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While at a recent ACMP NorCal event of change managers and leaders, we were asked to share our solutions for keeping Propeller teams energized and engaged amidst the seismic work upheaval resulting from changes and new demands of the pandemic. The way we see it, there are four elements for creating a human-centric culture of effective collaboration for any team, especially virtual teams. Time and time again, this activity increases the team’s joy and engagement, and often leads to a sense of belonging and connection, especially when an individual shares a story about a particular item. We’re excited to share these elements for creating a human-centric culture of effective collaboration, especially important for virtual teams.

Propel Her Event Recap: Boundaries and Balance in 2021 After nearly a year into working from home, it’s safe to say we're all still on the lookout for ways to balance good work at our jobs, maintain our physical and mental health, and nurture our relationships with family and friends. To cap off 2020, Propel Her (Propeller’s gender diversity initiative launched in 2017), hosted a leadership panel discussion, Boundaries & Balance: Finding Your Path in Unprecedented Times. Panelists including Propeller's own Amy Weeden, along with Heather Stewart, Global VP, COO, CSCO, The Village Company, and Angie Tomlinson, Principal Management Analyst, City of Portland Bureau of Development Services, shared their journey, perspectives, and tips on how they’ve worked to find a sustainable work/life balance while at home, and how they choose to model and lead this approach for their remote workforces. As a functional leader, I’m responsible for being an umbrella that protects my team from too much organizational pressure from the board or senior leadership, to be that filter that helps keep individuals focused on their role in support of key objectives and not become overwhelmed.

When you’re dealing with people’s lives, those are the corners of a training program you simply can’t afford to cut. Unfortunately, I’ve been in too many situations where users of new technology need to learn how to use it effectively but experience a large learning curve because the project hasn’t prioritized simulations. In an ideal world, a user could practice endless scenarios in a “sandbox” or training environment – completing activities, clicking buttons, observing “cause and effect” scenarios, or trying to “break” the system, without impacting real data. Learn more about Propeller’s capabilities in corporate training and readiness, part of our people-focused People & Change practice.

Sunil Kasturi, current Managing Director for the firm’s San Francisco office, will assume the new role of Chief Growth Officer for Propeller. In that time, he’s helped build a successful Portland consultancy team, moved into the Managing Director role for the San Francisco office, helped grow the Silicon Valley and Denver offices, and has mentored leaders across the firm to help up-level their roles and careers. In his new role, Sunil will continue to build out leadership capabilities across all offices, assist in the acquisition of new clients, pursue new geographic opportunities for the firm, and evolve and grow practice areas for Propeller. What keeps me excited about each new day is the feeling that I’ve never arrived: there are new leaders to grow, new clients to serve, new partnerships to build.