Why I Created This Podcast

Background

My name is Luke Szyrmer, and welcome to the Align Remotely podcast. I only really got a lot of value out of remote working when I leaned into it more fully. I have been through a number of highs and lows as a “manager”: remote hiring, firing, delegating, streamlining, motivating, and most importantly, achieving together through and with others. All the while, I’ve been reading a lot and speaking with people I respect who’ve supported me, so I wanted to open up that process in the hopes that it will be helpful for people like me. Join me in exploring remote work and teams on this podcast, where you’ll hear from experts and fellow practitioners on how to help your teams ship.

Who this is for

Leaders in mid to large companies, in all industries, who have an interest in remote collaboration and work.

Show Transcript

My name is Luke Szyrmer and welcome to the align remotely podcast. I only really got a lot of value out of remote working when I leaned into it more fully. I’ve been, a, Member or leader of remote teams since 2010. I’ve created enterprise software books, organized events on a in person and remote basis over that time in the corporate world and as a volunteer, and I’ve been through a number of highs and lows as a quote unquote manager, remote hiring, firing, delegating, streamlining, motivating, coordinating, and most importantly, achieving together through and more importantly with others . And all the while I’ve been reading a lot in speaking with people I respect and I wanted to open up that learning process in the hopes that it will be helpful for others like me.

I’m starting this podcast for leaders in mid to large size companies in all industries at all levels who have an interest in remote collaboration and work.

And I know from experience that leading remotely as hard. You don’t see the people you work with and you can’t pick up on subtle interpersonal cues, which leaders have relied on for centuries. You need to go back to first principles and really understand what’s going on and how to do this.

What I’ve found in that process so far is that   for the last 30 years, there’s been a massive disengagement amongst employees in large companies.

One of the more famous studies is the Gallup engagement survey.  Gallup Maintain an index across, , tens of thousands, employees over 70% of people surveyed over the last 30 years  are disengaged or actively disengaged in their work. At least pre pandemic.

And we’ve had a lot of coping mechanisms. Dilbert’s,  one of the more famous ones, , quite funny. but if you take it a little bit more seriously, , , most people spend at least eight hours a day doing something they aren’t engaged with.  time’s just going by and it’s just all so normal that we take it for granted.  it’s a certain type of large scale, almost existential crisis.

Well, that’s getting a little melodramatic. realistically, I want to use the podcast to take a, a kind and fair look at ourselves,  at our teams, at how are companies work. To share the stories of things that are working now, and also share things that have worked for me in the past and map out a way to operate effectively during the pandemic, and then also be ready for whatever comes after it, when it does.

is this podcast related to the pandemic? Well, yes and no. 

Yes, in the sense that the pandemic’s already caused massive shifts in how work is done. And it’s helping us question a lot of assumptions about how we work and more importantly, what it means  

But no, in the sense that this is  about the first principles at play , which haven’t changed from what I’ve seen so far, seem to explain some of why employees do disengage and it becomes difficult to work when you do move into a remote environment.

Join me in exploring remote work and teams on this podcast. And you’ll hear from experts and fellow practitioners on how to help your teams ship.