Blog, News, and Articles
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Just a quick update
Over the past few months, I have experienced many changes in my life, including my site, social media channels, etc. If you wish to continue receiving my content, this post will quickly update where I publish what. My weekly essays on leadership are distributed on the Thursday Memo in my newsletter, The Owl and The…
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Do You Speak German?
German? Why would I speak German? I never had that kind of time. I lived in Vienna for ten years; when I left, I spoke the same German as I arrived: zero, nada, niet! Vienna was never Austria to me. Vienna was the world, which was way more significant than the 8 million people strip…
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How I delegated the most important tasks, and nobody noticed
“Hey John, can you do me a favor?” This is how I started my delegation strategy with my team members. Every Monday, my team held a weekly meeting for over three years. And every Monday, I hosted the meeting, except at some point, I wasn’t. And this is how I did it… Our Monday meeting…
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The Owl and The Beetle on Product Hunt
I have been publishing a weekly newsletter for over 18 months, and today I’m launching it on Product Hunt. Here you can show your support, upvote, comment, or drop a review. Any form of ❤️ is highly appreciated!
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Maximize Meeting Productivity: Streamline the Process
Do meetings drag on while your other work piles up? Many organizations suffer from ineffective meetings. Here’s how to make your meetings more effective: define the host, share the goal, announce a customized agenda, and adopt the right process. Define the Host Know who is running each meeting: the host. Clarify who’s in charge of…
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Get Up to Speed: Tips for Onboarding New Hires
Onboarding is so much more than just paperwork and orientation. It’s about creating a great first impression and setting the tone for a successful journey ahead. Here a few tips for a highly-effective onboarding experience for your remote-first team. A Personalised Onboarding Document One of the most important things for any new hire is to…
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The Importance of Leadership in a Rapidly Changing Industry: Lessons from My Time at Automattic
Today I announce my departure from Automattic. After almost nine incredible years of professional growth and development, I have decided it is time for me to move on and take on new adventures. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that Automattic has given me over the years. From the moment I joined the team…
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Forming the Foundation: Understanding the FSNP Phases of Team Development
When assembling a new team, expect to go through Tuckman’s FSNP phases. They are Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. The FSNP phases are a well-established model for understanding the different stages of a newly formed team. For a manager, it is paramount to understand these stages and accept that although the order and length of…
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All The Small Things
Last week I gave a short presentation about apricots, bananas, and other little things. Don’t miss it!
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On The Road Again
After 3 years on the ground, I took my first work trip after the pandemic. To be correct, the pandemic is not over yet, but everybody pretends it is, so better mask up and test often. In preparation for a few days of meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada, I decided to get there early and…
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