Showerthought: Pitmaster patience with slow cooks mirrors how I deal with my remote team

I've been binge-watching BBQ competitions lately, and it struck me how these pitmasters can babysit a smoker for 12 hours without losing their cool. It's all about trusting the process and not poking at it every five minutes. Last week, I was managing a remote team spread across time zones, and everyone was impatient for updates, sending constant messages. I thought about how the pitmasters just let the meat do its thing, so I told my team to set clear check-ins and then step back. We stopped micromanaging every little task, and the project actually moved smoother. A couple of coworkers joked that I was treating them like a pork shoulder, but the results were solid. It's funny how learning to wait from BBQ can make remote work less stressful.

3 comments

3 Comments

drewwalker1mo ago

Wonder if that metaphor stretches a bit thin.

roberts381mo ago

Used to think that was silly but Ruby's post changed my mind.

rubyb211mo ago

But what if people need more attention than meat? Constantly checking the smoker would ruin dinner, but not checking on your team might let problems burn.