Sales drives revenue and growth, while compliance ensures adherence to laws, regulations, and ethical standards. In heavily regulated industries such as finance, education, and technology, these two functions should operate as partners. However, cultural attitudes often position compliance as an obstacle to sales, creating friction that undermines organizational integrity and long-term success (Smith, 2023).
The Adversarial Dynamic Between Sales and Compliance
Sales teams frequently view compliance as a barrier to closing deals quickly. Compliance departments, on the other hand, see themselves as guardians against risk, fraud, and regulatory violations. This tension is particularly pronounced in mortgage finance, where strict regulations govern lending practices. Having worked in mortgage financial compliance for two decades, I have witnessed firsthand how this cultural divide can lead to inefficiencies, strained relationships, and even regulatory penalties (Johnson, 2024).
Compliance as the Sword and Shield
Compliance is not the enemy of sales—it is the sword and shield that protects both the company and its clients. In industries like finance, compliance ensures transparency, prevents fraud, and safeguards consumer trust. Without robust compliance, organizations risk fines, reputational damage, and legal consequences that can far outweigh short-term sales gains (Brown, 2022).
Changing the Business Culture
The adversarial mindset must shift toward collaboration. Sales and compliance should share a common goal: sustainable growth within regulatory boundaries. This requires leadership commitment, cross-functional training, and technology solutions that streamline compliance without slowing down sales processes (Taylor, 2023).
Practical Strategies for Alignment
• Implement joint training programs to build mutual understanding. • Use compliance technology to automate checks and reduce friction. • Foster open communication channels between sales and compliance teams. • Align incentives so that compliance is seen as a value-add, not a hurdle.
Conclusion
Sales is vital for business success, but compliance is equally critical in regulated industries. By reframing compliance as a strategic partner rather than an adversary, organizations can protect their reputation, reduce risk, and enable sustainable growth. After 20 years in mortgage financial compliance, I firmly believe this cultural shift is not optional—it is essential for the future of ethical business practices (Forbes Coaches Council, 2025).
References
Brown, L. (2022). Compliance and risk management in financial services. Journal of Regulatory Compliance, 18(2), 45-59.
Johnson, R. (2024). Cultural conflicts in mortgage finance. Mortgage Compliance Review, 12(1), 33-47.
Smith, J. (2023). Sales vs compliance: A necessary partnership. Business Ethics Quarterly, 29(3), 78-92.
Taylor, M. (2023). Technology solutions for compliance integration. Tech in Business, 30(2), 88-101.
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Women in leadership often face a unique and persistent challenge: the double bind of communication expectations. While assertiveness is celebrated in male leaders, women who exhibit similar behaviors are frequently labeled as “aggressive” or “abrasive” (Lim, 2025). Conversely, when women soften their tone to avoid criticism, they risk being perceived as lacking authority or confidence (Muselman, 2025). This disconnect creates a frustrating paradox for women striving to lead effectively while remaining true to themselves.
The Criticism Behind Tone and Assertiveness
Feedback such as “don’t communicate so aggressively” often stems from entrenched gender norms that equate leadership with traditionally masculine traits like dominance and decisiveness (Eagly, 2024). Women who challenge these norms by speaking directly or advocating strongly for their ideas may encounter resistance, even when their approach mirrors that of male counterparts (Mann, 2025). These criticisms are not always malicious; they can reflect unconscious bias or cultural expectations within organizations.
Rather than internalizing such feedback as a personal failing, women can view it through the lens of managing up understanding their manager’s perspective while maintaining authenticity (Forbes Coaches Council, 2025). This approach allows leaders to take criticism “with a grain of salt,” using it as data rather than a directive, and to refine their communication style without compromising their values.
Authentic Leadership as the Antidote
Authentic leadership emphasizes self-awareness, transparency, and alignment between values and actions (Avolio & Gardner, 2005). For women, authenticity is not just a leadership style—it’s a survival strategy in systems that often demand conformity. Leading authentically means rejecting the notion that success requires mimicking dominant norms and instead embracing one’s natural strengths, such as empathy, collaboration, and integrity (Batra, 2025).
Authenticity also mitigates burnout. Research shows that behaving in ways misaligned with personal values is exhausting and unsustainable (Center for Creative Leadership, 2025). Women who cultivate authentic leadership practices—such as clarifying priorities, setting boundaries, and communicating with intentionality—are better equipped to thrive and inspire trust.
Managing Your Boss While Building Authentic Leadership
One of the most overlooked leadership skills is the ability to manage upward—strategically, influencing and aligning with your boss while staying true to your own leadership identity. For women developing an authentic leadership style, this concept is especially powerful because it shifts the narrative from passive compliance to proactive partnership.
Why Managing Up Matters Managing your boss isn’t about manipulation; it’s about creating clarity, trust, and mutual success. When you understand your boss’s priorities, communication style, and decision-making process, you can anticipate needs and position your ideas effectively. This not only strengthens your credibility but also ensures your team’s work aligns with organizational goals.
Authenticity as a Strategic Advantage Women often face pressure to conform to traditional leadership norms—assertive yet not “too assertive,” collaborative but not “too soft.” Managing up authentically means rejecting these rigid expectations and leading from your values. Instead of mimicking someone else’s style, leverage your strengths—whether that’s empathy, strategic thinking, or adaptability—to build influence without sacrificing integrity.
Practical Strategies for Managing Up Authentically
Clarify Expectations: Schedule regular check-ins to understand priorities and successful metrics.
Communicate Your Vision: Share how your approach supports organizational goals while reflecting your leadership values.
Offer Solutions, Not Problems: Frame challenges with actionable recommendations to demonstrate initiative.
Build Trust Through Transparency: Be honest about constraints and progress; authenticity thrives on openness.
Managing your boss is not about diminishing your voice—it’s about amplifying it in a way that fosters collaboration and positions you as a trusted leader. When done well, it becomes a cornerstone of authentic leadership development.
Remote vs. Leadership In-Person: Different Dynamics
The rise of remote work adds another layer of complexity. In-person leadership often relies on visible presence, spontaneous interactions, and nonverbal cues to establish authority and rapport (Gaffney, 2025). Remote leadership, by contrast, demands heightened clarity, trust-building, and intentional communication to compensate for the absence of physical proximity (Younger, 2025). Women leaders navigating remote environments may find that tone and word choice carry even greater weight when visual context is limited, amplifying the risk of misinterpretation.
Authentic leadership principles apply in both settings, but remote leadership requires additional strategies:
Structured communication to prevent ambiguity.
Empathy-driven engagement to maintain connection.
Technology fluency to foster collaboration across distances.
Managing Your Boss While Building Authentic Leadership
One of the most overlooked leadership skills is the ability to manage upward—strategically influencing and aligning with your boss while staying true to your own leadership identity. For women developing an authentic leadership style, this concept is especially powerful because it shifts the narrative from passive compliance to proactive partnership.
Why Managing Up Matters Managing your boss isn’t about manipulation; it’s about creating clarity, trust, and mutual success. When you understand your boss’s priorities, communication style, and decision-making process, you can anticipate needs and position your ideas effectively. This not only strengthens your credibility but also ensures your team’s work aligns with organizational goals.
Authenticity as a Strategic Advantage Women often face pressure to conform to traditional leadership norms—assertive yet not “too assertive,” collaborative but not “too soft.” Managing up authentically means rejecting these rigid expectations and leading from your values. Instead of mimicking someone else’s style, leverage your strengths—whether that’s empathy, strategic thinking, or adaptability—to build influence without sacrificing integrity.
Practical Strategies for Managing Up Authentically
Clarify Expectations: Schedule regular check-ins to understand priorities and success metrics.
Communicate Your Vision: Share how your approach supports organizational goals while reflecting your leadership values.
Offer Solutions, Not Problems: Frame challenges with actionable recommendations to demonstrate initiative.
Build Trust Through Transparency: Be honest about constraints and progress; authenticity thrives on openness.
Managing your boss is not about diminishing your voice, it’s about amplifying it in a way that fosters collaboration and positions you as a trusted leader. When done well, it becomes a cornerstone of authentic leadership development.
Moving Forward
The disconnect between expectations and reality for women leaders will not disappear overnight. However, by reframing criticism as context rather than command, embracing authentic leadership, and adapting to the nuances of remote and in-person environments, women can lead with confidence and integrity.
Organizations also bear responsibility. Leadership development programs must dismantle systemic biases and create cultures that value diverse leadership styles. Authenticity should not be a liability—it should be the standard.
References
Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.001
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Remote Work and Relationship Building: Debunking Misconceptions
The debate over remote work’s impact on relationships, both personal and professional, has intensified in recent years. In a recent interview on Real Time with Bill Maher, Scott Galloway suggested that remote work hinders the ability to build meaningful connections (Maher, 2025). While Galloway’s perspective reflects traditional workplace norms, it overlooks critical shifts in how relationships-romantic and professional, are formed in the modern era.
Misconceptions About Remote Work and Relationships Galloway’s argument assumes that physical proximity is essential for relationship development. Historically, many romantic relationships began in the workplace, but this trend has declined significantly. Research shows that online dating has become the most common way couples meet in the U.S., with nearly half of all relationships starting online (Wisniewska, 2025). This shift has been positive for workplace culture and the economy, reducing risks associated with office romances, such as conflicts of interest and harassment concerns.
The Rise of Online Dating Online dating platforms dominate the romantic landscape, with apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge leading the way. According to Pew Research Center, 30% of U.S. adults have used online dating platforms, and 12% have entered long-term relationships or marriages through them (Pew Research Center, 2023). Personally, I met my husband online in 2019, and we recently celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary, a testament to the success of digital matchmaking.
Remote Work and Business Relationship Building Contrary to Galloway’s claims, remote work does not eliminate opportunities for professional networking; it transforms them. Companies now invest in virtual networking events, online collaboration platforms, and remote team-building activities to foster connections (World Reporter, 2025). These initiatives enhance morale and support career growth without requiring physical presence.
Moreover, remote work promotes work-life balance, enabling employees to cultivate friendships and hobbies outside of work. European countries exemplify this approach, prioritizing flexible schedules and personal well-being to reduce burnout and encourage social engagement (Remote, 2025).
Why Work Friends Shouldn’t Be Your Closest Friends While collegiality is important, making workplace peers your primary social circle can create unhealthy dynamics. Competition for promotions and resources often strains these relationships. Encouraging employees to build strong networks outside of work supports mental health and reduces workplace drama.
Conclusion Remote work does not erode relationships; it redefines them. Romantic partnerships increasingly begin online, and professional connections thrive through intentional virtual strategies. Galloway’s perspective reflects an outdated paradigm that fails to account for technological and cultural evolution. Embracing remote work and its networking potential is not only feasible—it is essential for modern business success.
References
Maher, B. (2025, November 14). Real Time with Bill Maher [Television series episode]. HBO.
Pew Research Center. (2023). Key findings about online dating in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org
Wisniewska, M. J. (2025). Percentage of relationships that start online: Latest statistics. Break the Cycle. Retrieved from https://www.breakthecycle.org
World Reporter. (2025, April 14). The impact of remote working on businesses. Retrieved from https://worldreporter.com
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In the age of remote and hybrid work, collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams have become essential tools for communication, project management, and productivity. But as organizations increasingly leverage these platforms to monitor employee activity, a troubling trend has emerged: the transformation of Teams into ‘bossware.’
Bossware refers to software used by employers to surveil workers—tracking keystrokes, mouse movements, time spent in meetings, and even presence indicators. While Microsoft Teams wasn’t initially designed for this purpose, its integration with Microsoft 365’s productivity analytics and its real-time status features have made it a convenient tool for digital oversight. And that’s where the problem begins.
The Slippery Slope of Surveillance
When Teams is used to monitor employee behavior—such as how often someone is ‘available,’ how long they’re in meetings, or how quickly they respond to messages—it shifts from being a collaboration tool to a control mechanism. This undermines trust, erodes psychological safety, and can lead to a toxic work environment. Surveillance doesn’t measure productivity—it measures presence. And presence isn’t always a proxy for performance.
Why This Approach Fails
1. It penalizes neurodivergent workers. For employees with ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergent traits, productivity often looks different. They may work in bursts, need breaks to regulate focus, or prefer asynchronous communication. Bossware-style monitoring punishes these natural rhythms and reinforces ableist norms (Vargas-Salas et al., 2025; Marschall, 2025).
2. It discourages deep work. Constant status checks and pressure to appear ‘active’ can lead to performative busyness. Employees may feel compelled to stay online or in meetings just to be seen, rather than doing meaningful, focused work.
3. It erodes trust. Surveillance signals that leadership doesn’t trust its team. This can lead to disengagement, burnout, and high turnover—especially among remote workers who already face challenges in visibility and inclusion (Millington, 2025).
4. It’s a poor substitute for good management. If managers rely on Teams to tell them who’s working, they’re missing the bigger picture. Effective leadership involves setting clear goals, offering support, and evaluating outcomes—not micromanaging activity.
What Should Teams Be Used For?
Microsoft Teams shines when it’s used for:
– Facilitating communication across time zones and work styles.
– Supporting collaboration through shared documents, channels, and meetings.
– Creating inclusive workflows that accommodate different needs and preferences.
– Empowering autonomy by enabling asynchronous updates and flexible scheduling.
A Better Way Forward
Instead of using Teams as bossware, organizations should:
– Focus on outcomes, not activity.
– Design inclusive policies that respect neurodiversity and remote work realities.
– Train managers to lead with empathy and clarity, not control.
– Use analytics ethically, with transparency and consent.
Remote work isn’t about replicating the office online—it’s about reimagining work for flexibility, equity, and sustainability. Turning collaboration tools into surveillance systems is a step backward.
Vargas-Salas, O., Alcazar-Gonzales, C., Fernández-Fernández, F. A., Molina-Rodríguez, F. N., Paredes-Velazco, R., & Carcausto-Zea, M. L. (2025). Neurodivergence and the workplace: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 63(1), 83–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/10522263251337564
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In today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected work environments, mental health is no longer a personal issue—it’s a business imperative. One of the most pressing concerns is burnout, a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. Left unaddressed, burnout can devastate employee well-being and cost companies millions in lost productivity, turnover, and healthcare expenses.
What Causes Burnout?
Burnout is multifaceted, but common workplace-related causes include:
Unmanageable workloads
Lack of control or autonomy
Poor communication or unclear expectations
Toxic workplace culture
Insufficient recognition or reward
Lack of work-life balance
Isolation or lack of social support
Burnout doesn’t arise in a vacuum—it’s the result of systemic issues within the workplace. When employees face unmanageable workloads, lack autonomy, receive poor communication, or feel unsupported and undervalued, their mental and emotional reserves are quickly depleted. These conditions not only erode individual well-being but also ripple outward, impacting organizational health. The cumulative effect of these stressors leads to disengagement, absenteeism, and ultimately, burnout. For companies, the consequences are tangible and costly. From lost productivity and increased turnover to rising healthcare expenses and presenteeism, burnout becomes a financial liability that undermines performance and profitability. Addressing the root causes is not just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic one.
The Cost of Burnout to Companies
Burnout isn’t just a personal struggle—it’s a financial liability. According to the World Health Organization and Gallup:
Burnout contributes to $300 billion annually in lost productivity globally.
Turnover costs can be up to 150% of an employee’s salary.
Healthcare costs rise due to stress-related illnesses.
Presenteeism (working while unwell) leads to poor performance and errors.
How Remote Work Can Help Reduce Burnout
Remote work, when implemented thoughtfully, can be a powerful tool to reduce burnout. It offers flexibility, reduces commuting stress, and allows employees to better manage their personal and professional lives. Remote work can also empower employees with greater autonomy and help foster a more inclusive and balanced work environment.
Remote work has emerged as a powerful strategy for mitigating burnout by offering employees greater flexibility, autonomy, and control over their work environments. By eliminating long commutes and allowing individuals to tailor their schedules to better suit personal and family needs, remote work supports a healthier work-life balance—one of the key factors in preventing burnout. For businesses, embracing remote work can lead to increased employee satisfaction, reduced turnover, and enhanced productivity. It also enables organizations to tap into a broader talent pool, fostering diversity and inclusion. When implemented with thoughtful policies and strong communication practices, remote work can transform workplace culture into one that prioritizes well-being and resilience.
What Companies Can Do to Prevent Burnout
Promote psychological safety by encouraging open communication and feedback.
Design sustainable workloads aligned with employee capacity and strengths.
Offer flexibility in hours and remote work options.
Recognize and reward employee efforts regularly.
Invest in mental health resources such as counseling and wellness programs.
Train managers in empathetic leadership to recognize and respond to burnout.
Foster connection through team bonding and peer support.
What Employees Can Do to Protect Their Mental Health
Set boundaries to define clear work hours and protect personal time.
Prioritize self-care through exercise, hobbies, sleep, and mindfulness.
Speak up and communicate needs to managers or HR.
Seek support from employee assistance programs or therapy.
Monitor energy levels and take breaks before reaching burnout.
Practice time management to stay organized and reduce overwhelm.
While organizations play a critical role in shaping workplace culture and mitigate burnout through thoughtful policies and leadership practices, employees also have agency in managing their own well-being. When companies foster psychological safety, offer flexibility, and invest in mental health resources, they create an environment where individuals feel empowered to set boundaries, prioritize self-care, and seek support. This shared responsibility between employers and employees is essential for cultivating a resilient workforce. By aligning organizational strategies with personal wellness practices, businesses and their teams can work together to prevent burnout and promote a healthier, more sustainable way of working.
A Culture of Care Is a Competitive Advantage
Mental health is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Companies that prioritize well-being foster loyalty, innovation, and resilience. Employees who feel supported are more engaged, productive, and fulfilled. Addressing burnout is not just about avoiding harm; it’s about cultivating a thriving workplace where everyone can do their best work.
Shifrin, N. V., & Michel, J. S. (2022). Flexible work arrangements and employee health: A meta-analytic review. Work & Stress, 36(1), 60–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2021.1936287
Kelloway, E. K., Dimoff, J. K., & Gilbert, S. (2023). Mental health in the workplace. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 363–387. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-050527
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The Yahoo News article “Meet the Millennial Managers Stuck Between Boomer Bosses and Gen Z Workers” (Lichtenberg, 2025) accurately captures the unique pressures faced by millennial managers. However, the discussion must go deeper. The stress these managers face is symptomatic of broader systemic issues—economic instability, workplace PTSD, burnout, and the mismanagement of remote work—that are harming the workforce and threatening organizational safety.
Burnout is more than fatigue—it is a safety risk. According to the American Psychological Association (2023), burnout results from chronic workplace stress and leads to emotional exhaustion, detachment, and reduced efficacy. It is associated with increased risks of depression, insomnia, heart disease, and cognitive impairments that can compromise workplace safety.
Remote work, while offering flexibility, can also isolate employees and blur boundaries between work and life. This often happens when leadership does not understand that remote work modality is not a translation of in person work but an entirely different form of work. Without proper structure and support, remote environments can intensify disconnection and anxiety. My research at DrStephanieBeardBareRemoteResearch.org highlights how remote mismanagement contributes to burnout and workplace disengagement.
Economic stress further compounds these issues. Pinheiro, Ivandic, & Razzouk (2017) found that mental disorders such as depression and anxiety are leading causes of productivity loss in the workplace. Job stress, poor organizational dynamics, and lack of career development opportunities are major contributors to poor mental health and low productivity.
Unresolved trauma and chronic stress can escalate into workplace violence. The CDC (Schulte et al., 2024) reports that workers exposed to high job strain and psychosocial hazards are at increased risk for PTSD, depression, and violent incidents.
To address these challenges, organizations must invest in trauma-informed leadership, mental health resources, and inclusive remote work policies. Practical steps include: – Conducting regular burnout assessments – Offering flexible work arrangements – Providing access to mental health professionals – Training managers in empathy and psychological safety – Creating mentorship programs and career development pathways
Millennial managers are not just stuck—they are signaling a deeper organizational crisis. By listening to their experiences and implementing strategic reforms, we can build healthier, safer, and more productive workplaces.
Pinheiro, M., Ivandic, I., & Razzouk, D. (2017). The economic impact of mental disorders and mental health problems in the workplace. In D. Razzouk (Ed.), Mental health economics: The costs and benefits of psychiatric care (pp. 415–430). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55266-8_28
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It has finally happened. I have finally finished my dissertation, and the dissertation committee accepted my final defense. I officially hold a Doctorate in Business Administration from Concordia University Chicago. I would have posted earlier, but I needed to recollect myself. It was truly emotional for me.
Based on my research, remote work has been viable since the 1980s. Still, it has never been put into widespread action due to the researchers looking primarily at the leadership perspective and feeling it would hurt productivity. However, the findings from the current research on COVID lockdowns and the Bureau of Labor and Statistics show no remote effect on productivity. This means hard-working parents like my mother and grandmother could have had a better work-life balance to make more time for the families they worked so hard to provide for, which is bittersweet. My children and I have been blessed with my ability to work remotely for the past 12 years, so my sons are always a priority. This is something more parents are starting to gain, but there is still a long way to go.
I am hopeful that my research will help further the fact that remote work is indeed here to stay.
I want to start out by saying there is no shame or blame negativity towards those who are stay-at-home parents or Stay-at-home moms, also known as SAHM or SAHP. The fact is that for many families the ability to have a stay-at-home parent that does not work remotely is a luxury not all can afford. Remote work is a way for a working parent to have some work-life balance, have more time with family, and have the benefits of throwing a load of laundry in the wash during breaks or throwing some food in the crockpot so dinner is ready after work. Although I have been a mother with an infant while working from home there is a difference between the two.
Speaking from previous experiences and the current experiences relayed to me by friends, colleagues, and in my research, many remote workers with a partner who worked in person or hybrid, especially before COVID, were regarded as being SAHP and viewing their work and finances as less than. Which is the root of my post today. This being the last week of Women’s History Month in the US, it is customary (unfortunately) to deem household and childcare responsibilities squarely on a woman’s shoulders and to devalue these contributions. The fact that SAHM/ SAHP are disregarded for the hard work they do for their family is unfair and inappropriate. However, so is devaluing working parents who work remotely to attempt to have a work-life balance to provide for and support their family.
Speaking from my personal experience when I was first working from home, and my sons were infants and toddlers in my first marriage, the verbalized opinion from family and my ex-partner was that as a remote worker, I should also be able to care for my children, have a spotless home, and dress up like a 1950’s housewife and serve drinks for those working in person. All while keeping my business productivity high and being happy about my extra-earned responsibilities as a mother and primary breadwinner. But that is not sustainable! Even for SAHM/ SAHP, that view is not sustainable. Parenthood comes with ups and downs, and the acceptance that nothing will ever be perfect is a full-time job as well. Remote workers forced into this social view are expected to work three plus jobs at once.
I am truly blessed my current husband has no such expectations of me and instead works with me to help coordinate help in our home so that I can relax, work, study, research, and be a wonderful mom. I am really lucky my children and my husband all support my work and value the importance of my research to help other working parents have the opportunity to keep showing their love for their family through the hard work to provide for them and still being able to be present and at the moment with their families.
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, let us all work together to support both working parents and stay-at-home parents as they show love to their families through hard work and dedication.
Seeing how society views remote working parents and devaluing stay-at-home parents, I am seeking volunteers who are either remote working parents or stay-at-home parents to participate in a survey to look at this devaluation of work. My theory is that once we understand the hard work both sides put into raising a family and talk about it publicly the sooner, we can see the truth of remote work being a great tool for helping with mental health in the workplace by creating a work-life balance and not an excuse to shame people for having children.
If you are interested in participating in this research, please send an email with your name, contact information and a link to one of your social media sites preferably LinkedIn to stephanie.eubank@wickedbofthewestremoteconsulting.com With the subject Remote v SAHP.
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After working for eleven years in a remote modality (which means I have been remote before; remote was cool), I get a lot of questions from friends, colleagues, faculty members, students, and online followers asking how do I stay productive? These questions grow when people learn of my Dyslexia and ADHD diagnosis. To be fair, it has been a long journey to get a diagnosis of ADHD, like many women in our 30’s, as we do not present the same way as men or boys. (Women and girls must emotionally mask symptoms to fit in as a natural defense mechanism). There are also helpful tools that I have gained from my work within the disabled community, nonprofit sectors, and the college educational sector. One of those tricks to helping to increase my motivation and productivity remotely is body doubling.
Body doubling, in a nutshell, is being able to double where you choose to work with one or more people in the room. This is further explained as a motivation tool (Washington, 2023) and how it helps workers and students function more effectively. For many ADHD people, it is the feeling of accountability as there are others in the room to give that vibe of people counting on you or people watching you.
For me, I do what is called audio processing (Gomez & Condon, 1999); in essence, I talk it out even when there is only me listening. I find it funny when working from home, and my husband hears me talking and goes, “Huh?” thinking I am talking to him. Although he is used to my symptoms and my imaginative responses of, “staff meeting, sorry.” Thinking out loud is a normal part of ADHD and Dyslexic adaptations to address complex information I am working with, especially in data analysis and qualitative results.
However, when working from home and it’s just me and the fur babies, especially post-COVID, I use the same method we use for the fur babies when no humans are home. I turn on the TV or leave an Amazon music station on. I am a wicked B of the West. I own that I need background sounds, so I trick myself into not being alone so that I have a faux body doubling.
Although it is a warning to people wanting to implement this trick for themselves. Please be sure to be in meetings to mute yourself. Sometimes, your musical stylings are not welcome. One of my mentors who recently passed had forgotten to mute himself using this skill and was singing Snoop Dog’s “Gin and Juice” and only realized everyone heard him because they all sang together the song’s hook. I have been caught belting Lin Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece “Hamilton” songs. Or, when singing with my kids while working, we sing Eminem and Dr Dre’s song, “Forgot About Dre,” as it has been a good tool with my son’s speech delay to help with the E sounds they used to get stuck on. The moral of the story if body doubling in whatever method works for you. Be sure your audience is suitable to your plans of audio processing and your ability to carry a tune.
I have had participants in my dissertation research detail getting into joint Microsoft Teams Meetings to help give a remote feeling of being back in the office to help spark more creative problem-solving. When they feel like they need to body double, they all get into a Teams meeting and chat together while they work. I find it a creative method for addressing social isolation that often affects remote workers.
These ADHD tools can be helpful for business leadership managing a remote and hybrid workforce but require more understanding and an evolution in organizational culture that welcomes new ways of thinking, along with a culture of inclusivity. We can’t afford as business leaders to not grow and change, which means tossing to the side old methods that don’t serve us anymore and embracing new ways to enhance the work experience.
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Gomez, R., & Condon, M. (1999). Central auditory processing ability in children with ADHD with and without learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 32(2), 150–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/002221949903200205
