The High Five! – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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, 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 teams
• Everyone wants to quit. But what are we really running from?
• 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/

The Hit List

Check out the full list on our website: 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.

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! 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

The Hit List

What we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week:

Listening: The Logical Song (cover by The Greystones) — A bunch of talented kids bring fresh magic to this Supertramp classic. Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves — Grammy gold, and the emotional balm we needed this week.

Watching: My Darling Clementine — Greg went full Criterion cowboy and he’s not wrong. A slow burn that hits. The Long Way Round — Ewan McGregor + motorcycles + aging adventure = Brett’s current comfort TV.

Reading: Abundance by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson — Smart, hopeful, grounded. This one’s sneaky good.

Writing: Project management is a leadership role. Start acting like it.

The Deep Cut 003: Adventure on

The High Five

This week’s high five goes to: the sweet, sweet thrill of launching a digital product. We made a thing. We put a price on it. We hit publish. That’s worth celebrating.

The Huddle

What’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 Topic

The middle management trap: why it’s failing and how to fix it

Middle 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 cohesion
• Avoid misinterpretations: developing a shared language for your team

The Ask

We’re launching our Same Team Partners newsletter—subscribe now at sameteampartners.com/subscribe. Our first issue drops on Tuesday!

The Hit List

Reading:

• 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 Five

This 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!

The Review: This Week’s Topic

There is no ‘AI’ in team: Why leaders shouldn’t panic about job takeover

You’ve seen the headlines: “AI is coming for your job.” But is it, though? We dive into Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s recent comments on AI’s actual impact—and why it’s still far from replacing human teams. AI may be great at crunching data, but it still struggles with judgment, creativity, emotional intelligence, and, you know, basic context.

We break down three key questions:

• Do you see AI as an asset or a threat for teams?
• Where do you see AI helping vs. hurting team collaboration?
• How should leaders talk about AI with their teams?

Also, fun fact: We have a There Is No AI in Team T-shirt. Because why not?

We also published two Teamangle articles (...from our forthcoming book):

• Start strong: defining roles at project kickoff for team alignment
• Why clear role definitions boost productivity

The Ask

We’ve got two events for you:

• The Huddle: Drive Meaningful 1:1s – March 12 at 12 PM ET (FREE). A 30-minute interactive session to help you make 1:1s more productive and meaningful.
• Power Play: Elevating Your 1:1s for Impact – March 26 at 12 PM ET (PAID). A hands-on workshop packed with strategies and exercises to turn check-ins into game-changers.

The Hit List

What we’re reading, listening to, and watching this week:

Reading:

• Right Leader, Right Time by Robert Jordan and Olivia Wagner
• AI Will Replace You: Leaders Who Refuse to Evolve Will Be Left Behind by Lolly Daskal –

Listening:

• Severance: ODESZA
• Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii

Watching:

• The White Lotus season 3

The High Five

This week’s high five goes to The Huddle and Power Play. We’re launching a new playbook and two events to help leaders improve their 1:1s. It feels great to get this out into the world—high five to that!

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 Huddle

We'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 1:1s
• Brett is talking Teamangle at Chicago Tent Talks on March 4

The Review

We 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 resilience
• The pitfalls of the hero mindset in leadership
• Strategies for building resilience within teams
• The importance of adaptability in uncertain environments

We also published two new Teamangle articles this week:

• Building bridges: practical steps for effective cross-functional collaboration
• How the right tools drive team alignment and efficiency

The Ask

Our first shipment of Teamangle Conversation Cards is out in the wild. Grab your deck today!

The Hit List

Brett:

• Reading: Language: Why We Hear More Than Words
• Listening: Songs About You Specifically - Album by MICHELLE
• Watching: SNL 50 Concert - The Culps do Kendrick Lamar
• Eating: Post Malone Oreos

Greg:

• Reading: The Experience Economy By B. Joseph Pine II & James H. Gilmore
• Reading: The New Yorker 100

The High Five!

High five to resilience for keeping us moving, keeping us connected, and reminding us that we’re stronger together!

The moment we’ve been waiting for is finally here—Teamangle Conversation Cards are officially live! We dive into the origin story of the cards, why they’re a game-changer for team discussions, and how they help leaders facilitate conversations that actually matter.

The Huddle

Big things happening this week:

• Teamangle Conversation Cards are live!
• Brett joined The Agile Network as an expert! Use the promo code SAMETEAMPMC33 for a 33% discount on membership.

The Review

The Teamangle Conversation Cards nare live and we are so excited to share them with you! In this conversation, we break down:

• Why we created the cards.
• How they help teams uncover alignment (or misalignment).
• Why the right questions drive meaningful conversations.

Bonus: We reveal our favorite cards and why they matter.

Plus, we published two new Teamangle articles this week:

• Creating consistency: how a clear cadence enhances team communication
• Why rhythm in communication builds trust and dependability

The Ask

Grab your Teamangle Conversation Cards! Try them in your next meeting, use them in your one-on-ones, or set aside time to explore just one or two questions with your team.

The Hit List

Brett:

• Reading: Council Post: Resilience: The Most Coveted Leadership Skill For 2025
• Listening: Hostile Government Takeover - EDM Mix by AGiftFromTodd
  • The original TikTok

Greg:

• Listening: Future Past, Duran Duran
• Watching: The Grifters

The High Five

We did it—the Teamangle Conversation Cards are officially launched! Also, we’ve got fresh Same Team hats and tees in the store—so grab some swag while you’re at it!

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 Huddle

We’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 Review

The 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 brainstorming
• Why structured brainstorming creates innovative solutions

The Ask

Want 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 List

Brett:

• Reading: When the mentor feels like an imposter
• Listening: It’s a Mirror by Perfume Genius
• Watching: Super Bowl LIX

Greg:

• Reading: Unreasonable Hospitality
• Listening: We, Arcade Fire
• Watching: Night Agent

The High Five

We sent our first proposal of the year! Get in touch if you want to work with Same Team!

This week on The High Five, we dive into the PMI and Agile Alliance merger, and share a bit about our involvement in the upcoming Agile 2025 conference—Brett will be curating a track, and Greg will be speaking. This week's conversation centers around Greg's Same Page article, Only Teams Can Drive Real Transformation, where we break down why so many top-down transformations fail and why real change has to start at the team level. We also tackle some big questions: How can you tell when a transformation effort is doomed? What actually makes change stick? And how can organizations better equip team leaders for success? If you’ve ever been stuck in a never-ending “transformation” initiative, this one’s for you.

The Review

We break down Greg’s article, Only Teams Can Drive Real Transformation, which explores why top-down change efforts fail and why true transformation must start at the team level. We discuss the biggest pitfalls in transformation initiatives and what organizations can do to better support team leaders in driving real change.

Plus, this week's Teamangle topics:

• How documentation became a pillar for team transparency
• Keeping Everyone Informed: Documenting Decisions and Next Steps

The Ask

Follow us on Linkedin. Engage with us on Linkedin! We'll be posting more video and content updates, and we value your feedback, hot takes, likes, or whatever you want to contribute.

The Hit List

Brett:

• Reading: Town Hall Meeting: Agile Alliance + PMI
• Listening: Big Ideas by Remi Wolf
• Watching: A Real Pain

Greg:

• Reading: Manifesto for World Revolution
• Listening: Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! - Enigma
• Watching: Silo

The High Five

We're wrapping up work on our second playbook, which is all about conducting valuable one-on-one meetings. We can't wait til you get it!

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 Review

This 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 inclusive
• The transformative effect of inclusivity on team morale and success

The Ask

We 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 List

Brett:

• Reading: How tech billionaires screwed us all
• Listening: Stampede, Orville Peck
• Watching: RÜFÜS DU SOL - Live from Joshua Tree

Greg:

• Reading: Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture
• Listening: Splinter - Sneaker Pimps
• Watching: American Primeval

The High Five

Believe 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!

This week, we’re diving into Greg’s latest article: Teams are still struggling with energy, purpose, and morale: Here’s how to help. If your team’s feeling the strain lately, you’re not alone—and we’re unpacking why it’s happening and what leaders can actually do about it. We also break down some hard truths about today’s workplace climate:

Plus, we dig into a Teamangle hot topic: Why knowing when a task is truly ‘done’ can boost team satisfaction. Turns out, clear definitions of completion = happier, more efficient teams.

And speaking of global insights—Brett’s heading to Dubai for the DIPMF Conference to talk all things Teamangle! Big shoutout to our listeners tuning in from around the world—hello out there! 🌍

It’s a packed episode full of insights, real talk, and global adventures. Don’t miss it!

The Review

This week we talk about today's workplace climate, and how some leaders may be struggling to motivate teams. Greg reviews advice for how leaders can help teams and themselves in his article, Teams are still struggling with energy, purpose, and morale: Here's how to help.

Plus, this week's Teamangle topics:

• Why knowing when a task is ‘done’ boosts team satisfaction
• How clear definitions of completion improve team efficiency

The Ask

Join our next Teamangle webinar on January 23 at noon ET. Register now!

The Hit List

Brett:

• Reading: 'Career Catfishing': 1 in 3 Gen Zers Accepted a New Job and Didn't Show Up on Day One
• Listening: The Smiths , Live Aus Der Markthalle Hamburg 1984
• Watching: Penelope

Greg:

• Reading: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
• Listening: Grizzly Bear Veckatimest
• Watching: Squid Game

The High Five

This week, we're high-fiving the kick-off to a great year and our Replay and Reset activity, which we've received great feedback on. Check it out and get your year off on the right foot.