Focus can be hard in the digital age. When you log into work in the morning, the notifications can feel overwhelming. As Lady Gaga would say, “Every night. No sleep! Bus, club, 'nother club, 'nother club, plane, next place.” But more like, “Email, Twitter notification, Slack message, another Slack message, lunch at your desk, next meeting.” Getting into deep work can be difficult.

But then I look at Willow, my tiny cat. Every day she sits by the windowsill for hours, body tense and alert, watching the birds come to my fire escape. While she has never been an outdoor cat, there’s something in her brain that tells her to be on high alert, high focus for hours a day. It’s inspiring! I wish I could do it. But instead of giving in to jealousy, I’ve decided to learn from her.

My cat’s prime time for bird watching is when I’m working at my desk quietly a few feet away. The quiet is key. It’s way too hard for her to focus when I’m on a call or I need to make my bed so my meeting background isn’t dirty sheets. In general, finding a space to stay still and be quiet is key to really focusing.

2. Willow doesn’t need the internet all the time, do you?

My cat hates computers. If I leave my laptop near her she’ll sit on the keyboard until it overheats and turns off. Maybe she’s a Ludditte, but (as we know) Luddittes were kind of right. Maybe try a pad of paper and a pen if you really need some time to think. I promise, the real world can just be as engaging as the internet—especially if you’re hunting birds.

3. Set goals and dedicate yourself to them

While my cat will probably never meet her goal of catching a bird on my fire escape because I do have a window and a screen, her daily dedication is inspiring.

When the sun starts to set upsettingly early and it’s almost feeding hour, Willow knows it’s time to take a break. She’ll be back tomorrow, but you can’t force focus. Have a snack, take a nap, run around the house at a terrifying speed with your claws out. Then come back the next day with your energy replenished.

 is the author and business leader behind the Seventh Level Engagement Framework, which has transformed how we measure learning success and is taught in MBA programs worldwide. 

The increasing popularity of hybrid and remote work has changed the way organizations function. Throughout my career, I've worked with startups, Fortune 100 companies, and nonprofits across industries, and I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges of managing distribute teams and maintaining engagement.

, which helps organizations authentically and meaningfully connect with their employees, particularly in a hybrid/remote environment. Here, I share my personal experiences and insights on what has worked for me and my teams in mixed work settings, drawing on my extensive experience across industries.

Level One: Determine Preferred Communication Methods

In a virtual-heavy environment, it's essential to establish how each team member prefers to be communicated with, whether it's through texting, Slack messaging, or phone calls. This can help reduce disengagement and ensure smoother communication.

Level Two: Ensure Clarity and Prevent Confusion

Messaging apps like Slack can be fantastic for productivity, but also create opportunities for miscommunication. Make sure to find the best use for different tools and avoid the temptation to misuse them. For important discussions, schedule a Zoom meeting or at least make a phone call to prevent misunderstandings.

Hybrid work can come with its fair share of distractions. Encourage employees to create a designated workspace and establish routines to stay focused and productive throughout the day.

The Seventh Level Engagement Framework helps organizations authentically and meaningfully connect with their employees.

Help your team members set goals and priorities to ensure tasks are completed efficiently. Establish regular check-ins and provide the necessary resources and support to empower them to work effectively.

Encourage your team to set boundaries between work and personal life, taking breaks and practicing self-care. This helps prevent burnout and maintain overall wellbeing.

Building employee engagement with even partially remote teams is a challenge. At this level, leaders inspire their team members to set goals that will make a difference in their lives. Create a space that gives employees a chance to share their thoughts on improving the company and inspire them to set goals for themselves and the organization.

Level Seven: Maintain Authentic Connections

The seventh level is all about fostering authentic connections and having real talks when you can't hang out in real life. Reaching this level starts by doing the work of the previous six levels. Organizations that achieve this level enjoy higher achievement across the board, a workforce united around a mission, and a deeper level of connection with customers.

By following the Seventh Level Engagement Framework, leaders can effectively navigate the challenges of remote work and create a more connected and engaged workforce, regardless of the industry or organization size.

7 Steps to Engage Hybrid Employees 

It won’t shock you to learn there’s a massive increase in employee feelings of isolation since hybrid work has become prevalent—but a recent poll suggests that a staggering 70% of workers feel disengaged from their day-to-day roles. 

To help people leaders understand how to re-engage teams via smart investments in company culture, New Stand CEO David Garcia hosted a recent webinar on how to take your culture strategy to the next level. Here, part one of the top takeaways:


The universally accepted view of the employee lifespan is a 

, where accumulated experiences determine whether or not an employee stays at a company. But when you design a milestone-only based journey, the moments are often irregular, inconsistent, and lack context.

Instead, think about a model that reflects how people actually experience work. Everyday experiences create a baseline of satisfaction that influences those more notable moments. Not everyone feels the same about onboarding or performance reviews or happy hours. What's critical for each employee differs from person to person. 

How to improve someone's emotional state and drive deeper engagement: Care for the whole person 

Let’s take an example: Automatic is a remote-first team well-known for building connections within a globally distributed workforce. How? Structured socialization. Once a year, for instance, everyone gathers for an epic company offsite, in a single location, to share experiences together. But more importantly they focus on 

First, there are interest-based Slack channels. Second, employees can log into “open coworking calls” while working to mimic in-person serendipity. Third are randomized pair-off meetings, where two employees from different teams are paired together for social time. They also hold employee-led social calls around everything from adult coloring to DJ dance parties, and show-and-tell with employees’ kids.

Another example: Brookfield Asset Management is an in-person team. They're the world's largest owner of commercial real estate, so presence is really important for them, and they excel at creating 

. It’s proven that intentional breaks increase productivity, creativity, and help people cycle between different work modes.

Brookfield has dedicated up to 40% of its office floor plans to social space for interaction. New Stand also helps them provide structured, semi-monthly programming—food and drink tastings, team building events, company celebrations where you can meet colleagues—situations where people can have fun and engage in a light way. 

Employees are happier when they're connected to each other, and Brookfield reaps the benefits of a team that isn't burned out—

How to Upskill Your Culture Strategy

Gratitude has become a buzzy word in the past few years, but even if you’ve nailed thankfulness as part of your personal self-care practice, have you considered how gratitude comes into play for your team? As 

 notes, employee recognition is a hugely important factor when it comes to retention. In a 2016 study titled 

, researchers defined three levels of workplace gratitude:

, is when an employee has an experience they respond to with gratitude—the example they use is being appreciative of a colleague who takes time out to help them learn how to do something new.

, which is the accumulation of episodes of gratitude that lead to an overall more positive feeling for that person at work.

The culmination of all of this on an organizational level is called 

—when a majority of the company is experiencing persistent feelings of gratitude for each other.

But those warm and fuzzy feelings don’t come out of nowhere—they have to be fostered by those in a position to really shape the company culture. Ultimately, gratitude is like a muscle that has to be exercised, and if you can’t clearly identify ways you’re expressing gratitude for a job well done, chances are there’s room for improvement. 

Here are a few ways to reshape your leadership skills to express more gratitude in 2023:

Tilt the Feedback Scales Toward the Positive

While sharing constructive criticism effectively is a necessary tool for any leader, research published in the 

 clearly shows that “a little negative feedback goes a long way”. On the other hand, it’s hard to have too much positive feedback. One of the best ways to help an employee improve their performance is to reinforce and highlight what 

There’s no need to have a scarcity mindset around giving kudos—outside of the big recognition moments, like awards and promotions, sharing a few grateful words for a quick turnaround or well-done presentation is a small investment by a manager that has an outsized impact. You don’t have to be fawning or patronizing, just make a mental note to look for valid moments to share a virtual pat on the back.

While team appreciation is essential, researchers at 

 also identified that publicly rewarding individual team members can have what’s called a “recognition spillover effect.” In other words, the good vibes are contagious. The key is making sure this happens frequently, so there’s a regular rotation of winners.


Humans have a remarkable ability to normalize changes, which means that unless you and your team pause to reflect, it can be easy to forget how much you’ve accomplished. Once you have your daily or weekly shoutouts down, think about when makes sense to set aside more space for celebrating wins. This could be a yearly offsite, a quarterly outing with your direct reports, or a low-key event like an ice cream social.

Keep track of big changes through the year and go over them as a group. Did three of your team members get promoted? That’s huge! Did you all land a record number of clients? Seeing the stats in black and white can be majorly motivating for everyone involved.

One of the best ways to help an employee improve their performance 

 to reinforce and highlight what *is* working.

When the time comes to go beyond verbal recognition, thoughtfulness goes a long way. Instead of sharing generic gift cards for outstanding employees or to mark the completion of a big project, take a poll or think outside the box to ideate a perk that will surprise and delight.

Have a box of chic office upgrades or handpicked snacks 

 right to their desk, or consider hosting a speaker who can help with professional development. Bring a human touch to the table, to show your team you're truly invested in not just their performance week to week, but also their job satisfaction and the overall arc of their career.

While it may feel old fashioned, penning a single-sentence thank you note on a piece of paper will always be impactful. A Slack or an email is great, but this remote-friendly option (remember the mail?) is a step up.

Follow some classic Emily Post-esque advice and keep a stack of thank you notes on your desk, so you can dash one off for a team member who helped you out in a pinch or blew you away in that meeting. Plus, this one will have added value for you, as well—writing thank you notes has proven 

The best team members are the most reliable—the ones who show up prepared, and meet their deadlines as much as possible. So show them the same respect in turn by treating your check-in times as sacred, and replying to them as quickly as you would to a client.

While this might not seem like a gratitude practice at first glance, it’s a way to show mutual respect and say thanks without doing so explicitly. Things will come up, but being reliable and communicative will let your team know you appreciate them and value their time and mental health.

How to Focus on Work as Well as My Cat Focuses on Watching Birds

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1. Low distractions lead to high focus

2. Willow doesn’t need the internet all the time, do you?

3. Set goals and dedicate yourself to them

4. Know when to stop for the day

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