Episode 41 - Forced efficiency is not a strategy

It’s been a month! We hit pause to reassess Same Team’s direction—and we’re feeling good about the shift. In this episode, we unpack why we made that move and what’s been on our minds: AI, project management, burnout, and how remote teams really communicate.The ReviewInspired by Brett’s article, When Silence Isn’t a Red Flag: Leading Quiet Remote Teams, we unpack why quiet doesn’t always mean disengaged. Brett shares his own experience leading a remote team where silence was just part of the culture. We explore how to spot the difference between healthy quiet and emotional withdrawal, how your communication style shapes remote teams, and how leaders can create safety and connection, especially for quieter folks.And don’t stop there—check out everything else we’ve published on Same Page this past month!Hybrid isn’t the problem. Performative leadership is.When AI replaces us, what’s left?From firefighters to forest rangers: rethinking how we prevent burnout on teamsEveryone wants to quit. But what are we really running from?The myth of the unicorn employee is hurting real humansThe AskBuy our new 1:1 playbook and immediately improve your leadership!https://sameteampartners.com/1-on-1-playbook/The Hit ListCheck out the full list on our website: https://sameteampartners.com/thehighfive/episode-47-leading-quiet-remote-teamsThe High FiveThis month’s high five goes to… us. For taking a step back, reading the room, and having the wisdom (and courage) to take a new path. Sometimes the best move is knowing when to make one.

It started with a text on a day off and turned into a whole conversation about burnout, boundaries, and why everyone seems one notification away from snapping. This week, Brett and Greg dig into the limits of "mental load," share a few real-world stress responses, and then turn their attention to a new workplace trend that's doing more harm than good: personal user manuals.If your onboarding doc reads like a dating profile, we’ve got some thoughts.The HuddleThe 1:1 Playbook is live! We finally launched the thing—and it's better than we imagined. It’s our most complete guide yet for making 1:1s less awkward and more impactful.The ReviewGreg’s latest opinion column, Enough with the personal user manuals, critiques the growing trend of workplace "user guides." Sure, they’re well-intentioned. But when they replace actual conversation, they can short-circuit trust, reinforce power dynamics, and turn human connection into a checklist.This week, we unpack:What actually makes people feel seen and understood at workHow trust gets built (and broken) in remote teamsThe hidden cost of replacing relationships with documentationWhat leaders can do insteadThe AskBuy our new 1:1 playbook and immediately improve your leadership! Seriously—if you run 1:1s, this is the manual you wish you had.Buy the 1:1 PlaybookThe Hit ListWhat we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week:Listening: The Logical Song (cover by The Greystones) — A bunch of talented kids bring fresh magic to this Supertramp classic. Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves — Grammy gold, and the emotional balm we needed this week.Watching: My Darling Clementine — Greg went full Criterion cowboy and he’s not wrong. A slow burn that hits. The Long Way Round — Ewan McGregor + motorcycles + aging adventure = Brett’s current comfort TV.Reading: Abundance by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson — Smart, hopeful, grounded. This one’s sneaky good.Writing: Project management is a leadership role. Start acting like it.The Deep Cut 003: Adventure on The High FiveThis week’s high five goes to: the sweet, sweet thrill of launching a digital product. We made a thing. We put a price on it. We hit publish. That’s worth celebrating.

This week, we’re talking about vulnerability at work—when it builds trust, and when it just gets awkward. From Foo Fighters to Figma to Greg’s latest Same Page column, we dig into reinvention, recognition, and the fine art of not oversharing.The HuddleBrett’s launching DPM Summer SchoolGreg’s geeking out in Figma and following the latest product drops from ConfigThe ReviewWhen vulnerability backfires We all want to work on teams where people can be real—but sometimes vulnerability lands wrong and creates distance instead of connection. This week, we unpack how to spot the line between honesty and oversharing, what leaders can do when the energy shifts, and why timing, tone, and trust make all the difference.Also on Same Page this week:Celebrating small wins: how recognition builds resilient teamsBuilding stronger teams through consistent recognitionThe AskThe AskAre you in survival mode or living your best life? If you had to rate yourself from 1 (barely making it) to 10 (living the dream), where are you today? Write to us: [email protected] — we’re listening.The Hit ListWhat we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week:Listening:Foo Fighters (self-titled debut) Writing:It's time we stopped asking for vases. Thinking about going out on your own? Read this first. Project management isn’t dead. AI just made it more human. Watching:Sinners Warfare Reading:Abundance by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson The High FiveThe next playbook is in the works. Stay tuned for the drop!

This week, we talk about burnout: how it builds, how it breaks teams, and how we (as leaders and humans) need to get way better at spotting it. Also, shoutout to Pope Francis for sending a senator to empathy training. If he’s tired of the bullshit, so are we.The HuddleBrett’s prepping for a new panel on explosive career moments, while Greg is mentally checking out under blue skies. Spring is here, but burnout is still top of mind.The ReviewBurnout isn’t just yours to manage—it’s yours to notice Burnout doesn’t show up with warning lights—it simmers quietly, undermining energy, trust, and momentum. This article outlines the phases of team burnout and makes the case for leaders to notice it early (especially in themselves). We talk through where burnout starts, how we’ve missed the signs, and which phase is the hardest to lead through. Spoiler: it’s not the one you think.Also on Same Page this week:Why continuous learning builds resilient teamsHow to build resilient teams through continuous learning and developmentThe AskJoin us for our first-ever live event: The Huddle 🗓 Wednesday, May 7, 2025 🕧 12:30–1:00pm ET Register now—it’s free!The Hit ListWhat we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week:Listening:Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions by Taylor Swift INXS Listen Like Thieves Writing:Open to work is the new tip of the sword When “do what you love” stops loving you back Make no mistake, employees will always be just a line item Leadership lessons from Taylor Swift Watching:Your Friends & Neighbors on Apple TV+ The High FiveHigh five to everyone choosing empathy and compassion over control and burnout. The world needs more of it—especially at work.

This week, we're talking about what happens when we stop pretending everything’s fine—and why that’s harder than it sounds. If you're feeling a little fried but still showing up, this one’s for you.The HuddleWe kick things off with a moment of awe (and side-eye and plenty of giggles) for Katy Perry’s Blue Origin space launch. Then we get into what’s actually on our minds: the growing sense of solidarity amid burnout. The ReviewWhat if it’s not work that’s burning us out?This episode centers around Brett’s Same Page article, which explores the more profound, more existential exhaustion many of us carry. It’s not just about jobs—it’s about the systems we live in, the instability we feel, and the pressure to perform wellness while quietly falling apart.Brett and Greg dig into the emotional weight of this moment. How burnout shows up in remote work, the disconnect between leadership and lived experience, and why we’re probably mislabeling a cultural crisis as a workplace problem. It’s a raw, reflective conversation—and the beginning of something we plan to keep talking about.Also on Same Page this week:Why psychological safety fuels creativity and problem solvingCreating psychological safety for innovation and trustThe AskJoin us for our first-ever live event: The Huddle 🗓 Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 12:30–1:00pm ET Register now—it’s free!The Hit ListWhat we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week:Listening:Northport by Bonobo Spike Island by Pulp Writing:Burnout but make it existentialKindness feels radical Reading:Harriett Tubman: Live in Concert: A Notel by Bob the Drag Queen Watching:Lazarus Adolescence on Netflix The High FiveThis week’s high five goes to not hiding. We’re lucky we can talk about this stuff. We know not everyone can. If you're navigating this moment quietly, we see you. High five.

The HuddleWhat’s top of mind for us this week? Honestly… burnout. Between news cycles, messy calendars, and rising stress levels, we’re seeing a lot of leaders in the proverbial burn unit—emotionally fried, physically drained, and still trying to show up with a smile. That came through loud and clear in our last Huddle, where even the head nods felt tired.The ReviewHold the weight, not the blame.This week on Same Page, Greg wrote a post called Hold the weight, not the blame.—a callout to leaders who absorb the emotional mess of misalignment, even when it’s not theirs to carry. We’ve both been there: internalizing failures, over-owning dysfunction, and quietly cleaning up after others while pretending it’s just part of the job. But the truth? That guilt doesn’t serve you—or your team.This one’s for everyone trying to lead through hard times with empathy, but forgetting to offer themselves any in return.Also on Same Page this week:Encouraging open dialogueHow open dialogue brought one team closer togetherThe AskJoin us for our first-ever live event: The Huddle: Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 12:30–1:00pm ET.Register now—it’s free!The Hit ListWhat we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week:Listening:Giver/Taker by FINNEAS and Kacey MusgravesU2 - UV Achtung Baby Ambient MixesWriting:Tuned in, worn out We've built a society on bullshit and emojis. Connection isn’t just personal. It’s political. This is your brain on nostalgia. Reading:THE GEN X CAREER MELTDOWN (NYT) The High FiveThis week’s high five goes to saying the quiet parts out loud—because it’s time for real talk.

The HuddleBrett kicks things off with a (minor!) fender bender and a Lady Gaga-fueled beef with Greg about new music. Then we get into the real talk: Everyone’s in a rough spot—burned out, overworked, and just trying to keep up. The ReviewForced efficiency: the myth of cutting your way to greatnessBrett breaks down what happens when leaders slash people, processes, and budgets—without a real plan—and still expect things to keep running magically. Inspired by Musk-level mayhem and personal experience, this conversation explores how panic is often disguised as "efficiency."Here’s the truth: You can’t cut your way to greatness. Real efficiency isn’t about trimming fat—it’s about building muscle memory.Spoiler: It’s not pizza or “thoughts and prayers.” It’s presence, purpose, and follow-through.Also on Same Page this week:The hidden cost of missed documentationHow documentation became a pillar for team transparencyThe AskJoin us for our first-ever live event: The Huddle 🗓 Wednesday, April 9, 2025 🕧 12:30–1:00pm ET 🎯 30 minutes of insights, conversation, resource sharing, a few laughs, and a high five to close.Register nowThe Hit ListWhat we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week:Reading'Heat' and 'Top Gun' Actor Val Kilmer Dead: Michael Mann, Francis Ford Coppola, and More Pay TributeHow Well-Meaning Systems Stifle Business GrowthListeningRomance by Fontaines D.C.Forever is a feeling by Lucy DacusWritingEject disk. A manifesto for everyone stuck in the system that keeps crashing you.WatchingSeveranceThe High FiveTo those who are going through it, we see you going to work and dealing with chaos.

The Huddle What’s top of mind this week? Brett’s in presentation mode, while Greg’s prepping for our first Same Team Huddle. One’s on the mic, the other’s setting the stage—both focused on better conversations.The Review: This Week’s Topic Deloitte made it official–Build your own damn cultureThis week, we unpack Greg’s latest Same Page column, inspired by Deloitte’s 2024 Human Capital Trends report. It challenges the myth that culture should cascade from the top, calling out how rigid systems like SAFe, EOS, and “Agile” often stifle trust and autonomy.Culture doesn’t scale—it fragments. And that’s a good thing. Microcultures drive real engagement and innovation, even if they make execs a little nervous.We explore why top-down culture fails, what default culture looks like, what real leadership requires, and how Teamangle supports culture from the inside out.Also on Same Page this week:Navigating collaborative conflict: how to turn tension into progressEmbracing conflict for stronger collaboration The Ask 🚨 If you’re not reading The Field Report, what are you even doing? 🚨 Sign up now at sameteampartners.com/subscribe and get on the ground floor—we’re only a few issues in.The Hit List What we’re reading, listening to, and watching this week: Listeningten days by Fred again.. Yoyaku in-store session with Tomoki Tamura ReadingLiminal Thinking by Dave Gray FDA staff left ‘scrambling’ to complete product reviews after DOGE layoffsWatchingPayback (1999) The Studio The High Five This week’s high five goes to the culture champions—the folks who actively build, shape, and nurture the teams they’re on. Whether you’re a leader or the new hire with great vibes, culture doesn’t come from the top, it grows from everywhere. Keep planting seeds. High five!That’s it for this week. See you next time!

The HuddleGreg’s busy figuring out how to scale the Teamangle Diagnostic so teams can stop flying blind, while Brett’s out there making connections and bringing new people into the fold. The Review: Leadership advice is broken: it’s not about you, it’s about them.Somewhere along the way, leadership advice got a little too self-centered—confidence, command, control. But great leadership isn’t about the leader; it’s about the team.The conversation hit on something big: leadership needs a perspective shift. It’s not about looking in the mirror and asking, How do I become a great leader?—it’s about looking at your team and asking, What do they need to succeed? We also posted two Teamangle articles on Same Page this week:Why innovation thrives in flexible culturesWhy creativity thrives on collaborationThe Ask🚨 If you’re not reading The Field Report, what are you even doing? 🚨Our weekly newsletter is packed with straight-shooting leadership insights, fresh takes on team dynamics, and the kind of advice that helps—not just corporate fluff. Sign up now and get in on the good stuff.The Hit ListListening:Relationships by HAIM Colors by Beck Reading:Rotman Management Magazine Watching:White Lotus Episode 4 Memes! Thief–Writing:We need better assholes – Greg’s latest piece inspired by John Gruber.The High FiveThis week’s high five goes to listening to experts—specifically those helping us with marketing! We may resist, we may grumble, but at the end of the day, we’re learning from people who know their stuff. High five to letting go and trusting the process.

The HuddleWhat’s top of mind for us this week? Expanding our reach. Brett joined The Agile Network as an expert, diving into conversations on Teamangle, communication, collaboration, and digital project management. It’s a whole new audience, and we’re excited to see where it leads. Meanwhile, Greg is celebrating the launch of The Field Report, our new newsletter—and the response has been better than expected! The Review: This Week’s TopicYou have 8 seconds—make them count.We’re drowning in information, but attention is in short supply. Studies say our attention spans have dropped from 12 seconds to 8 seconds in just over a decade. Whether that’s accurate or not, one thing is clear: if your team is confused about priorities, direction, or expectations, it’s not their fault—it’s on you.We break down five key questions and discussion that leads to a laugh or two and some insights on what makes Same Team tick.We also published two new Teamangle articles this week:How diversity in planning and teamwork leads to breakthrough successThe power of inclusive planning: how to involve diverse perspectivesThe AskWe launched The Field Report, our new weekly newsletter! If you want real talk on leadership, team dynamics, and communication delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe now at sameteampartners.com/subscribe.The Hit ListListening:MAYHEM by Lady Gaga Superdream by Big Wild Writing:The Hardest Project of My Career (and What It Taught Me)Reading:5 Pandemic-Era Lessons on Leading Through Drastic ChangeWatching:French ConnectionNo Way Out The High FiveThis week’s high five goes to The Field Report! We launched it, people read it, and we only had one broken link (so far).