Remote Work Culture...what it takes to succeed
CleverTech has been a remote native company long before it was popular...here are some things we've learned...
Ways to shake things up when feeling stuck in your career
When feeling stale or stuck in a career or a project, it’s helpful to ask: am I a river or a reservoir? A river has water running into it and flowing out from it, a reservoir is a pool of standing water. The smell alone will tell you the difference between the two. Rivers are flowing, fresh, full of life. Reservoirs are smelly, stagnant and usually have a slimy film on top.
Feeling stuck simply means, it’s time to either give or receive. One way to shake things up is to let ideas, energy and advice flow out or come in.
The best way to do this is to engage in a mentorship. Either as a mentee or a mentor. How can you navigate a mentor/mentee relationship that is fulfilling on both sides? Here are a few tips to get started.
If you are a mentee:
Identify specific areas you want to grow in before you reach out to a potential mentor.
Respect your mentor’s time, be clear on what you are asking for (15 minutes 2x a month, 1 hour a week, etc.)
Come prepared with things you’d like to discuss or explore (do not expect your mentor to do all the heavy lifting)
Take action on the advice you’ve been given.
Research your mentor and do something valuable for them without asking. You will get back 10x value.
If you are a mentor:
That shy person who keeps showing up to ask you questions, they might be looking for your guidance. The greatest gift you can give someone is your attention.
Caring about another is reported to be one of the most satisfying things you can do. Consider making time for it.
Create a structure that limits your time and has an exit ramp - “Let’s schedule 30 minutes for the next 4 weeks to talk about your career growth or the challenge you are facing”
Some great questions you can use for your Mentee
What led you to your current career path?
Who do you look up to as a role model?
What do you love to do outside work?
What are your strengths? weaknesses? what are you doing about them?
If you’ve taken our leadership or Enneagram course, those are wonderful frameworks to further guide people.
This topic is one that came up in several of our coaching sessions within our company, we love solving real problems … what are some questions or challenges you are facing in your career? Leave a comment and we’ll pick some to answer in upcoming installments.
Remote: is not a benefit, it’s a culture
Inspired by this post from Victoria Pereira
While some companies are bringing formerly remote workers back to the office for 3 days (or more) a week, our remote native approach is going strong.
But a healthy remote environment comes at a cost: Personal responsibility.
Accountability is crucial to building a culture of trust, those wanting greater freedom, must accept the cost of greater accountability.
If this approach resonates with you, we have several fully remote positions available. Click here to explore.
Zoom Backgrounds….to blur or not to blur?
Inspired by this post by Lesleigh Gennace
When working remote, we want to put some effort into our “office”. At CleverTech we have a yearly stipend for our consultants to invest in their virtual workspace so that it’s inviting, warm, professional and organized.
But, what about the blur background? Do you use it? Like it? Hate it?
Our Onboarding Manager, Lesleigh Gennace has her opinion on this…do you agree?
Growth Mindset
Inspired by this post by Sarah Russell
Here at CT we value agility. The ability to see clearly what is happening and respond in real time.
This requires a growth mindset. What worked before may not work now, what do we do? We lean in, we experiment, we let ourselves learn from the past and take action.
To explore our current job openings click here.