It’s back to school season, which means it’s time to learn new things (like that locker combination I’m still having nightmares about forgetting*). But whether you left formal education behind forever ago like me, or you’re fresh out of school, there’s always more for you to learn.
I still learn new things every day when interacting with business leaders in the Bureau community, and each week we send out a newsletter filled with the most useful tips and topics. I recommend signing up for the newsletter. But if one more subscription isn’t your thing, I get it. Here is the best content from our August newsletters.
Podcasts
Product management is a never-ending cycle of innovation, setbacks, and triumphs, and it can be hard to keep up on the latest best practices. So Toby Rogers helpfully collected a bunch of the best product management podcasts out there, in one handy Twitter thread. Check it out here.
More excellent listens:
RecalibrAgency podcast: Marketing Agency Stories - from Bureau member Danielle Fauteaux!
Byte-sized Agency Briefs - from Bureau member Steve Guberman!
Business and Operations
Are we still debating the merits and challenges of remote work? Of course we are! Almost three years since Covid hit, there’s still a big discrepancy between bosses — especially older ones — and employees when it comes to whether a full-time return to the office is necessary. But once you’re on the all-remote train, it can be challenging to coordinate schedules and keep track of who is doing what and when. In that case, asynchronous communication is the key, with meticulous record keeping and clear responsibilities.
More about managing your company well:
The Indispensable Document for the Modern Manager (tl;dr it's a personal User Guide)
Happy Stuff
TPS reports, anyone? I don’t think we ever learned what those were in Office Space, but everyone hates filling out their time sheets. So, rather than punish their employees, one Minneapolis-based agency decided on a new tactic: They built a machine that dispenses free beer for employees who have submitted their timecard! And yeah, it works — compliance improved by 90%!
More fun in and out of the office:
That’s it for this month. Again, I really think you should sign up for our weekly newsletter. It’s pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. But I respect the inbox minimalists out there, so if you prefer less frequent contact you’re welcome to stop by again next month.
*31 right, 17 left, 6 right. Of course I still remember it!