Welcome to the team. You'll be thrown into yet another new workspace with new faces and new challenges. You'll vet possible solutions then rework, refine, and reduce your strategy. At the same time, your new team will have to establish roles, goals, and subgroups to reach a shared vision.

We've all experienced the phenomenon of rapid team development and project management. Sometimes, it's a painstaking process that makes you want to bang your head against the wall. Other times, things just seem to click--teammates communicate, think entrepreneurially, and do whatever it takes to get the job done.

I recently experienced a Startup Weekend--a  56-hour work-a-thon where the common goal is to dream up a fresh business venture and build it. Over 500 startups have come out of these whirlwind events! During my time with my newly formed Startup Weekend team, some common themes emerged. I've taken those insights and boiled them down into three strategies for thriving in new teams:

• Clarify the vision. Time is your most valuable asset. Before you spend precious minutes moving in any given direction, make sure it's the right move and that everyone is on board. You don't have to hammer out all of the details from the start, but a deep understanding of the project's purpose and the pain you're setting out to solve will go a long way in creating a valuable output.  Once you're all in, it's time to -
• Find out where you fit. How do your skills complement those of your teammates? You probably have a number of areas in which you can excel and create real value. Find out where the holes are in the team and fill in where it makes sense - the work you do that's in your sweet spot will shine that much more.
• Be nimble enough to shift directions. It's important to buy into the team vision to some degree, but don't lose your objectivity. If something just isn't working - stop. During a big push in any project, someone will inevitably say, "We've got to stay on track." But who ever said we wanted to stay on that track!? Sometimes it's good to question whether or not you're on the right track.  If you're not, that's okay. Make a call and adjust accordingly.

The next time you find yourself in a new team situation, keep these strategies in mind. I think you'll find that you're better prepared to tackle your project and find the right track.

Our Startup Weekend team certainly had its challenges, but in the end we were able to crank out a cool new conversion tool named Ninja Button in those three short days. By the end of the weekend, the product was a little rough around the edges, but we had a valuable web-based application and the ability to charge for it as a service.


What do you think of these principles? What team strategies work for you?

"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."

Leonardo da Vinci

This makes perfect sense for a painter who is an arm's length away from his work most of the day.  Its only once he climbs off his scaffold and glances at a full view of his work that he can see clearly the areas that need improvement.  I feel like a painter sometimes.

Why can't we take this same approach for the projects we are working on.  Often, we get so mired in the day to day stuff that it becomes increasingly diificult for us to remember what the whole picture looks like and to get creative with its direction.


(Shot at Mont Saint Michel, France)

How do you get a clear picture of your business projects?  

If you're visiting this site, you're probably a workshifter. Or, at the very least, someone who's interested in the subject and the lifestyle. But some people don't choose to be workshifters -- they have workshifting thrust upon them. Many of those folks aren't prepared when they need to move outside of the familiar confines of the cubicle.

Take, for example, a recent situation I found myself in. Although I'm a freelancer, I've been working out of the offices of a firm I'm doing some consulting with. Those offices are in the financial district of Toronto, Canada and are near the site of the recent G20 Summit.

To ensure the business ran smoothly, management assigned employees and consultants to either work in the suburban office or from home. I was one of the lucky ones working from home.

While I'm used to workshifting, I do it on my own terms. I have what I need on my laptop or my netbook. This time around, I wasn't as prepared as I could have been. Neither were a lot of the people I work with.

Here's what I learned from that experience:

Duplicate your work environment at home
Don't go setting up a cubicle in that empty corner! But think about the software and files that you'll need. You won't need everything that's installed on your PC at work, but you do need the essentials.

For many, that might just be a copy of Microsoft Office. Others might need something more. In my case, that was a set of specialized apps for creating technical documentation. If you don't have the software, you need to get it.

The company you work for should have additional licenses which you can use. If not, check if they have software licenses that allow you to install the applications on two PCs as long as both copies aren't being used at the same time.

Take an inventory of the software you need and the software you have installed on your home computer. Then, talk to your IT department about filling in the gaps.

But I don't do Windows at home!
For better or for worse, most businesses run on Microsoft Windows. A number of people, though, use MacOS or Linux at home. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to use Windows software on those operating systems.

You can get around that by using something called virtualization software. You can learn more about that here. All you need to worry about is having enough memory and hard disk space on your computer.

Even if you aren't using virtualization software, you should check that your computer has the grunt to handle your work tasks. If, say, you're using Windows 98 on an old Pentium 300 then chances are you won't be getting much done ...

Getting (and staying) connected
That means a fast, reliable Internet connection. But it doesn't stop there. First off, find out if your company has a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Most companies do, and if that's the case with yours then and you'll need to install software that makes the connection with the VPN on your computer at home.

What does a VPN offer? Secure access to your employer's servers and even your computer at the office. That lets you get to your files and to your email, no matter where you are. That's the good news. The bad news is that a VPN isn't always fast or reliable, especially if a large number of people are using it.

If your company doesn't have a VPN, or the software doesn't work with your computer, then you'll have to take your files with you: copy them to a USB flash drive. The flash drive should have a capacity of at least 2 GB. Remember to copy the files that you've modified back to the flash drive before returning to work!

As for email, if a VPN connection doesn't work then forward your work emails to a personal account. You can find instructions on how to do this in the online help for the email software you use at work. Before you do that, get the go-ahead from management. They might not take too kindly to confidential emails being sent over a public channel.

Anything else?
Treat workshifting days like another day at the office. Have set work hours -- during the G20 summit, I worked between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 or 3:30 p.m.

Limit the distractions. Keep the TV and radio off (difficult when the World Cup is on!). Keep the Web browser shut down or, at least, minimized. And try not to look out the window too much,  especially if it's a nice day!

Make sure that your family knows that you're at home to work. Lay down some ground rules for interruptions. If you can, close the door of the room in which you're working.

Finally, schedule breaks. Take 10 or 15 minutes every two hours, in addition to lunch. Those breaks give you a good opportunity to get up, have something to eat or drink, or just get away from the computer.

For the new workshifter, especially the ones who have it sprung on them, workshifting can be a big change. Knowing what to expect makes adapting a lot easier. Who knows, you might even get to like it!


Photo credits: Sideshowmom

What the BP Oil Spill and My Grandpa Have in Common

Where the wind comes rushing down "the plain" (also known as Oklahoma), three windmills and a solar panel stand in my grandpa's backyard.  As a self-proclaimed "poor German immigrant," my grandpa uses his "every penny counts" attitude and self-taught engineering skills to build these energy-generating machines.  They power his house, they lessen his environmental impact, and his most valued benefit, they eliminate his electric bill.  "Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe" is his mantra (and if I had a dollar for every time he said that to me, I wouldn't have to worry about my electric bill either).

His self-sufficiency through sustainability mentality has never been more practical than now.  As we pass day 65 of the BP oil spill, I believe America, and the rest of the world, now acknowledge the negatives of oil dependency and how it causes environmental and economic devastation.

It's time to re-wire -- the way we work, the way we get around, the way we consume -- all of it needs a positive charge.  Green technology and software that enables mobile work, along with small steps such as recycling, reducing consumption, etc., will enable us to paddle our own canoes and save the environment from unnatural disasters.

And this isn't just about hugging trees and saving whales -- it's about saving the American economy and putting more money on the balance sheet.
 
According to a 2010 Telework Research Network study, If U.S. companies were to implement a workshifting policy, America could:

• Save $23 billion a year in imported oil
• Reduce greenhouse gases by taking the equivalent of almost 10 million cars off the road
• Cut Persian Gulf imports by 37%
• Achieve 27% of the nation's 2020 goal for GHG reduction from light cars and trucks
• Prevent over 95,000 traffic injuries and deaths and save over $11 billion in accident costs
• Lower highway maintenance costs almost $2 billion a year

Additionally, workshifting could save employees between $2,000 and $6,800 per year in gas and other commuting expenses.  I don't know about you, but I'll gladly take that 2K and skip the commute, thank you very much.

All in all, my grandpa's lessons of self-sufficiency and sustainability, along with the negatives of dependency on oil, make me realize that a new form of energy and work is necessary, now.  We can't wait, because nothing is slowing down -- not the fast pace of business and, sadly, not the oil spewing into the Gulf.

Do you workshift to A) reduce your environmental impact, B) create more work-life balance, C) save money for you and your company,  or D) all of the above?

Many of you who read this blog are probably users of social technologies like Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr. I know I am! The interesting thing is the way people use the technologies. For business for personal or combining the two you'll never see the same usage pattern twice!

I'd love to share a story with you that I wrote about some time ago but felt was a great story to revisit. It's called, "How Twitter Search changed the Life of a man in a coffee Shop"  Enjoy!

The Coffee Shop Chronicles
About a year ago now, I visited a great little coffee shop and lunch destination in a small town just outside of mine. I began to work away on the computer as usual when a very well dressed gentleman sat next to me presumably stopping for lunch. After I finished banging out an email he seemed to get transfixed by my laptop screen as I opened up tweetdeck and asked me if that was twitter. I told him that it was a third party application but for all intents and purposes, "Yes it is Twitter". He went on to say that he had heard a lot about the service, but really had no idea why he would want to use it. And that my friends was the beginning of his love affair with twitter.

The Job
I went on to ask this gentleman what type of work he did. He told me that he was an independent pharmaceutical sales rep and that he was trying to get established with some local doctors. He had been at it for about six months and had regular calls, but most of his accounts were on the smallish side. I decided to do an experiment with him and run a twitter search on the name of some of the companies he repped for as well as names of some of the key drugs he was selling. So we went forth and created a real time conversational search using my tweetdeck client and he was amazed at what he saw.

The Search
The search immediately revealed that one of the drugs that he was told to push by his distributor was possibly going to be pulled from the shelves by the government due to complications of taking the drug. He was flabbergasted and honestly didn't believe what he was reading. I mean you can't believe everything you read on twitter....right? Well, like any other source you must look into the facts deeper. We clicked a few links and checked a few websites and sure enough this drug was in danger of being pulled. At that point this guys mind was completely blown and he left the coffee shop in a bit of a daze.

The Follow-Up
Two days after our first encounter I saw this gentleman again at the coffee shop and he approached me with a glow on his face that had not been there two days before. He proceeded to tell me that he called on a doctor the afternoon after we had spoken and that he was going to be making a fairly large purchase of the drug that we found was in question. He mentioned to the doctor that he might want to hold off and that he had done some research during lunch that indicated problems with this drug and that it may get pulled. The doctor thanked him and he went on to his next customer. The real magic came the next day when the doctor called him back and thanked him for alerting him to the news before it officially broke. The drug did get pulled from the shelves and the doctor was thankful for his insights. On his next visit to that doctor he was not only given a larger chunk of his daily orders, but was given three referrals of whom that doctor called personally in front of him.

A Month Later
About a month has passed and I have seen this salesman since. He is a regular user of twitter for it's search and monitoring capabilities and he told me that his income has increased significantly due to the referrals that stemmed from this early information. He bought me lunch last time I saw him and I was happy to let him.

How have you seen social media tools change someone perspective? Are you using social media in your daily work flow?

Like many of you, my work consists of traveling in planes, trains, and cars, and staying in hotels of different varieties.

Some of the locations are stunning, and the landscapes are postcard perfect.  Other trips involve projects where I may not get to see the outside of the hotel, or client office space.
The research about the future of work presents us with a picture of an increasingly mobile workforce, working as "nodes on a network," and working on different projects, with different people, at an increasing faster pace.

A recent IBM report has been creating quite a buzz, has people thinking about the future of work and what will be important. The report states that "chief executives believe that -- more than rigor, management discipline, integrity or even vision -- successfully navigating an increasing complex world will require creativity."

Most of the work we do now, and into the future, requires us to think creatively, come up with new ideas, and work with new groups of people.

The challenge can often be --- how can we be creative, or stimulate our creativity if we are constantly moving, working, creating, and "on the road?"

I have found that travel can in fact spark creativity, and reflection. I have learned that long plane rides do not need to always be filled with a good book, or my carefully created playlists. TIME TO THINK can be gift.  I have found myself coming up with a new strategy idea for a client, or a new perspective about a personal challenge while thousands of feet in the air.
Social psychologists have discovered that creativity is not only a characteristic of the individual, but may also change depending on the situation and context.

For those of us who are "road warriors, virtual nomads," or have travel as part of our work, this is a reminder that in fact our lives can be great catalysts for the nurturing of creativity.  Many of us change the "situation and context" of our lives numerous times a week. Our mini-journeys although often challenging, can help us flex and develop our creative muscle.
Here are some suggestions for nurturing, finding, or strengthening your creativity while on the road.

A different seat, a change in plans, a different view: I have found that changing my preferred seat on a plane, or going down to hotel restaurant if I usually order room service, can literally change my view --- and maybe the way I see things. We create habits and routines, even on the road - and yet a change in our surroundings, can often spark new ideas. As often as I can, I try to walk around a city or town, and if possible get to a gallery or museum where I can see how others have viewed the world. (The Antoni Gaudi architecture in Barcelona Spain vividly comes to mind. On my first trip to Barcelona, I remember thinking "this is what can be created, if you do not allow things to constrain our thoughts." WOW.)

Creativity Toolkit: Blogs, Twitter, and TED Talks: I am a convert to the wonders of social media. Information, Inspiration, and virtual communities are part of benefits of social media. I have been far away from my "home base," and able to experience the benefits of a twitter friend's blog, blog radio, or webinar. I have been able to "tune in" to TED Talks, and feel like I have a front row seat to world class learning. ALL while "on the road."

YOUR notebook (Thank you Daniel Pink): One of the tips that has been most helpful for many of the students in my classes, has been the suggestion to carry a creativity notebook. Ideas, thoughts, "teachers," can come to us at many different times, in many places. A small creativity notebook allows us time to jot down our thoughts, or insights, and keep moving.

Mindfulness: The practice of mindfulness is one that encourages awareness  and focus. One of the most different experiences of my adult life, has been my participation in a Mindfulness retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh. I learned about the incredible power of deep breathing, meditation and mindfulness. This could be an article in itself...and could be in the future. There are many, many resources on mindfulness. I might suggest the work Thich Nhat Hang, and Jon Kabat Zinn.

"The World House" (Thank you Dr. King): I would not feel complete, if I did not mention the core of what I do for a living ...other people...different people...diverse people can also spark our creativity. Meeting different people, learning about their culture, country and history can bring our own level of learning and awareness to new heights.

Many of us ARE our "product," and out being able to think clearly, and be creative, is what we are expected to do. 

I challenge you to change your seat, take some quiet time, learn from someone else, and celebrate the creativity teachers that is in and around the spaces and places in our lives.

What do you think?


Photo Credit: Capt Piper

I don't think there's likely to be much argument if I aver that email is the number one method of communication between remote workers, at least in a business context. And for most people, email is synonymous with Microsoft's Outlook software. So I'd like to use this post to make a few points on the subject, and being me, I'm going to try to be a tad contentious.

OK, so I'll give email one concession: it can be really useful because the world and his dog have it. If you have to communicate with people in other organisations, an email address is all you need, and the software does the rest. Its coverage is thus unrivalled, and it's well used, partly because of its ubiquity, partly because it's so easy to use, and partly because alternatives are a bit thin on the ground.

That's all well and good as far as it goes. But there are many insidious problems with email which can inhibit rather than promote collaboration. Here's my shortlist:

1. Many people may not realise that there are alternatives to Outlook. In fact, there are any number of email readers available, many of them free. They don't all have integrated calendars, but some offer facilities which Outlook doesn't. If you find Outlook frustrating to use, or lacking in some way, take a look at what's on offer outside the Microsoft world, and you may find something that suits you better.
2. Discussions start small, but grow in length. Who hasn't received email with the last few dozen comments trailing off the page, each neatly indented one chevron more than the last? And most of the time, the comments are in reverse order, making it harder than it should be to follow the whole conversation from end to end.
3. Discussions also broaden in context as they age, spawning sub-discussions and often splitting off at a tangent into new subject areas entirely. Outlook cannot cope with this unless the subject line is rigorously changed to match the content (and this is frequently forgotten about). Much better for this kind of thing are discussion boards which offer a multi-threading capability - you get to see who has changed the subject, and which messages are sent in response to which other messages.
4. Careful use of the "to", "cc" and especially "bcc" email fields allow political control over who sees what. It's easy to exclude people - for whatever reason - and you never know who has been copied in on the quiet. As a consequence, you can find yourself in trouble you hadn't bargained for if some lurker decides you've spoken out of turn. Some people also have the irritating habit of starting to copy in their boss when they realise they are losing the argument.
5. Many companies have email retention policies for legal reasons (which are actually email non-retention policies), so you can find that the email discussion of three months' vintage that you wanted to reference has evaporated without so much as a by-your-leave.

This is not to say that we shouldn't use emails; there are plenty of cases in which email works well, for example 1:1 conversations and the broadcasting of a message to a large group. But if you are expecting the next email you send to burgeon into a wide-ranging multi-person conversation - then maybe you should be thinking about an alternative rather than hitting the "send" button.

So, have any of you tackled this problem? And what happened when you did?



Photo Credit: Somewhat Frank

I was speaking with a friend the other day about my Workshifting arrangement with MindFire, when she asked me what other types of professions would "allow" or work for this type of remote working arrangement.

It caught me off guard, because I hadn't really thought of Workshifting as being exclusive to only certain professions. Of course you can't be an emergency room doctor or bus driver and work remotely, but by and large, I had been operating under the assumption that most professionals in our Information Era could work in a remote environment as long as it is supported by management. I suppose this is a bit naïve, though. Not every job that involves a desk and a computer could be translated into a remote work environment.

So I thought it would be interesting to poll Workshifting readers to determine the types of professions you are in. Are most of you programmers? Salespeople? Writers? Editors?

Please take this one-question survey (it's only one question). I will post results at the end of June.

If I'd have to guess, I'd imagine that the majority of you are in professions that are very project based.  I would imagine this is a result of the fact that it's probably easier to manage Workshifters who work on projects with a clear deliverable.

I think you could also make a case that remote working environments are particularly successful for professions where your work is measured by clear metrics, such as sales made, or hours billed. Again, the management aspects for those types of professions would make it more appealing to allow employees to workshift. I think these types of metrics also provide Workshifters with a way to justify their working arrangements and "prove" that they are working just as hard as their office counterparts.

What do you think? What are the top Workshifting professions, and why?


Photo Credit: Mafleen

I've never been much for office politics (or offices for that matter), but conversation is another story. Conversation matters. It breaks up the day. It gives you a mental break. Plus we all need someone with whom we can bounce off ideas. But where's a workshifter to go for water cooler conversation?

I have three water coolers:

• The gym for random pleasantries and chats about workouts and race schedules
• Twitter for camaraderie and ideas (and to ensure I'm not talking to myself)
• My girlfriends for a quick break (and an update on our day-to-day grinds)

Of course, those are just the days I'm working on my own. Other times I love the opportunity to talk with strangers or make new friends at conferences, in coffee shops and airport bars, and all the other places that workshifters hang out.

Where do you turn for water cooler conversation?


Photo Credit: Cosmic Kitty

Are you one of those perfect neat and tidy types? The kind that never have a pencil out of place or a double booking in your schedule? If that is the case then you really don't need to read this. However, If you are like the rest of the 99% of us....Read On!

Nope I'm not going to blather on about getting your life in order, and I'm not going to preach the latest five tips on how to keep a clean office. Rather, I'm going to tell you a story that just might hit home for many of you up to your ears in paper and stacked up coffee cups.

Years before I had this illustrious career as a glorified typist and web strategist I worked as a Chef in fine dining establishments. For those of you that have ever worked in the business you know that some chefs are the neat and tidy types while others have a lot to learn about keeping an organized work station. I happened to be in the latter group where the perception of speed and efficiency always seemed to trump organization.

About three years into my career as a chef I was offered a job under a classically trained French Chef at one of the finest Country Clubs in New York. I jumped at the chance assuming I would learn more from this man about cooking in a year than I had learned in all of the previous three combined. Little did I know Lesson One would be my first night on the line.

So you have heard phrases like, "We are throwing you to the wolves" or "You need to learn to swim sometime!" Well, that was my first Friday night at the Country Club. I had been working in this kitchen a total of three hours before the chef had posted me to the grille station for the evening. I would be cooking all grilled seafood and steaks that night! "Piece of cake", I told myself. After all, I had been working the grille in my previous job and it was a very busy place. I was up for this task. Of course, eager to please my new boss and pumped up on adrenaline I began prepping food for that evenings service. About 30-40 minutes into my prep work the Chef came barreling towards me. I was hoping he was coming to give me a pep talk and to wish me good luck my first night as part of his brigade. Unfortunately, it was not.

The Chef in all of his mighty wisdom whispered in my ear and said, "Look at your station.   You have knives and trimmings everywhere.  A cluttered workspace is a cluttered mind." and he walked away.

So my recommendation to YOU is this. If your working in a cluttered office.... get it uncluttered. I don't care how you do it. Wrangle up the kids, hire a decorator or whatever works for you, but don't put it off a second longer. In fact. Take a photo of the office before and take another with the office after. Post it online and share the link here with us in the comments!

Just remember the phrase from the wise old French Chef: "A cluttered workspace is a cluttered mind."


Photo Credit: NAIT

The motivation for this topic comes from a recent post over at Inc.com about Perfecting Email Etiquette.  It got me thinking about how email is used by workshifters.

Other than emails obvious attributes, it's also a very effective hand raising tool.  However, we have a litany of electronic hand raising tools at our disposal.  So when we can't reach across the aisle and tap someone on the shoulder, how do we get their attention?  If I'm workshifting and I need to reach a co-worker, here are the tools at my disposal:



The first thing I do, in most cases, is check to see if they are "online" using Meebo, or if they have updated their status on Facebook, Twitter, or Foursquare.  If I get a sense that they are online I'll send an Instant Message (IM), or Direct Message (DM) via Twitter.  In my experience, Facebook is least likely to result in a response because most people are not checking their Facebook in-box very frequently.  Foursquare will be able to tell me if they have checked-in, but it's not a good tool for actually locating someone.

The next steps I take depend on how badly I need to reach them.  Since it's a coworker I can check their Outlook calendar or shared Google Calendar and see if they have a meeting.  If their time is blocked I can wait until their meeting is over or I can send a Text Message.  Knowing me, i'll send a text and then wait for a reply.  I've found that calling someone typically does not result in a response if they have not responded to the other methods.  

If electronic hand-raising is the embodiment of a real person, it would be the obnoxious guy in the back of the room raising his hand, jumping up and down, and screaming "pay attention to me!"  This is where the etiquette lesson comes in.

Since these are coworkers that I know personally, I know how to push all the electronic buttons in a way that is least offensive, and culturally appropriate.  If I were reaching out the CEO or a Customer, my tactics would be adjusted accordingly.  With that said, my coworkers don't want me carpet bombing them with "pay attention to me" messages.  All they have to do to avoid the annoyance is go offline, or appear to go offline.

Depending on how urgent the matter is, I think that an IM or Text is the best form of electronic hand-raising.  Remember, I'm just trying to get their attention and for whatever reason I need to reach them quickly.  In my organization most people have IM and they Text.  So if I need to reach them fast, that's the path to getting noticed.  The reason texting is effective is because most people don't move five feet from their cell phone.  The odds are good that I can get them.  Further, it's not good to assume that they are at their office computer.  They may be workshifting, in a meeting, traveling, etc.  In those cases, texting is the universal shoulder tap.

The key is to not get a reputation as a bell ringer.  If you're constantly operating in a state of chaos, you can't expect others to be doing the same.  Manage your expectations and set reasonable expectations with your team members.

There are different, unspoken rules about electronic hand raising.  What are yours?

In Matt Martin's post, A Confession: Three Workshifting Sins, he admits to a pretty common practice: using the same password on multiple websites. I've done it. I bet you've done it, too. Well, no more, I say. I've got a few recommendations for password management tools that should help prevent you from ever re-using the same password again.

KeePass
For the longest time I was using KeePass as my primary password management tool. Its open source and came with a strong recommendation from my security buddies, not to mention the countless posts about it on Lifehacker. The only reason I switched is because their cross-platform support is somewhat limited. I love the Windows client and made due with the Mac client, but after I added the iPad to my arsenal of devices I got a little tired of the different user interfaces across the different platforms. You can easily couple KeePass with Dropbox to help you synchronize the database across your computers.

1Password
I didn't test 1Password personally, but received numerous recommendations for it from my colleagues. The only reason I didn't give it a test drive is because they are heavily slanted towards Apple devices. They have a client for Mac, iPhone/iPad, and a beta client for Windows. One of the cool things about 1Password is that they have a dedicated section for managing software licenses. What's more, they also allow you to attach files to your entries.

eWallet
Like 1Password, eWallet is designed to be used for more than just password management. Think of eWallet like a secure digital wallet with all of your important information locked up inside it. They've got great mobile support (iPod touch/iPhone/iPad, Blackberry, Palm, Windows Mobile), but only have a client for Windows PCs.

SplashID
SplashId, by far, has the most comprehensive cross-platform support without going to a browser-based tool like LastPass. Their clients provide support for customizable record types, which means you can store just about anything you want in their AES/256-bit Blowfish encrypted database. I highly recommend you give SplashID a thorough review before making your final decision.

LastPass
As their name indicates, LastPass positions itself as the last password you'll ever need to remember. Unlike all of the other password management tools listed above, this is the only one that doesn't have a traditional OS-dependent installer. Instead you install the LastPass extension (IE, Safari, Firefox and Chrome are supported) and it automatically integrates with your browser. They also have an app for the iPhone/iPad.

Personally I decided to use LastPass. They've got an excellent subscription-based license model (unlike most of the others that are per OS/platform) and most importantly it integrated with my regular workflow. When I was using KeePass I didn't always update it with new usernames/passwords so I would eventually end up re-using passwords to keep things simple. Now that LastPass automatically stores my usernames and passwords and automatically fills in forms I've gotten to the point where I only need to remember my password for LastPass. I've even gone so far as to use their auto-generated, super-crazy passwords. What's more secure than not knowing your own 20-digit password?

Do you have a favorite password management tool that's made your life easier? Leave us a note; we'd love to hear about it.


Photo Credit: Bruno Santos

Consensus Would Save Taxpayers $11 Billion a Year

Just two weeks after a narrow defeat in the House, the Senate unanimously passed legislation (S.707) that would beef up federal workshifting participation. Passage of H.R. 1722--The Telework Improvements Act, a nearly identical bill, missed by only 4% with all but one of the nay votes coming from the Republican side of the house. It's hard not to blame party politics for the House failure since they themselves passed an almost mirror bill in the last months of the Bush administration.

Many of the House naysayers cited costs, which the Congressional Budget Office estimated to be $30 million over a five year period, as the reason for their opposition to the bill. Our reseach shows the bill would actually save agency and employee participants $11 billion a year. Let's see, that's something like a 1,800x return on investment.

The House bill should have made it a no-brainer. You'd think the staggering costs of lost productivity from federal workers during this Winter's snowstorms--estimated by the government's own bean counters at $71 million a day--would wake lawmakers up to the need for a trained teleworkforce. Apparently, at least in the House, those memories melted along with the ice.

Only 5.2% of the 4.7 million government workforce telecommutes on a regular basis but 61% are considered eligible. Based on assumptions from a 2006 study commissioned by the U.S. General Services Administration (conducted by Booz Allen) our Telework Savings Calculator shows that if those eligible employees who wanted to work from home did so just one day every other week (the level required in H.R. 1722):


Agencies would:

• Increase productivity by over $2.3 billion each year - equivalent to 26,000 man years of work
• Save $850 million in annual real estate, electricity, and related costs
• Save $2.3 billion in annual absenteeism
• Save $3.1 billion in annual employee turnover
• Improve continuity of operations
• Improve work life balance and better address the needs of families, parents, and senior caregivers.
• Avoid the 'brain drain' effect of retiring boomers by allowing them to work flexibly
• Be able to recruit and retain the best people
• Offer fuller employment for disabled workers, rural residents, and military families

Federal Employees would:

• Achieve a better work-life balance
• Save $400-$1,400/year in transportation and work-related expenses
• Collectively save $57 million a year at the pumps
• Suffer fewer illnesses

The Nation would:

• Save almost 3 million barrels and $233 million in imported oil
• Reduce greenhouse gases by 532,000 tons/year--the equivlient of taking 97,000 cars off the road
• Reduce road travel by 1.2 billion miles/year saving $20 million in road maintenance
• Reduce road congestion thereby increasing productivity for non-teleworkers as well
• Save 1,000 people from traffic-related injury or death each year and save $117 million a year in related costs
• Improve emergency responsiveness
• Reduce pollution from road work and new office construction
• Preserve open spaces
• Alleviate the strain on our crumbling transportation infrastructure
• Reduce terrorism targets of opportunity
• That's a savings of over $5,000 per telecommuter.

Supporters of the H.R. 1722 need your help bringing the bill back to the floor under a full session. The President, the First Lady, and the director of the Office of Personnel Management, John Berry, have all professed their support for workshifting. If you agree, please contact your political representatives and urge them to vote to make the road less traveled the way to work. A list of those who opposed the vote is available and you can cast your own vote on the bill at OpenCongress.

Want to know what your company could save by workshifting? Download our latest white paper: Workshifting:The Bottom Line


Photo Credit: myoldpostcards

I think we would all agree that of all the hurdles that we face when trying to implement a workshifting culture our technical problems are nothing compared to our people problems. The technical challenges are likely the easiest to overcome because they are purely black and white, either it works or it doesn't. Its easy to get discouraged but I am here to tell you that a little planning up front will make the task of convincing your boss that much easier.

The biggest challenge we will face is changing the pervasive work environment that can be found in the majority of businesses across America that still sees workshifting as a pipe dream, something that will never work. Lets work through these five and in another post we will give you five reasons why we can make workshifting happen.

1. When you are working from home I can't tell when you are really working. Look, I already have enough to do without having to worry about what you are doing while working out of the office. When 8:00 AM rolls around and I can see you sitting at your desk, I know that you are in the office and stuff is getting done.
2. No one can get real work done at home. I know my place has way to many distractions to be productive. Your kids are running around the house, screaming, all while you are trying to talk to a customer? Forget about it, no way am I going to take a chance that we will look unprofessional, not even in the slightest.
3. How about filing your TPS reports? We have filing cabinets full of those reports that you have to refer to daily. How can you do that while working out of the office. Think we are going to send them to you? Don't be selfish, our jobs are hard enough already without having to cater to your whims and wishes.
4. You know how it is, out of sight, out of mind. You really want that promotion? I'm telling you, if you work out of the office you miss all of the offline chatter that builds relationships and relationships are what builds careers.
5. I know that you have valid reasons but as soon as I let you start working away from the office I will have to let everyone do it. No favorites are played at this company. My job is hard enough managing the people that I have. As soon as I open this up for you I will have ten people breathing down my neck to do the same.

Honestly its pretty easy to explain away why someone cannot make workshifting happen in their organization. Go ahead and Google "telecommute problems" and see what comes up at the top of the list. Its not the technical chops that you need to make it work, its the management and people problems that are hard to solve.

That is one of the reasons that we are here, to help solve some of these problems. The Workshifting.com community is here to help answer some of these questions and be a great reference on why you can make this happen.

These are five that I came up with. Any you have heard that you would like to share?


Photo Credit: Editor B

So, with the World Cup upon us, employers are once again getting twitchy about the high levels of absenteeism - or 'throwing sickies' - which may well arise over the next few weeks.  No surprise there of course, based on the evidence of previous tournaments when big matches are scheduled, especially those involving the British teams.
 
Yet as an employer, the solution is firmly in your own hands.  Your HR departments will already be under varying legal, social and environmental pressures to introduce more flexible working practices.  And the good news is that, whatever cultural or organisational issues your organisation may have to address,   technology no longer presents a costly barrier. 
 
Easy-to-use voice and data collaboration tools providing secure remote access to your network, web conferencing, training and diagnostics are now within financial reach of even the smallest business.  As a result, staff can remain fully operational and stay in touch with colleagues and customers, wherever they are.
 
By doing this, employers can help their staff achieve a better work/life balance.  And, as recent surveys have shown, such moves are likely to have a really positive effect on staff satisfaction and retention levels - without damaging productivity.   Sounds like a winning goal to me.

What do you think?


Photo Credit: Phalinn
 

Aside from the latest iPhone or gossip magazine, Millennials need instant information, instant communication, and of course instant stimulation.

As a Millennial, I had my first AOL Instant Messenger chat at 11, created my first blog at 15, and downloaded thousands of free songs from Napster (which wasted thousands of hours with my 56K connection) in high school.  My young adult life was filled with navigating the Internet for information I wanted, whether that involved making plans with friends or getting band recommendations from a music Website.  It was singular as well as collaborative, but it all involved the Web and technology.

My mouse-click away mentality shaped my perspective on how to get things done in the workplace and how to communicate with others.

I believe this is the case for most Millennials (those born between 1977 and1996).  We've taken our technology upbringing into the workplace as we balance cubicle life and social interactions.  Most of us work with our Facebook accounts open, Google Chats visible, Pandora stations playing, and Outlook emails flowing.  It's a multi-tasking, multi-browsing business world, and this is how we roll.

A study by Mr Youth and Intrepid, "What your company will look like when Millennials call the shots," highlights the distinctive work style and digital dynamic that my generation brings to the future of business. Key aspects include:

• Saying goodbye to the boardroom - Millennials choose a roundtable environment versus an authoritative approach.  Over half of Millennials surveyed said that decisions should be made by consensus.  Open meetings can be held through an online meeting platform or in-person, as both allow for flowing communication and the ability to share documents and information freely and in real time.
• Technology has feelings too - The integration of technology and human interaction has changed the way Millennials communicate.  Think about it: as a Millennial, what was the last interaction you had with your best friend?  Was it a text, an email, a Facebook message?  And for those older than the Millennials, what was the last form of communication you received from a Millennial?
• Conversations are not one-way - No one likes to be talked down to, and for Millennials this means no one likes to be talked at.  Since the inception of instant messenger, blogs, and other social networking sites, the style of communication and selling has changed.  Marketing a product is no longer done by holding up a sign; it involves a social strategy that will initiate and influence a conversation to engage a response.  Millennials understand this innately.
• Move or be smushed - In the world of technology and business, nothing stays the same.  Workers are more mobile than ever, with 75% of the U.S. workforce projected to be working outside of the office by 2013 (IDC).  With this forward momentum, companies need to move - movement in the type of technology they employ and movement in the way they think about business strategy and processes.  Technology like GoToMyPC allows access anywhere, which fosters agility and forward-thinking.

Work and technology evolve just like the latest shoe fashion.  The penny loafers of the past will soon be the Converses of the future.  It's not about the style, it's about the utility and ability to keep moving forward

What do you think?


Photo Credit: Vancouver Film School

Working outside of a traditional office setting where you have colleagues and resources to draw on at all times can be difficult. If you work from a home office or space away from what your company considers 'home base' you know the added challenges. My name is Keith Burtis. This is my first addition to the workshifting blog but I have been a professional workshifter for three and a half years now and I'd like to share with you one of my weekly To Do's.

Break the Routine

So we have all heard of the importance of a routine right? Major league baseball players have a pre-swing routine, and workshifters tend to live and die by their routine and calendar. This may sound contrarian to all you have heard and learned about being an efficient worker but I'm going to tell you to Break the Routine! Do I mean that you should throw your life into a tizzy, start missing meetings and falling behind on your deliverables? No. However, what I am saying is, at least once a week you should step out of your pre-fabricated robot like routine and shock your system with something new!

Your asking me why? The routine works for you right? In fact maybe you have been following this exact routine for years and it's like the comfort blanket Linus from the Charlie Brown cartoon walks around with all day. The fact is this:

Change forces adaptation and adaptation increases strength.

Lets compare our work lives to physical fitness for a moment here.  Maybe even some of you have going to the gym a few times a week as a line item in your calendar. Why do you go? Many of you will say, To stay healthy, lose a few pounds or heck maybe to help break the monotony of your day. I'll tell you the real reason:

Change forces adaptation and adaptation increases strength.

By going to the gym and stressing your system on the treadmill or breaking down muscles by lifting weights you are forcing your body to adapt. Essentially, by adding a few clicks on the treadmill and a couple reps to your curls your body responds by getting stronger and healthier. This is why it is important to frequently change the routine of your workout to maximize results.

Can you see where I'm headed here? I don't want this to start sounding like a workout guide but rather a guide for life and work. Do you find yourself doing the same things every day? Expecting the same paycheck? Jut sort of....dare I say, Coasting? It's easy to fall into this trap, in fact it's human nature. However, for those of you that want to stay on top of your game, creative and fresh it's important to challenge yourself and step away from the routine every so often. please share your experiences here with us! If you think I'm off my rocker please share your thoughts

Photo Credit: Inoneear

One of the terrific things about workshifting is having the option to play music while you work.  I'm not talking about that elevator music businesses pipe in to "improve the customer experience."  I mean the songs you really enjoy, get you moving, block out distractions and keep you productive.

When I worked in a traditional office, music wasn't really allowed.  Discussions about playing music would involve huge conversations about appropriate work music and people's individual tastes.  Some people like hip-hop, some don't.  Many like country, many don't.  And while there are lots of articles about the Mozart effect, after a few plays, people were always looking for something livelier.  (No offense to Wolfgang.)

The other thing that came up in music conversations was making sure music would not create a distraction.  Especially if you're working with things that could hurt you.  For example, when I worked in hotels, many executive chefs didn't allow music in the kitchen.  Not because they were mean or didn't like music, but they were concerned that employees would be focused on music and possibly injure themselves during mise en place.

So when a while back, one of my fave bloggers - Paul Smith at Welcome to the Occupation - wrote a couple of posts titled "Songs about Work" and "Son of Songs about Work", it reminded me that listening to music while I work is one of the best parts of my work day.  And since I'm working from home, no one can really hear it and I can play whatever I want.

As loud as I want.

This morning, I downloaded "Clubbed to Death" by Rob Dougan and thought it might be fun to create our own Workshifting playlist.  Let us know in the comments...

What kind of music are you listening to while workshifting? 

What's your favorite song right now?


Photo Credit: Orcytes

In the world of project management, one of the highest and most recognized accolades a project manager can achieve is PMP® certification. In return for the many hours of studying and proven project success, as a certified PMP® one of the requirements we are held to by the Project Management Institute® is continuing education to maintain the certification. Despite the costs, time and effort involved in earning "PDUs" (Professional Development Units) to maintain the certification, PMP®s welcome the opportunity - albeit involuntary - to learn new and enlightening facets of the field. Given the international recognition and proliferation of PMPs, many companies are offering webinars and other online learning opportunities to make PDU-acquisition that much less painful! I recently attended a free webinar entitled "A Sixth Sense for Project Management," which spoke to the need for projects managers to find and invoke an intuitive "sixth sense" to overcome and identify that which empirical business acumen and planning simply cannot supersede.

And, so I began pondering....how we, as project managers, must essentially invoke ALL of our senses to manage projects and ensure success.

Sight: A good project manager not only "sees" the vision and scope for the project, as derived from stakeholder requirements, but also keeps the project "visible" throughout the organization and throughout the project life cycle.

Touch: In the world of project management, "touch" is synonymous with impact. Without a doubt, a project manager's ability to lead and influence are paramount to a project's success. Your priority is not only to capture requirements and obtain stakeholder buy-in from inception with a strong scope statement and kickoff, but also to continually "touch" the resources assigned to your project and on whom you rely for its completion. There's a lot of meaning behind the phrase "All hands on deck" when you need stakeholder, resource and project manager cooperation to ensure a project's timely and successful completion.

Hearing: It goes without saying that a project manager must have an acute sense of hearing in order to catch all of the requirements, scheduling constraints and deliverables which are part of every project. However, project managers need to be able to "hear" undercurrents of emerging risks, schedule constraints and resource apathy which will all adversely affect a positive project outcome. Tuning in to such inaudible signals is crucial so that you can avoid hearing stakeholders shout at the top of their lungs when a project gets off track. 

Smell: A project manager does not need to be a bomb-sniffing dog to know when the wheels are stuck, rubber is burning, and a project is veering off track.

Taste: A good project manager must be able to taste for "done-ness" to know when requirements have been fulfilled and a project is fully ready for implementation. And, much like a restaurant tasting, all members of the project team must agree on the level of "done-ness" in order for the product to be offered. Ultimately, there is no sense a project manager likes more than this one and the taste of sweet success when milestones are met, schedules align, budget constraints are not exceeded and stakeholder expectations satisfied!

When managing a project, whether large or small, personal or professional, you need not be a certified PMP® like me to appreciate that you will engage 100% of yourself and your senses. It is important to recognize the relationship between a project manager's "sense-ibilities" and the innate ability to initiate, drive, and guide a project to success.

What do you think?


Photo Credit: Snowpea&Bokchoi

There has long been a great debate among workshifters.  The magnitude of this debate has people from either camp bitterly divided, fiercely loyal, and ready to do battle to defend their side.  I speak, of course, of the great workshifting debate of coffee shop versus home office.

In order to take a stance on the topic, I'm going to make a good ol' fashioned pros & cons list of the two options, and by the end, hopefully, you'll be able to decide for yourself which of these two options makes the most sense for your workshifting lifestyle.

PROS

Home office

1. Quiet.  There is no question that when you work from a home office, you can generally get as much or as little quiet as you want.  Close the door, take a deep breath and start hammering away at your tasks.  If you need absolute peace to get anything done, there are few other settings that will provide this level of tranquility (unless of course you have kids at home... in which case, this point's moot).

2. Uninterrupted privacy.  Sometimes, workshifters work on sensitive projects.  If you're working on design or copy for a big client who wants to make a big splash, you can't afford to have someone catch a glimpse of your sketches.  In a home office, you can be sure that there is no corporate espionnage going on.  Unless your significant other works for the competition.  In which case, you may want to stay with friends until your assignment wraps up.

3. Work in your pajamas.  The holy grail of frustrated cubicle workers is to be able to work from home in their pajamas (or less, if that's how you roll).  While most successful workshifters have long ago learned that the key to good performance is to treat every day as if they were going into the office, having the option of working on a quarterly report in your boxers is certainly a perk.

4. Minimal expenses.  Sure, you have to get an internet connection, and you have to brew your own coffee, but chances are, even if you were working in an office, you'd still have those expenses.  What you can save on is expensive cafeteria lunches, the cost of a dozen grande lattes, and commuting costs.

5. Making phone calls is easy.  If you work with clients or colleagues, you need to make at least a handful of phone calls a day.  Being able to speak on the phone in a closed door office is a lot more comfortable than making that same call with chattery background noise, or loud colleagues having their own calls.

Coffee Shop

1. Action keeps you awake.  No matter how much you love what you do for a living, there are definitely times when you have to slog through tasks that put you to sleep.  Working in a coffee shop can perk you up not only through the caffeine, but also through the action going on around you.  For better or worse, being around people forces you to keep up certain appearances.  Passing out on your laptop in a Starbucks just wouldn't do.

2. Benefit from someone else's wifi connection.  A lot of coffee houses offer free wifi connections, which make them the ideal place if you're out of town, or if your own home internet connection is down, or if you haven't gotten around to setting up your own home internet connection.

3. Serendipitous encounters.  Chances are, if you're working from home, you're not going to be having too many adventures.  There is no chance to be interrupted, but there is also no chance to have serendipitous encounters with possible business contacts (or other).  Part of the beauty of coffee shop workshifting is that you will run into other workshifters, and while most can offer only their camaraderie - not a terrible thing to have in and of itself - others may surprise you by turning out to be important business contacts.

4. Entertainment.  Sometimes, when working from a coffee shop, I like to point and laugh at all the people running away from the office for 10-15 minute coffee breaks, only to scurry back with their treats.  This behavior should be practiced discretely and only when you're having a rough day.

5. Inspiration.  If you do any kind of remotely creative work, chances are you're always looking for inspiration.  In my experience, there's little more inspirational than people watching, and coffee shops, after parks, are probably the best people watching spots in any city.

CONS

Home Office

1. Loneliness.  As much as it sometimes feels like a relief that you no longer have to hide from Bob from accounting when he stops by "for a quick chat," it is easy to forget that we're social creatures and sooner or later, the water cooler chatting will be missed.  When you work from home, there's no one to chat with (except for maybe the cat).

2. Must have your own internet connection.  It stands to reason that if you're going to workshift in the modern age, you need an internet connection.  For most people this isn't an issue, but for a handful of people who have still been getting by without internet at home, working from home will force you to bite the bullet and shell out for a decent connection.

3. Risk of never changing scenery.  When you work from home, you enter a weird time warp where you lose track of the outside world, and it becomes all too easy to become a complete shut-in.  I've heard tales of workshifters who haven't left their homes for three or more days at a time, because they've fallen into the trap of laziness.  This isn't good for your mental well-being, or for your happiness.

4. Possibility of procrastination is huge.  Every office worker's biggest enemy is procrastination.  Whether it's wasting time surfing the web, checking facebook, twitter, or anything else.  This is easiest to do at home.  Not to mention you could also procrastinate with a myriad of other activities, like television, doing laundry, tidying up the den, re-arranging photo albums, building a birdhouse...  the possibilities are endless.

Coffee Shop

1. Intimidation.  While many coffee shops have gotten used to the idea of workshifters buying an overpriced caffeinated beverage and installing themselves at a small table for a few hours, some still aren't particularly fond of the practice.  Getting dirty stares from a frustrated barrista who is waiting for you to order another $6 cappuccino to replace the one you finished 20 minutes ago is not conducive to productivity.

2. Risk of crappy connections.  In a coffee shop, you have no control over the quality of the internet connection.  You will eventually get to know which shops have good internet service, and which are flaky, but at the beginning, you may find yourself getting your cup of joe, setting yourself up for a day of work, only to be frustrated by constantly dropping wifi signals.

3. The unexpected run-in.  Unless you drive to a coffee shop 100 miles outside of your hometown (maybe more), there is always the risk that you will have an unexpected run-in with acquaintances.  These run-ins are made awkward by the fact that most people you run into don't realize that you're actually working.  It's often difficult to back away from these conversations.  Especially when you're in the middle of a real creative flow, these run-ins can be a serious deflater.

Conclusion

In the end, there is no right answer. Some people will prefer the calm of working from home, while others will prefer the hustle and bustle of working from crowded cafes.  For most people, however, switching between the two common modes of workshifting from time to time is a good idea.  It keeps things interesting.  After all, workshifting is about increasing freedom, so might as well take advantage of that freedom and explore all the possibilities.

What do you think?


Photo Credit: Earl G

Summer is a hard time to stay focused.  The Sun is shining, flip-flops are on your feet, and the home office feels more like cell block 109 than a cozy work station.  Do you know the feeling?  I feel it every year the Mercury rises past 70.  To keep myself productive I gave myself a few "Summer Rules".  Maybe they will help you work smarter this season.


1. Own your calendar:  During the summer months the social calendar is more active.  There seems to be an endless number distractions to pull us away from getting work done.  I use Google Calendar internally, to schedule time blocks to accomplish my different tasks for the week.  I fill in the most important things as early in the day as possible.  I like using Tungle for my external meeting scheduler.  It integrates well with other calendars and has a cool "proposed times" feature.

2. Get outside everyday: I love the long days of April through October.  I start my workday an hour earlier in the summer.  This gives me more daylight to get outside and enjoy the afternoon.  You could take a 15-30 minute walk or work outside in the shade.  Your body will love the vitamin D and fresh air.

3. Unplug: This is related to #2 but is important to categorize by itself. Unplugging gives your mind time to reboot.  You will come back more focused and effective.  Use the off the grid time to enjoy the company of friends and family.  Experience the world around you.  Last week I saw a guy laying in a hammock with a cell phone to his ear and a laptop on his chest.  Really?

These are simple guidelines that help me stay productive during the summer months.  Most people get distracted too easily this time of year.  We relapse to our school days when we had summer break and could sleep in and shed responsibilities.  Today we don't have the same luxury with projects due and business to ship.  Don't give in to the summer blues.  Work hard and play hard.

What are your summer rules?

Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon

Workshifting has appeals for a number of reasons. One of these is the sense that workshifting is a greener choice than working in a regular office setting. But is that really the case? Is workshifting truly a greener work option than the traditional regular office?

It turns out to be a little more complicated than you might think at first. Depending on how you are workshifting, you may be contributing to more resource consumption, rather than less. A story on The Environment Report (NPR) recently looked at this issue.

If you are a workshifter, does your company maintain a regular office space for you, as well? Is that space being heated and cooled and lighted whether you are there or not? If you are away from that office a significant portion of your time, but the company is still maintaining that space for you, you may be increasing the footprint of your resource consumption. However, the larger the company you work for, the less significant this is, because you represent an increasingly small fraction of their total workforce, and the company is going to have a more consistent level of consumption regardless of your contributions or savings.

But consider the equipment and materials necessary for workshifting. If you have a home office as well as a regular office, what items are duplicated at each location? Do you have a printer at each place? Or even a separate computer for the company office and the home office? Or is your office your laptop, and it comes with you at all times?

Job sharing and hot desks are other strategies a company can use to turn workshifting into actual green strategies. In these instances, a company only needs the resources for one person, although more than one uses those resources, just at different times.

Even in a milder workshifting scenario, while the company may not realize the savings directly, a worker who workshifts even a few days a month is saving quite a bit of energy from the commuting they aren't doing. Working from home just 3 days a month instead of a 30 mile round-tip commute saves over 1000 miles of travel and 43 gallons of gas (for a single passenger commuter getting 25 MPG) and nearly 850 pounds of CO2 emissions as well.

How significant is the green factor in your workshifting choices?


Photo Credit: Swanksalot

Go take a hike. Or a walk. (After you finish reading this post, of course.) But, seriously, taking a timeout isn't just for preschoolers.

The problem with workshifting is that there's no one to schedule your life. No built in co-workers for a watercooler conversation or to coax you out to lunch. While some office workers think this means we sleep in, eat bonbons, and watch Oprah (or SportsCenter), we're more likely to be hyper-active. At least until we crash.

Case in point: I was crunching on a project recently. Around 3:00 p.m., I realized I hadn't left my computer for more than five minutes. And I'd been staring at the same page for a while. So although I had lots more work to do, I made myself go outside for a walk. Thirty-five minutes later, my body was relaxed and my brain was refreshed.

Fresh air and/or working out is my preferred break. What's your favorite timeout?

Photo Credit: Ed Siasoco

About three months ago, I was in Barcelona, Spain speaking at a conference.  Barcelona is a town teeming with hidden art.  You will quite literally be walking down a conventional downtown road, only to look down a corridor and find a sculpture, which you may not understand, but speak to you.  During our time, there I really began to think about our work.

I Google myself. If you're reading this blog, you probably Google yourself too. And if you're like me you may even have a Google alert set up for your full name. Ok, maybe you don't go that far. Over half (57%) of adult internet users have Googled their name to check on their online reputation, according to a recent study by Pew Research Center called "Reputation Management and Social Media." The study goes on to talk about reputation management as a defining feature of online life. This research also signifies a broader acceptance of the workshifting culture as we try to build reputations and connections with people around the world in a remote way.

Reputation used to be all about shaking hands and kissing babies. And although in person engagements and interactions are still crucial, online presence is becoming more and more important. When you apply for job, HR is going to Google your name. According to the Pew Research study, young adults are more likely to restrict or censor what they share than older internet users. It appears that younger adults are more active in managing online reputation.  

I think what this all means for workshifting is that the idea of virtual reputations and relationships is gaining more acceptance. The future will tell how "open" our sharing of information will be when it comes to online reputation (see Facebook's recent privacy settings change).  But for now the trend of online reputation management is a good sign for workshifting and shows a clear acknowledgement of the importance of virtual relationships and reputation.

What do you think?

Photo Credit: Manfrys

Despite the mountain of data to support workshifting, many companies are challenged to get a viable workshifting program in place.  I believe it's because they are looking for a detailed road-map, and it's impractical to provide that level of detail.  

The reason, every business and every business culture are unique.  Yes, there are general similarities: employees, customers, revenue, and all the other obvious attributes of a sustainable business, but that's where much of the similarities end.  The common thread, no matter how diverse the business, is the intense desire from employees to workshift, and the willingness from management to learn how to make it happen.

The basic workshifting framework will help you develop the business case needed to roll out a pilot program.  


First, clearly define the objective and the problem that will be solved by implementing the program.  If you are not clear as to the value of the program, the organization will not be either.  

Next, define success and how it will be measured. Then identify the people and resources you'll need to make this happen.  As you identify people and resources, start to list the obstacles.  In other words, what are your blockers?

Once identified determine if the blockers are perceived or actual.  For example, do you know unequivocally that your organization values butt-in-seat time over all else? Sometimes the obstacle appears to loom large, but may only exist in the mind of a small handful of people.  If my example rings true with you, then you need to demonstrate productivity gains, improved real-estate efficiency, etc.

Next, identify a small group of employees that would like to participate in the program.  Once complete, you're ready to being socializing the pilot with the stakeholders.  Don't stop at socializing; you have to ask for the sale.  Get the thumbs up to green light the pilot.

It all sounds very tactical, but it's very important to remember to humanize the process.  Start the conversation with your peers.  Keep the dialogue moving and ask for honest, actionable feedback.  Ignore the trolls, every company has them.  

Create a groundswell in your organization.  Take responsibility for the outcome and make it happen.  Rolling out a workshifting program will be one of the most powerful statements a company will make to their employees.  It says, "I believe in your ability," above all else.

Nothing screams confidence more than a company's willingness to hand over the reins to the employees, and trust in their ability to achieve great results, irrespective of their physical location.  If you are the person that lead the charge, you are destined to become indispensable.

Quick List:

1.  Objective
2.  Success
3.  Resources
4.  Obstacles
5.  Volunteers
6.  Socialize
7.  Sell

In the spirit of collaboration, I encourage you to take this framework, build upon it, and share it.  My viewpoint is unique to my experience.  To make this meaningful and scalable for the community, add your experience and your voice

How many times has it happened to you? Computer crashed. Kid sick so you can't make it into the office. Car won't start.

I have said it before, life happens, so you should try to make your organization as prepared as possible to keep moving forward when you are thrown that curve ball. In the post above, I talked about protecting your data but there are many pieces to this puzzle so lets turn our attention to your most precious asset, your people.

A common thought that goes through many organizations is that people need to come into the office in order to work. One of the problems with this line of thinking is that by tying your staff to a physical location you are putting all of your eggs into one basket. If the building burns, or if your staff cannot make it into the office, you have a high potential that their work day will be interrupted at best and at worst days/weeks could be a complete loss.

How can you combat this? Set your people free!

Studies have shown that by allowing your team to workshift, it makes for a happier and more productive staff. Best Buy's ROWE program shows how to allow your people to focus on what is important. Its also good sign that big business is starting to find out that you don't have to be in the office to get real work done.

Some interesting stats from Telework.Gov:

•    Federal agencies have 102,900 employees that are teleworking
•    64% of those employees were teleworking relatively frequently (either 1-2 days a week, or 3 or more days a week)
•    Office coverage and management resistance are considered the largest barriers to implementation

The federal government is starting to catch the workshifting religion and more companies like Best Buy are starting to see the benefits of having a focused workforce working where they feel comfortable and more productive.

Computer crashed? No problem, many workshifting tools turns the computer into a dumb terminal, all of your data is stored online. Kids sick? Once the children are tended to and resting, your employee simply returns to their home office and they are back up to speed. A real disaster occurs? Your team can be home with their families, your data is dispersed so it is safe, and they have their everyday tools on hand to pick up the pieces.


What do you think? How do you keep your organization nimble?


Photo credit: dazzied

This week I saw a great video with pop and hip-hop super producer Timbaland and his office on wheels so to say. This thing is pretty extravagant. Way beyond anything that many of us reading this little blog post would ever dream up (or would like to pump money into). But nonetheless, the guy is making top 10 Billboard singles on a bus.

Check out the video below:

So my question to you guys is that if Timbo can be doing this, why can't you do what you need to do from where you need to? Surely we don't need Pro Tools or huge mixing boards and synthesizers. All we need is a laptop, some web apps and maybe some old fashioned pen and paper?

But here's the problem I think many of us get caught up with - the tools. Adapting the tools to work with our companies, our clients and the environments that are "supposed" to work together. I can tell you that if 2 weeks after the iPad came out you would have Rana Sobhany making sweet mixes and rocking crowds with "2 iPads and a microphone" then you can surely figure it out.

I am going a little over the top here. It surely has to be more complicated. I was reading over the data from the new Workshifting white paper and its really flooring the positive change that a few days at home will have on our entire economic framework. Billions of dollars saved. More productivity. Less reliance on price-gauged natural resources. It's nuts right?

It's a total no-brainer? Then why are more companies not jumping through hoops to make the change? I don't really have that answer, but I do know that change is hard. Like driving the lane towards Dwight Howard hard (Go Magic!).

My generation (the young bucks with big mouths) may be more open to this environment. We are writing books that chronicle these ideas and principles and educating people on how it has positively affected their business. We are creating networks with thousands of influential players that all want to talk about work.

Are people listening?

My hope is that one day we'll all dance with these ideas like we do on Friday nights to one of Timbaland's bass heavy singles. Till that day, we'll keep leading by example and workshifting our butts off, while they sit in their cubes, water cooler chatting and roaming from meeting to meeting.

That's a song I'll listen to all day long. Cheers.

Whenever I'm out of the office, it never fails that I need a file I don't immediately have access to.  A typical example is I'm at a conference or job site and a prospective client wants some info about my company.  Instead of saying they need to wait until I get back to the office to send something, I've been looking for a way to have a couple of files on my iPhone.  That way when I get a call, I can just email the information.

So I've been trying out a few iPhone file storage apps to hold everyday documents.  The ones I looked at were GoDocs, Box.net and Dropbox.

Very similar to my last post on note-taking apps, all of these apps provide tutorials or help documents to get you started.  And good news!  They are all available for the iPad.

GoDocs ($3.99) is a great app if you use Google docs on a regular basis.  I have a few assignments where the team is using Google docs to report project results and this app gives me access to those files.  You can view files online or offline.  And I really like the ability to email files.  I didn't see a way to edit a document - hopefully that will come in future versions.

Dropbox (Free) provides a lot of flexibility when it comes to storage.  It's easy to use - simply drag/drop files.  It also supports multiple file formats.  If you have a group of people who need access to a file, Dropbox also has a collaboration feature. 

One thing that was interesting about Dropbox is the ability to earn extra storage space with referrals.  So if you're part of a group looking for a file storage app and leaning toward Dropbox, be sure to check out their referral program details.  You can also share a referral link with your Facebook and Twitter friends
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Box.net (Free) offers many of the same features as Dropbox (i.e. drag/drop files, multiple file format support and collaboration options).  A couple of additional noteworthy items include being able to email a file link and the ability to edit documents.  The free version gives you 1G storage and a premium versions can boost that storage to 10 - 15G for a fee.
 
Having a good file storage app can make life easier for any workshifting situation.  The three things that seem to set file storage apps apart are (1) how much storage space you need, (2) what file formats you work with most often, and (3) if you need editing capability.

 
What kinds of file storage apps are you using?  Leave us a note in the comments.



Photo Credit: jazzmasterson

Here's a story.  About a month ago I was at a wedding in the Florida Keys.  

It was a great night that ended with everyone, in full wedding gear, jumping in the pool. My little brother also happened to jump in the pool.  Unfortunately he had his iPod Touch, his phone and my phone (my precious G1) in his pocket.

So for a month, I went without a phone.  It was during this time that I realized just how much I use my mobile for actual workshifting.  It's beyond  just novelty, I was probably half as productive last month without my phone.  I missed meetings.  I couldn't connect with my team.  I was late to meetings.  I wrote less blog posts.  I created less content.  My twitter friends thought I was dead ... more than once.

We know that we have 24 hours in each day and that this should be plenty of time for us to complete everything that we have to do, with ample time to spare. The dawn of each day should bring a fresh outlook to all of us and we should feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle anything that life has in store. However, for one reason or another it seems that we are always playing catch-up, despite what we might feel are our best intentions. When the sun has set and the hours are winding down, we often feel frustrated, as we have not had enough time to complete all those tasks. Here are seven ideas for "finding" that extra hour each day!

1. Set up your phone so that all calls are processed before they reach you. There are some great programs available these days, including Google Voice, which will help you to prioritise the calls that you really need to take and leave the time wasting calls. You can even block unwanted or troublesome calls through the system. By having your own, personal secretary in this way, you will not waste valuable minutes.

2.  Realise the value of outsourcing.  What is an hour of you time worth? If you haven't calculated it, do it now!  Chances are an hour of your time is NOT worth you spending it doing all the things that you find difficult, time-consuming and repetitive.  Make a list of all the things that suck up your time. Concentrate on what you excel at and start flexing your outsourcing muscle, perhaps initially by trying to outsource just one thing that is sucking up your time. That might mean finding a cleaner, engaging the services of a Virtual Assistant or finding someone who can do your ironing much faster than you can!

3. Explore time management software programmes.  Once you've experimented and found the one that works for you, learn how to use it and stick with it. It might seem a bit alien to you at first, but if you are really stringent, you will save a great deal of time each day by focusing your attention. I use an appointment scheduling system now for my clients (www.timedriver.com ) It took some getting used to, but it's saving so much time each week that I previously spent with emails and voicemails going to and fro trying to find mutually convenient times for calls!

4. When it comes to planning, make sure that you actually do it! If you have a rather muddled list of things that you have to accomplish in your head, you will bounce back and forth between these chores and not be efficient. Allocate time to plan ahead, whether this takes place during the prior evening, or when you first wake up.  Research has shown that an hour planning any project saves at least four hours. Block out time in your diary on a quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily basis to plan and you'll find that you avoid diary clashes and that you naturally become more focussed.

5. Allocate an hour for communication and "batch process" that communication time. This includes all those call-backs that you might have to make, the checking of e-mail, updating of Facebook or other social networks. You would be amazed how much time can be lost if you're constantly checking e-mails or taking phone calls without a structured plan.

6. When you're planning your time, include a "buffer" at appropriate intervals. This means that you should not plan one task after another within an unrealistic time frame. If you allocate a certain amount of "buffer," you will not get sidetracked, harried or fall off your schedule.

7. Combine your exercise time with "catching up" time. If you allocate, say 30 to 45 minutes a day for physical activity, combine this with your time to catch up on the news and current affairs. This could mean the installation of a television in your workout area, or this may now become the time to listen to a particular media channel or even to read updates through your electronic book reader.

What do you think?

Photo Credit:  Steve Grosbois