The Collaboration Superpowers Podcast

FREDRIK THOMASSEN is the CEO and Founder of Superside, a fully remote creative service company. Fredrik founded Superside to create more equal economic opportunities globally with the world's creative talent. He scaled his company of 750+ people in 80 countries - with a focus on cultivating an organization of kindness and truth seeking. In this interview, we discuss why the future of work is not freelance marketplaces or gig economy platfroms, but rather, solid jobs that are flexible, remote, and happy. For more stories of remote teams doing great things visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

DR. HEIDI K. GARDNER, PHD is a Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School, author of Smarter Collaboration, and co-founder of the research and advisory firm Gardner & Co. In this interview we dive into collaboration overload: Why it happens, how it can disadvantage certain groups of people, and how to overcome it. For more, visit www.collaborationsuperpowers.com.

STEPHAN WIEDNER is a psychological safety expert whose career has focused on developing sustainable high performance leaders, teams, and organizations. He has developed a unique perspective on psychological safety by designing innovative and evidence-based training, building technology to help leaders and managers master their interpersonal skills, and leading a research study supervised by Harvard professor Amy C. Edmondson. For more stories of remote teams doing great things visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com.

Knowing what we need to be productive can help us do our best work and to design our lifestyles around the things we love the most. In this episode we dive into what personal manuals are and the important role they can play in team building. For more stories of remote teams doing great things visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com.

CRISTEN TORREY is the Director of Research at Figma, "the design platform for teams who build products together." Cristen lead the research team at Figma to produce a report that underscores the must-haves for better team collaboration. In this interview we talk about the components of good collaboration and why it's so hard for teams to achieve. For more stories of remote teams doing great things visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

Dr. Darryl Stickel has devoted his career to understanding trust, what it is, how it functions, and how to increase it. He holds a PhD in Business from Duke University and wrote his doctoral thesis on building trust in hostile environments. After leaving Mckinsey & Company in 2001, Darryl founded Trust Unlimited. His clients have included financial services, telecoms, tech, families, and the Canadian Military in Afghanistan. He is also a professor at the Luxembourg School of Business teaching in the MBA program and in their executive education program. Building Trust: Exceptional Leadership in an Uncertain World is his first book. Darryl, who is legally blind, lives in Victoria, Canada with his two sons and his "trusty" sidekick, his seeing eye dog, Drake. For more collaboration, visit www.collaborationsuperpowers.com.

ANDREA DARABOS and STEFAN MORALES are founding members of a/sync, a company offering experiential learning programs to help teams and their managers achieve focus and flow. In this interview we talk about why being deliberate about how we use our time is critical to good collaboration and what the skills are for resetting how your team collaborates. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com.

LONA ALIA is a remote work advocate who's worked and lived in 80+ countries. She's also the Head of Revenue for SAFETY WING, a company offering borderless health insurance, retirement, and pensions. On top of that, they are building the first borderless country on the internet called Plumia. In this interview, we talk about why remote first is a winning strategy for any company, what people are still getting wrong about working remotely, and of course, Plumia! And castles. Let's not forget the castle idea. For more stories visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

MAGDA FERRETTI is a business trainer and organizational psychologist helping Polish companies introduce home office policies. Her PhD research focused on leadership in virtual teams and she uses that knowledge to help managers transition to leading from a distance. In this interview we discuss why managers are hesitant to go remote and what they need to do to develop new competencies for leading remote teams. For more stories visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

ARVIND JAIN helped found Glean to make it easy for people to find the information they need to be more productive and happier at work. In this interview, we talk about why information management is so important and how the Glean teams have been able to make in-person, remote, and hybrid work work for them. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

We've reached Episode 300 on the Collaboration Superpowers podcast! In this episode, I highlight 6 of my favorite segments from the last 50 interviews. Featuring: Rebecca Seal (How to Work Alone), Carlos Valdes-Dapena (Corporate Collaboration Resources), Darren Murph (GitLab), Dan Manian (Donut), Karim Reed (Suddenly Hybrid), and Rowena Hennigan (RoRemote). For more stories, visit www.CollaborationSuperpowers.com.

JENNIFER SMITH is the CEO & Founder at SCRIBE, the world's first operating system for know-how. In this interview, we talk about how documentation can be like digital exhaust, tips for becoming a hybrid team, and how to onboard remote team members. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

KARIN REED is an on-camera communications expert, the CEO and Chief Confidence Creator at Speaker Dynamics. She was on the podcast exactly 1 year ago (episode 275) to talk about her book Suddenly Virtual. In this episode, Karin is back to talk about her latest book: Suddenly Hybrid. In this interview we talk about how to make hybrid meetings a success: from infrastructure to design to facilitation. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

BARBARA COVARRUBIAS VENEGAS is the founder & Managing Director of Virtual Space Heros, a company designing and producing virtual events through event moderation, live streaming support, video creation and more. In this interview, we discuss why flexibility and hybrid are game changes for women an d organisations that want to foster gender inclusion, some best practices for hybrid teams, and what makes a great online event. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

JURGEN APPELO is an entrepreneur, author, and keynote speaker on agility, leadership, and innovation. He is also an avid Wingspan player! After founding Management 3.0, Happy Melly, and Agility Scales, his newest project may be his most innovative yet: the unFIX model - an organisational design tool that specifically keeps in mind remote workers and hybrid working. In this interview, we talk about why he built this model and what he hopes people will do with it. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit http://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com.

VALERII IVANIN is a Development Manager at SimCorp. In this interview, we focus on how Simcorp transitioned from working mostly in person - to going fully hybrid. Including: how they handle hybrid meetings, work-life balance, tools, and more. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

CLAIRE HAIDAR is the Founder and CEO of WNDYR and PATTYRN, 2 companies focused on shaping the world of work through AI-driven data analysis. Claire also serves as a board member for UNICEF and AccelerateHer: two organizations making monumental impact in working environments around the world. In this interview, we discuss chaos theory and why chaos is not as disorganized as it might seem. We also discuss how we can better manage our remote teams through automation, visibility, and working with the agile methodology. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

In the wake of the pandemic, video conferencing has become a common practice amongst workers worldwide. And the question about whether or not we should turn our cameras on has sparked great debate. In this episode, we explore the pros and cons of turning our cameras on during online meetings - and what we all sides can do to make the experience better. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

2021 in review. The purpose of this podcast has been to help you—whether you're a team member or a team leader—know what it takes to work remotely, successfully, with others. But beyond the specifics of just what to do when and why, there is a larger, even higher message. Being a successful remote worker also makes you a more successful person, a better person. It calls for you to know yourself: to know what you need, what you're made of, what you're capable of. Working well remotely calls for being more intentional, more conscious, more thorough. It calls for taking the time to take care of yourself, to be willing to try new things, to constantly work to improve, even to indulge in your passions. Working well remotely calls for being more caring and helpful, more conscientious and aware of others. It calls on us to communicate more, to share more, to ask more, and to ask for more. To offer the benefit of the doubt, and to assume positive intent. To express appreciation. It calls on us to be curious—to learn about others. To respect others' processes, and to trust that others will do what they say they will. Connection happens when we pay attention to each other. And magic happens when teams align and dreams become goals and goals become reality. When we focus on trust, agree on how to work together, and cultivate closeness, we can do great things together. We can collaborate with people we respect in pursuing what we love most. Doing great things means being an attentive parent, creating a new form of transportation, or stopping aging. It means working where we are most productive and pursuing what we love most. It means building a company we're proud of, and collaborating with people we respect. What I find so personally exciting about being able to work from anywhere is that those of us who want to change the world can easily find each other—and proactively make amazing things happen. Join us!

JENNIFER BRITTON is a former leader with the United Nations and has led hybrid and remote teams since the 1990's. She is currently the CEO of Potentials Realized, the co-host of the Remote Pathways podcast, and the author of Reconnecting Workspaces. In this conversation we talk about how to boost trust, safety, and connection on virtual teams and what leaders can learn about managing a digital workforce. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com.

WADE FOSTER is the CEO and co-founder of Zapier, a workflow automation tool used by over three million people to connect the work apps they use every day. Zapier is a 100% remote company with over 200 people. In this interview we talk about hiring, managing, aligning, and building a 'rockin remote team. Wade shares his experiences, challenges, and recipes for strong team building. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

JOSH BRENNER is the CEO of Hired, an AI-driven hiring marketplace that helps companies such as Instacart, Postmates, Capital One, and Peloton identify and employ diverse talent – through a more efficient, transparent, and equitable hiring process. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

PAUL MCKINLAY is the Vice President of Communications & Remote Working at Cimpress & Vistaprint. In this interview, we discuss how Cimpress & Vistaprint transitioned into being a "remote first" company and how they made how and when they work a towering strength of their culture and a competitive advantage. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collarborationsuperpowers.com

AVIVA PINCHAS is the Head of Growth at the fully remote company, Parabol, your "Agile Meeting CoPilot". In this interview we talk about how Parabol operates as a fully remote company, what their asynchronous decision making process looks like, and how to separate work and life. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

NEIL MILLER is the host of The Digital Workplace podcast. He has interviewed over 175 leaders about what it will take to thrive in the digital age. For over 5 years, he has managed remote teams and worked with Kissflow. In this interview we talk about culture, productivity, and the 5 levels of a digital workplace. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collarborationsuperpowers.com

DARREN MURPH is the Head of Remote at GitLab and the author of Living The Remote Dream,' GitLab's Remote Playbook, as well as 'iPad Secrets' and 'iPhone Secrets'. He is also has the Guinness World Record for most blog posts ever written! In this interview, we talk about how GitLab works as the world's largest all remote company, what the Head of Remote position entails, and what companies are getting wrong - and right - about hybrid working.

ALEX HOWLAND is the co-founder and President of Virbela, a virtual world for work, education and events. In this interview, we discuss how virtual worlds can mitigate burnout, how to foster a healthy company culture, and how companies can support their employees while returning the new "normal". For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

ROBERT GLAZER is the founder and Managing Director of global performance marketing agency, Acceleration Partners, one of the biggest, fully-remote workplaces in the US with over 100 employees. Bob's secret to success is hiring great people and rewarding for results, not hard work. For more stories, visit CollaborationSuperpower.com

DOM PRICE is the Head of R&D and Work Futurist at Atlassian. Originally from Manchester, now living in Sydney Australia, Dom spends half his time on the road between the US, Europe, and Australia. We discuss what Atlassian struggles with and how they share and scale the knowledge throughout their organization. We also discuss how they manage communication with teams having different backgrounds, cultures. and rituals - and what they do when conflict arises. For more stories, visit CollaborationSuperpowers.com.

A hybrid team is a configuration where part of the team works in the office, and part of the team works elsewhere. Admittedly, this is the most difficult style of working but when the right processes are put in place, it can be just as successful. In this episode, we highlight the building blocks of successful hybrid collaboration. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

MIKE ADAMS is the Founder of Grain.co, a tool that allows you to caption & clip zoom video segments - so that you can compress hours worth of meetings into summaries. In this interview, we talk about why recording and managing our spoken knowledge can help teams work better together. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

TOBIAS WINDBRAKE is the Director of the DACH region for iObeya a digital visual management platform. He has developed a curated collection of resources for personal study and discovery about... collaboration. In this interview, we talk about the components of good collaboration, the role of leadership, and why most teams need to be thinking about visual management. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

JOHN O'DUINN has written code and led engineering teams in companies ranging from four person startups, to non-profits, to multinationals – including in the US Government as part of the U.S. Digital Service in the Obama White House. He is the author of Distributed Teams: The Art and Practice of Working Together While Physically Apart. And he helped to write the state of Vermont's Remote Worker Law. In this interview we discuss why it's important to have a single source of truth and the impact of distributed economic development. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

JIM KALBACH is the Chief Evangelist at MURAL - one of the virtual whiteboard everyone is raving about. In this interview, we discuss the experience that the MURAL team had when covid hit in 2020, why virtual whiteboards are so important for remote collaboration, and how they can help us navigate the new world of working. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

CARLOS VALDES-DAPENA is the founder of Corporate Collaboration Resources, a group effectiveness consulting firm. He is also a speaker, podcaster, and author of Virtual Teams: Holding the Center When you Can't Meet Face-to-Face. In this interview we talk about routines and process that drive team collaboration, the common pitfalls of team building, and how to collaborate with someone that you don't like. For more stories of remote teams doing great things, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

KARIN REED is an on-camera communications expert, the CEO and Chief Confidence Creator at Speaker Dynamics, and the author of Suddenly Virtual: Making Remote Meetings Work. In this interview we discuss her best tips for giving presentations online, how to go from being a passive observer to an active participant, and how to navigate hybrid meetings for maximum productivity and inclusion. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

REBECCA SEAL is an award-winning food, drink, lifestyle and personal development writer who recently authored the book SOLO: How To Work Alone (and Not Lose Your Mind). In this interview, we discuss how to create a "brain-friendly" workspace, why the 9-5 work day is an outdated and unhealthy way to work, and what signs to look for when we're burning out.

LINE MØRKBAK is a Facilitator of Global Collaboration and the Founder of Global LEAP Consulting. In this interview, we discuss how to facilitate an "open space" event remotely, what makes a good facilitator, the best tools for remote open spaces and the value of getting everyone co-creating together. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

HOWARD SUBLETT is the CEO and Chief Product Owner of the Scrum Alliance. In this interview, we discuss how the Scrum Alliance had to pivot from giving in person to online trainings, the changes in Agile since the manifesto was released 20 years ago, Scrum for families, and managing boundaries. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com.

BEN TAYLOR is the founder of HomeWorkingClub.com, the "ultimate online resource for freelancers & home workers". In this interview, we discuss how to create a work routine that is productive and sustainable, how to manage your energy levels, and how to start working as a freelancer. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

ROWENA HENNIGAN is a remote work skills specialist at RoRemote, a lecturer at Technological University Dublin, and the author of Better Breaks For Remote Workers: Gentle Exercises To Recharge. In this interview we talk about how to create a self care plan that allows for a sustainable work life balance. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

This has not been an easy year, but if we've learned anything, it's that we're all in it together. The global north, south, east, west -- no country has come away unscathed. For the families who have lost loved ones, we send our most heartfelt sympathies. And for the millions of people around the world who have had to endure strict lockdowns, you have our support. We hope that you and those around you are and remain safe. We are privileged to have you as a customer, friend and collaborator. In this unprecedented situation, we have been working hard to continue serving you and provide the best and most current information available. Thank you for your business, your friendship, and your trust. We wish you a very happy holiday season and only good things in the year to come.

SARAH WEILER IS an L&D Designer & Disruptor, TEDx Speake, CEO & FaSILLYtator - Power of Uke™, Creator - Quitting Quadrant® + Carousel™. In this interview we talk about how playing the ukulele can helps us with empathy, creativity, and dealing with uncertainty. And why a "tech free Thursday" could be a good idea. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

VERN HOWARD is the CEO and Founder of Hallo, a diversity recruiting platform that helps connect college students with companies for job opportunities. In this interview, we talk about what is wrong with traditional recruitment, how going online levels the playing field, and how Covid and spurred innovation in recruitment. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

NAGESH SHARMA is the CEO of FlowSphere AG, a company that helps others with their Lean-Agile digital transformations. In this interview we discuss how to take training, coaching, and consulting online and how to create a resilient organization that practices radical candor. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

CARLOS ESCUTIA is the CEO of GroWrk, a smart remote office management platform that enables companies to supply employees with premium home workspaces. In this interview, we discuss what makes a healthy and productive remote office, how to deal with conflict, and how to create a safe environment for remote discussions. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

EMILY MORGAN is an entrepreneurial leader with a compelling story and valuable insights to share with your podcast audience. She launched Delegate Solutions, a premium virtual assistance firm, 12 years ago as a 100% remote, flex work company. She's been featured on numerous podcasts and webinars and was recently featured by NBC for a wonderful idea she had to create a virtual kids camp to help the moms on our team get their work done AND take care of their families when COVID-19 hit - a great example of leadership, creativity, and empathy. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

JOSEPH YOUNG is the Founder and Director of Kuvio Creative, a full-service web design and development company. Kuvio Creative is a 100% remote company that believes in a 30 hour full time work week. In this interview, we discuss how to find your own ways of being productive, how to find work life balance, going more asynchronous, and bringing in more diversity into the workplace. For more stories, visit https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com

JOB VAN DER VOORT is the CEO at Remote, a company that will take care of global payroll, benefits, compliance, and taxes for your remote workers. In this interview we talk about what to look for when hiring remotely, bonding and company culture, and preventing burnout.

KATERINA TRAJCHEVSKA is the cofound and CEO at Adeva, a company of developers who help scale engineering teams on demand. In this interview we discuss how their company transitioned to remote work, how to hire remote developers, and how to deal with being always on. For more stories, visit www.collaborationsuperpowers.com