From Remote Work To Parkland Activists: February’s Top Leadership Stories

This month we learned what happened when HubSpot’s entire marketing team worked remotely for a week, what it takes to devise a schedule you can actually follow, and some tech hacks for improving your productivity.

These are the stories you loved in Leadership for the month of February 2018:

1. What My Team Discovered When We All Worked Remotely For A Week

Remote working is becoming common practice these days, but many teams are still figuring out how to do it collaboratively and productively. HubSpot’s marketing team recently decided to experiment with remote working for a week, after more and more remote employees started to join the team. There were just three rules: no working in the office, everyone needed an internet connection with video, and no postponing meetings.

2. How To Create A Schedule That Really Works For You

There are often two types of schedulers: those who over-schedule, and those who under-schedule. Neither are great at getting things done. That’s not to say that everyone’s scheduling methods should be the same, but there are still a few common practices most people can stick to without driving themselves insane. Last month we learned what those are.

3. Four Simple Tech Hacks That Will Make You More Productive

You’ve probably been told that technology is ruining your productivity. But in the right circumstances, you can use it to improve your productivity. For starters, tracking your time is often easier to do electronically rather than writing everything down. And if you’re a workaholic who has trouble taking breaks, you can set reminders for when it’s time to step away from the keyboard.

4. Use These Five Tricks To Never Forget Something Important Again

“We all have a good memory; the problem is no one taught us how to use it,” Nelson Dellis, four-time USA Memory champion, told Stephanie Vozza last month. He’s honed a few tricks to keep his brain sharp that anyone can use in their day-to-day lives. For starters, suggests associating an easy-to-forget detail with something dramatic or exciting in order to remember it. These are a few of his other brain hacks.

5. Emotionally Intelligent Ways To Express These 5 Feelings At Work

While leaders need to show vulnerability now and then, they also need to gain their teams’ respect. In February Fast Company contributor Judith Humphrey suggested five ways to handle that balancing act, which is all about staying emotionally transparent without compromising your credibility–no matter what you’ve feeling at a given moment.

6. These Five Expressions Make All Your Emails Sound Whiny

Your brain is wired to read emails negatively. So chances are those replies you fired off on your phone during your commute probably sound a little curt to the recipient. Don’t worry, though, it’s an easy habit to change. All you have to do is avoid using a few phrases and be direct. Here are a few to cut, plus some alternative expressions to use in their place.

7. Feeling Stuck? Here Are 4 Exercises To Boost Your Creativity

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a creativity button that you can turn on or off? Unfortunately, those don’t exist yet. So last month RescueTime’s Jory MacKay shared a few methods for jumpstarting inspiration no matter what’s holding it back–whether it’s your inner self-critic or a surfeit of choices.

8. Five Tips For Launching A Successful Side Hustle (For Real This Time)

Launching a side hustle is no easy feat; it takes deliberate planning and hard work to succeed. But even that might not be enough, especially if you want to turn it into your full-time gig someday. Side-hustle aficionado Ryan Robinson asked five successful entrepreneurs on the strategies they used to take their side projects to the big time. Here’s what they told him.

9. The Parkland Teens Are Part Of A Long Line Of Kids Who Led Social Change

After witnessing the murder of their high-school classmates at the hands of a gunman on February 14, the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, are forcing a national conversation about gun control in ways that adults haven’t managed to do. While they have a long fight ahead, their actions prove how instrumental kids can be in pushing for social change. Last month Fast Company’s Kathleen Davis looked back at moments in history where children and teens have led social movements, from marching for civil rights to striking for higher wages.

10. These Are 6 Red Flags That You Shouldn’t Take The Job

When you’re desperate for a job, it can be tempting to take the first offer that comes in without doing enough due diligence on the company or role. But ignoring red flags come at a price–so it’s best to pay attention to them early. A few of the big ones to watch out for? Take a look at how people present themselves, and whether your interviewer asks you any inappropriate questions.