The High Five!

Episode 47 - Leading quiet remote teams

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 Review Inspired by Brett’s article, When Silence Isn’t a Red Flag: Leading Quiet Remote Teams [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/when-silence-isnt-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. [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/hybrid-isnt-the-problem-performative-leadership-is/] * When AI replaces us, what’s left? [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/when-ai-replaces-us-whats-left/] * From firefighters to forest rangers: rethinking how we prevent burnout on teams [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/from-firefighters-to-forest-rangers-rethinking-how-we-prevent-burnout-on-teams/] * Everyone wants to quit. But what are we really running from? [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/everyone-wants-to-quit-but-what-are-we-really-running-from/] * The myth of the unicorn employee is hurting real humans [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/the-myth-of-the-unicorn-employee-is-hurting-real-humans/] The Ask Buy our new 1:1 playbook and immediately improve your leadership! https://sameteampartners.com/1-on-1-playbook/ [https://sameteampartners.com/1-on-1-playbook/] The Hit List Check out the full list on our website: https://sameteampartners.com/thehighfive/episode-47-leading-quiet-remote-teams [https://sameteampartners.com/thehighfive/episode-47-leading-quiet-remote-teams] The High Five This 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.

Episode 46 - Enough with the user manuals

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 Huddle The 1:1 Playbook is live! [https://sameteampartners.com/1-on-1-playbook/] 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 Review Greg’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 work * How trust gets built (and broken) in remote teams * The hidden cost of replacing relationships with documentation * What leaders can do instead The Ask Buy 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 Playbook [https://sameteampartners.com/1-on-1-playbook/] The Hit List What we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week: Listening: The Logical Song [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuinvmsRGNY](cover by The Greystones) — A bunch of talented kids bring fresh magic to this Supertramp classic. Golden Hour [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maONL_HfI20&ref=brettharned.com] by Kacey Musgraves — Grammy gold, and the emotional balm we needed this week. Watching: My Darling Clementine [https://www.criterion.com/films/28570-my-darling-clementine] — Greg went full Criterion cowboy and he’s not wrong. A slow burn that hits. The Long Way Round [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/long-way-home/umc.cmc.26p8x4co2wl0ztetek4gmkf6r?ref=brettharned.com] — Ewan McGregor + motorcycles + aging adventure = Brett’s current comfort TV. Reading: Abundance [https://www.amazon.com/Abundance-Progress-Takes-Ezra-Klein-ebook/dp/B0C7RLJSQD] by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson — Smart, hopeful, grounded. This one’s sneaky good. Writing: Project management is a leadership role. Start acting like it. [https://brettharned.com/project-management-is-a-leadership-role-start-acting-like-it/] The Deep Cut 003: Adventure on [https://brettharned.com/the-deep-cut-003-a/] The High Five This week’s high five goes to: the sweet, sweet thrill of launching a digital product. We made a thing [https://sameteampartners.com/1-on-1-playbook/]. We put a price on it. We hit publish. That’s worth celebrating.

Episode 45 - When vulnerability backfires

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 Huddle Brett’s launching DPM Summer School [https://bureauofdigital.com/event/dpm-summer-school] Greg’s geeking out in Figma and following the latest product drops from Config The Review When vulnerability backfires [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/when-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 teams [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/celebrating-small-wins-how-recognition-builds-resilient-teams/] * Building stronger teams through consistent recognition [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/building-stronger-teams-through-consistent-recognition/]The Ask The Ask Are 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 [highfive@sameteampartners.com] — we’re listening. The Hit List What we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week: Listening: * Foo Fighters [https://medium.com/micro-chop/david-grohl-recorded-the-entire-foo-fighters-self-titled-debut-in-one-week-d4ea153b1c6a] (self-titled debut) Writing: * It's time we stopped asking for vases. [https://brilliantcrank.com/its-time-we-stopped-asking-for-vases/] * Thinking about going out on your own? Read this first. [https://brettharned.com/thinking-about-going-out-on-your-own-read-this-first/] * Project management isn’t dead. AI just made it more human. [https://brettharned.com/project-management-isnt-dead-ai-just-made-it-more-human/] Watching: * Sinners [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinners_(2025_film)] * Warfare [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JER0Fkyy3tw&themeRefresh=1] Reading: * Abundance [https://www.amazon.com/Abundance-Progress-Takes-Ezra-Klein-ebook/dp/B0C7RLJSQD] by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson The High Five The next playbook is in the works. Stay tuned for the drop!

Episode 44 - Burnout and empathy

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 Huddle Brett’s prepping for a new panel on explosive career moments [https://theagilenetwork.com/event/4131b411-b8b7-4342-bf15-f09c6c433d16/ROUND_TABLE], while Greg is mentally checking out under blue skies. Spring is here, but burnout is still top of mind. The Review Burnout isn’t just yours to manage—it’s yours to notice [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/burnout-isnt-just-yours-to-manage-its-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 teams [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/why-continuous-learning-is-essential-for-building-resilient-teams/] * How to build resilient teams through continuous learning and development [https://sameteampartners.com/how-to-build-resilient-teams-through-continuous-learning-and-development/] The Ask Join us for our first-ever live event: The Huddle 🗓 Wednesday, May 7, 2025 🕧 12:30–1:00pm ET Register now [https://sameteampartners.com/the-huddle/]—it’s free! The Hit List What we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week: Listening: * Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions by Taylor Swift [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folklore:_The_Long_Pond_Studio_Sessions] * INXS Listen Like Thieves [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBtlTHYRScY] Writing: * Open to work is the new tip of the sword [https://brilliantcrank.com/open-to-work-is-the-new-tip-of-the-sword/] * When “do what you love” stops loving you back [https://brettharned.com/when-do-what-you-love-stops-loving-you-back/] * Make no mistake, employees will always be just a line item [https://brilliantcrank.com/make-no-mistake-employees-will-always-be-just-a-line-item/] * Leadership lessons from Taylor Swift [https://brettharned.com/leadership-lessons-from-taylor-swift-communication-collaboration-culture/] Watching: * Your Friends & Neighbors on Apple TV+ [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/your-friends--neighbors/umc.cmc.74o37kzay0yuuub8iumddjsg] The High Five High five to everyone choosing empathy and compassion over control and burnout. The world needs more of it—especially at work.

Episode 43 - Not hiding

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 Huddle We kick things off with a moment of awe (and side-eye and plenty of giggles) for Katy Perry’s Blue Origin space launch [https://in.mashable.com/science/92693/katy-perry-kisses-earth-after-11-minute-space-trip-internet-welcomes-back-with-hilarious-sunita-will]. Then we get into what’s actually on our minds: the growing sense of solidarity amid burnout. The Review What if it’s not work that’s burning us out? [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/what-if-its-not-work-thats-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 [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/] this week: * Why psychological safety fuels creativity and problem solving [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/why-psychological-safety-fuels-creativity-and-problem-solving/] * Creating psychological safety for innovation and trust [https://sameteampartners.com/samepage/creating-psychological-safety-for-innovation-and-trust/] The Ask Join us for our first-ever live event: The Huddle 🗓 Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 12:30–1:00pm ET Register now [https://sameteampartners.com/the-huddle/]—it’s free! The Hit List What we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week: Listening: * Northport by Bonobo * Spike Island by Pulp Writing: * Burnout but make it existential [https://brettharned.com/burnout-but-make-it-existential/] * Kindness feels radical [https://www.brilliantcrank.com/kindness-feels-radical/] Reading: * Harriett Tubman: Live in Concert: A Notel by Bob the Drag Queen [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Harriet-Tubman-Live-in-Concert/Bob-the-Drag-Queen/9781668061978] Watching: * Lazarus [https://www.adultswim.com/videos/lazarus] * Adolescence on Netflix [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk5OxqtpBR4] The High Five This 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.