The High Five!

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.

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: highfive@sameteampartners.com — 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'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 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 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? Rebuilding. Between career shifts, layoffs, and leadership changes, Greg wrote about the importance of rebuilding professional connections, and Brett reconnected with an old colleague through Chicago Camps’ Tent Talk—proving that sometimes, the right conversations happen at the right time.The Review: This Week’s TopicThe middle management trap: why it’s failing and how to fix itMiddle management used to be the stepping stone to leadership. Now? It’s a high-stress, low-reward role that no one wants. Companies are piling impossible expectations onto managers while stripping away the resources and training they need to succeed.We break down three key questions:What’s one thing you wish someone had told you before stepping into management? .Why are future leaders avoiding management roles? How do we fix it? We also published two new Teamangle articles this week:How shared language enhances team cohesionAvoid misinterpretations: developing a shared language for your teamThe AskWe’re launching our Same Team Partners newsletter—subscribe now at sameteampartners.com/subscribe. Our first issue drops on Tuesday!The Hit ListReading:Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future by Reid Hoffman Writing:DOGE isn’t making government more efficient—it’s just destroying people’s lives Your network is broken. Fix it like a human. Watching:Yellowstone Pivoting in Life: How to Use Your Transferable Skills with Betty Chan & Sean Murphy Listening:Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones by Madonna The High FiveThis week’s high five goes to Kris Fulton, who has been a game-changer in helping us refine our marketing strategy. We’re makers, not marketers—but she is showing us the way. Huge high-five for the impact Kris has already made! Thank you!

In this conversation, we discuss the concept of resilience in leadership, emphasizing the importance of team dynamics over individual endurance. We explore the challenges leaders face in maintaining resilience, the pitfalls of the hero mindset, and strategies for fostering collective resilience within teams. The HuddleWe're busy making more!We've got our next playbook ready to launch. Get ready to make your 1:1s better!Greg is working on our first "Huddle," which will be a free workshop session on 1:1sBrett is talking Teamangle at Chicago Tent Talks on March 4The ReviewWe dig into Brett's recent Same Page post, Resilience is not enough: leadership in 2025 requires more. This conversation explores how leaders can foster collective resilience by shifting away from the hero mindset and embracing shared responsibility. Key topics include:The challenges leaders face in maintaining resilienceThe pitfalls of the hero mindset in leadershipStrategies for building resilience within teamsThe importance of adaptability in uncertain environmentsWe also published two new Teamangle articles this week:Building bridges: practical steps for effective cross-functional collaborationHow the right tools drive team alignment and efficiencyThe AskOur first shipment of Teamangle Conversation Cards is out in the wild. Grab your deck today!The Hit ListBrett:Reading: Language: Why We Hear More Than WordsListening: Songs About You Specifically - Album by MICHELLEWatching: SNL 50 Concert - The Culps do Kendrick LamarEating: Post Malone OreosGreg:Reading: The Experience Economy By B. Joseph Pine II & James H. Gilmore Reading: The New Yorker 100The High Five!High five to resilience for keeping us moving, keeping us connected, and reminding us that we’re stronger together!

This episode dives into the biggest shake-up in project management in years—the PMI and Agile Alliance merger—and why digital project management (DPM) might be the missing piece in this new landscape. But not before Brett relives the glory days of the Eagles’ Super Bowl win, hoping for a win this weekend at Super Bowl LIX.The HuddleWe’re hitting the road—join us in person for some hands-on learning!Brett is set to facilitate a workshop at the Digital PM Summit this October in Portland, OR.Greg will be leading a workshop at Agile 2025, July 28-30 in Denver, CO.The ReviewThe recent merger between PMI and the Agile Alliance marks a pivotal moment for the project management industry, bringing together two historically opposing methodologies under one roof. This moment presents an opportunity for DPM to take its rightful place at the table—bridging the gap between Agile’s flexibility and PMI’s structured approach to create a more effective, people-first approach to project leadership.We explore:What does this merger mean for the future of project management?How this shift could impact teams.What we’d say to PMI and Agile Alliance leaders.We also published two new Teamangle articles this week:Unlocking team creativity through structured brainstormingWhy structured brainstorming creates innovative solutionsThe AskWant to hear more about fixing dysfunctional teams? Check out our Digital Project Management podcast episode with Galen Low: How To Identify & Fix Project Team Dysfunction Using Teamangle. Let’s make project teams stronger—one conversation at a time!The Hit ListBrett:Reading: When the mentor feels like an imposterListening: It’s a Mirror by Perfume GeniusWatching: Super Bowl LIXGreg:Reading: Unreasonable HospitalityListening: We, Arcade FireWatching: Night AgentThe High FiveWe sent our first proposal of the year! Get in touch if you want to work with Same Team!

While recapping his whirlwind day as a tourist in Dubai—where he presented Teamangle at the Dubai International Project Management Forum—Brett reflects on the value of meaningful connections. This ties into a critique of Airbnb’s CEO dismissing one-on-one meetings as a waste of time and comparing listening to employees to playing therapist—a mindset Brett sees as toxic bro culture masking as innovation.The discussion highlights the value of one-on-ones, the harm of toxic leadership rhetoric, and how leaders can create inclusive workplaces by fostering trust, empathy, and psychological safety. Balancing ambitious goals with supportive environments is key to better leadership.The ReviewThis week, we discuss Brett's Same Page article, Avoiding one-on-ones? That’s not leadership, that’s toxicity and the themes of the article surrounding the need for one-on-one meetings and how toxic bro culture has no place at work, no matter the industry.Plus, this week's Teamangle topics:Encouraging every voice: making team meetings inclusiveThe transformative effect of inclusivity on team morale and successThe AskWe want to hear from our listeners! What's on your mind? What topics resonate for you? Drop us a note at highfive@sameteampartners.com. We'd love to connect and hear what's top-of-mind for you. Who knows, maybe we'll bring it up on the show!The Hit ListBrett:Reading: How tech billionaires screwed us allListening: Stampede, Orville PeckWatching: RÜFÜS DU SOL - Live from Joshua TreeGreg:Reading: Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated CultureListening: Splinter - Sneaker PimpsWatching: American PrimevalThe High FiveBelieve it or not, the Teamangle Conversation Cards are shipping! Check out our shop next week to grab yours. And maybe grab a t-shirt too!

In this festive holiday edition of The High Five, we explore the Replay and Reset activity—a reflection and action-planning tool designed to help individuals and teams set clear, actionable goals for 2025. With the end of the year fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to pause, reflect, and reset for the year ahead. We’ll discuss why this framework is effective, share our personal experiences, and offer practical tips for integrating it into your team’s end-of-year planning.As a quick note, we’re taking next week off to enjoy the holidays, but we’ll be back in the new year with fresh ideas and insights to help you kick off 2025 on the right foot. So, grab some eggnog (or your festive beverage of choice), settle in, and let's dive into this year-end tradition together!The ReviewReplay and Reset — Reflect, refocus, and recharge for 2025 isn't just another blog article! It's an activity designed to help you start your year with focus. We talk about how we've used the exercise and maybe we should do this quarterly.The AskHave a happy holiday. Reach out to us in the new year to learn more about what we’re working on or to work with us. We are ready!Also, we have a webinar on January 23 at noon ET. Register now.The Hit ListGreg:Listening: Domi & JD BeckWatching: Stranger Things — Season 4Reading: A Producer Attempts to Pitch The NutcrackerBrett: Listening: It’s a Holiday Soul Party by Sharon Jones & The Dap KingsReading: Holidays on Ice by David SedarisWatching: National Lampoon's Christmas VacationThe High FiveThis week's high five is for breaks! Rest. Relaxation. Resetting. We hope you get some downtime over the holidays. We'll see you in 2025. Thanks so much for being a part of Same Team.

This episode explores the staggering statistics behind leadership mediocrity and discusses why so many managers fall short. We dive into actionable ways to align team goals, share a real story about the power of Teamangle Conversation Cards, and preview our upcoming free Teamangle webinar on December 12. Plus, we sprinkle some lighthearted banter about gym zombies and Brett’s Spotify Wrapped.The ReviewWe discuss Greg's post, Leadership’s legacy problem—and how to solve it, and unpack why 82% of managers struggle with leadership and discuss ways to address the legacy of poor leadership. From aligning team goals to creating accountability frameworks, we highlight how leaders can improve. Plus, we share a real-life example of how Teamangle Conversation Cards helped a team overcome misalignment and foster productive conversations.We also published two Teamangle articles this week:How to align goals for team successThe power of shared goals: how one team unified around a common purposeThe AskIf you’ve enjoyed the podcast, join us for our free Teamangle webinar on December 12 at noon ET. Here’s how you can help:Register now to gain practical strategies for better communication, collaboration, and culture.Share with a friend or colleague who could benefit from building stronger teams in 2025.Let’s make 2025 your team’s best year yet!The Hit ListBrett’s Picks:Listening: My embarrassing Spotify Wrapped.Reading: Pantone’s color of the year 2025Greg’s Picks:Listening: David Bowie’s 1. Outside.Watching: The PenguinReading: The General Intelligence Tsunami, Arena MagazineThe High FiveThis week’s high-five goes to our growing audience! Thanks to all who are signing up for the webinar, joining our email list, and connecting with us on LinkedIn. Your support keeps us inspired and excited to bring you even more great content!

In this episode of The High Five, Greg dives into his new project, Unseen, exploring the growing issue of loneliness and how it affects us all. Meanwhile, Brett reacts to a thought-provoking Behavioral Scientist article on "bursty communication," sparking a lively discussion on remote work, collaboration rhythms, and why the “watercooler” metaphor needs a reboot. Plus, a look into this week’s Teamangle posts and exciting updates about the first-ever Teamangle webinar!The Review Here’s what we covered this week:Another take on remote work: burstiness is the new watercoolerBrett reacts to an article from Behavioral Scientist, challenging the idea of the "watercooler" and offering a fresh perspective on remote team dynamics:Why "the watercooler" was never where work happened.How "burstiness" fosters focus and collaboration in remote teams.Teamangle Blog Highlights:Feedback that fuels growth: How one team’s open dialogue changed everythingClarity through confirmation: how feedback loops improve team communicationThe Ask We’re hosting our first-ever Teamangle webinar on December 12 at noon ET! Join us to learn about aligning, adapting, and achieving with your team. Register now!The Hit ListBrettListening: Live Through This by HoleWatching: Nobody Wants This on NetflixGregReading: The Physicist and The Comedian: Finding Your 12 Feynman Problems & Leveraging Martin Short’s 9 Categories to Be More ProductiveReading: Designing DXThe High Five This week’s high-five goes to us—for sending out email campaigns about Teamangle to all our contacts. It felt a little weird, but hey, this is business. Hate the game, not the player!

This week’s episode is packed with insights, updates, and reflections on hybrid work, our Teamangle content strategy, and more.We start with Brett’s story of waiting 3.5 hours in line to vote, giving him plenty of time to fill out our Election Day Burrito Bingo card, a fun project we pulled together Monday night.The Review This week’s topic focuses on the practicalities of hybrid work and why it shouldn’t be considered revolutionary—it’s just common sense. Brett shares his thoughts on a recent HBR article about Trip.com’s A/B testing of hybrid work, questioning the ethics and practicality of treating work modes as experiments. The conversation also reflects on previous experiences with hybrid work, where flexibility was embraced long before today’s technology made it even easier.This week, we published and are talking about:Why hybrid work isn’t revolutionary—it’s just common senseClear goals, clear results: defining your communication purposeElection Day survival guide: 10 ways to actually stay focused (or fake it) at workThe Ask We need your help spreading the word about Teamangle! If you know people who could benefit from Teamangle or have connections in the podcast world, reach out. We’d love the chance to talk about our insights and impact on other platforms.The Hit ListBrettListening: The Cure, Songs Of A Lost WorldReading: Your Duty Remains The SameGregListening: Underworld, Strawberry HotelReading: Freak Kingdom: Hunter S. Thompson’s Manic Ten-Year Crusade Against American Fascism by Timothy DeneviThe High Five High fives all around this week for Teamangle! The platform is solid, our offerings are ready, and we’ve got our game faces on. Here’s to an exciting launch and helping teams achieve their best year ever. LET'S GO!