If you haven't heard of Justin Bieber, you either don't have a tween or teen living in your household or you've been living under a gigantic rock for the past 6 months.

I admit that, until recently, I was living under that rock. Thankfully, all that changed during a recent outing to a bar, when a collective cheer erupted from the 30-something crowd on the dance floor when Bieber's newest hit "Baby" started playing. Whaaaat?

For those of you who are not yet initiated into the Bieber-mania, here are the basics: The 16-year old singer from Canada was catapulted to superstardom when he competed in the "Stratford Idol" at the tender age of 13 and posted the videos on YouTube. He has since been signed by Usher, had numerous hits (My World, One Time, and Baby) and has generated more than 100 million views on YouTube. Some have described him as "arguably the biggest pop star ever launched by YouTube."

What, you ask, could this teen pop sensation possible have to teach us about Workshifting? Well, a few things actually:

Be flexible enough to live in two worlds.

Bieber and his managers are experts at straddling two worlds to promote the pop star: social media world, along with its new marketing tactics, and the traditional mediums. As Sheila Shayon put it in a Huffington Post article "Bieber is a new phenomenon - spawned by digital/viral social media; a crossover digital/analog/print phenomenon... one foot in Internet stardom, and the other on old-school TV, with print sandwiched in between."

I look at Workshifting in a similar way. We have to be able to play in two worlds - the traditional office environment and the remote location. Although we may not work in an office setting we still have to know how to work with people who do and to play by their rules. Similarly, we have to adapt to the "new" Workshifting environment in our daily lives.
 
Don't be scared to put yourself out there

Bieber made headlines across the blogosphere when he told Details magazine that he's had girlfriends in the past, but is "waiting for Beyonce to call." He has made similar flirty statements about Rihanna and Barbara Walters. It's clear that Bieber certainly isn't afraid to flirt with the Hollywood elite and is totally comfortable laying his feelings out there for everyone to see.

In many ways, Workshifting requires a similar attitude. It's certainly not the time to play coy or "hard to get." A lot can be lost when you communicate only via email or phone conversations. I've always felt that it's important to be as upfront and clear about your feelings as possible. Open communication is a key to successful remote working environments.

Be willing to do anything for your fans/clients

Bieber has earned himself a reputation to do just about anything for his fans. He's surprised his fans on Ellen, Jimmy Kimmel, and given impromptu concerts in his Paris hotel room.

I realize that it's equally important for our office counterparts to do all they can for their clients. However, as Workshifters we often have to prove that our Workshifting environment doesn't impede on providing top notch client service. Going that extra mile doesn't only prove to your clients that they are your top priority but also helps reduce any stigmas they may have associated with Workshifting before they met you.

Though I'm not so sure I'll ever become a fan of his music, I guess there is something to learn from Bieber-mania!  What do you think?

Photo Credit: Kindofadraag