author

Emily Webber
January 24, 2025

Hello folks,

It’s been a week, eh? Too much is going on in the world that is trying to work against supporting humans. This is a reminder that society is people, so let’s do what we can to look out for each other, both at home and at work.

Happy Friday, stay safe in today’s storm and enjoy this week’s post.

Emily

People and Culture

Side Chats During Online Meetings: A Minefield for Leaders

Adam J. Copeland

Side conversations during online meetings can be managed in ways that reinforce a healthy culture.

sloanreview.mit.edu/article/side-chats-during-online-meetings-a-minefield-for-leaders

Are You Being a Nice Jerk?

Jim Detert

Which repeated small but disrespectful behaviors damage relationships and culture? Three areas beg for improvement.

sloanreview.mit.edu/article/are-you-being-a-nice-jerk

Organisations and Systems

How to Make Your Team’s Work More Visible

Rebecca Knight

Helping your team members gain visibility isn’t just important for their growth and success — it’s vital for yours as a leader. Not only does it show your ability to nurture and develop potential, it also demonstrates your managerial chops.

hbr.org/2025/01/how-to-make-your-teams-work-more-visible

9 Trends That Will Shape Work in 2025 and Beyond

Emily Rose McRae, Peter Aykens, Kaelyn Lowmaster, and Jonah Shepp

Gartner research has identified three key challenges for company leaders in the coming year: 1) New demands for a future-ready workforce; 2) The evolving role of managers, and 3) Emerging talent risks for the organization. Within these challenges they offer nine predictions that address ongoing organizational concerns around technology, collaboration, employee retention, AI, knowledge management, and more. Employers should identify the trends that are most likely to impact their organization — and those that offer the opportunity to secure a comparative advantage.

hbr.org/2025/01/9-trends-that-will-shape-work-in-2025-and-beyond

To Fix Broken Work Systems, You Need to Reset

A conversation with author Dan Heath about how to get unstuck.

hbr.org/podcast/2025/01/to-fix-broken-work-systems-you-need-to-reset

TBM 335: "Simple" Dependency Coordination

John Cutler

A lot of teams approach dependencies like this:

cutlefish.substack.com/p/tbm-335-simple-dependency-coordination

Facilitation and Decision making

How the Three Whats Invite People to a Human Connection

Johanna Rothman

While I'm an extrovert (words just come out of my mouth sometimes), I'm not always comfortable speaking with people I don't yet know. However, I want to make a real connection with other people. It doesn't matter if I'm writing, speaking, or networking. I still want that real connection. I use stories and examples to […]

www.jrothman.com/mpd/2025/01/how-the-three-whats-invite-people-to-a-human-connection

Approaches for Teams

The Surprising Power of Team Rituals

Marilyn Zakhour and Constance Noonan Hadley

Rituals — collective activities that team members regularly engage in and attribute meaning to — can make a big difference during times of change or transition. Research, which included a survey of 929 individuals from 60 countries and a field study in an advertising company, found that teams with more rituals experienced higher engagement, psychological safety, interpersonal knowledge, and job satisfaction.

hbr.org/2025/01/the-surprising-power-of-team-rituals

What Makes a Good Team?

Cate Huston

No team is perfect, but I think it’s often kind of obvious when a team is bad – there’s usually a level of chaos or drama, a sense that they can’t be relied on or don’t rea…

cate.blog/2025/01/21/what-makes-a-good-team