workshifting

Present Like You're In-Person: 10 Ways to Virtually Engage

2010-08-31T18:05:39Z

Today we have a guest post from Tom Drews. Tom is the CEO and Founder of What Works! Communications, a company that helps people to design and deliver effective virtual presentations. He is considered to be a leader in the field, and his clients include Google, Symantec, CLIF Bar, McKesson and Citrix Online. You can learn more about his programs at www.whatworks.biz.

Presenting and selling in the virtual environment is the wave of the future! It can be an incredibly effective means of communicating both your message and your value. That said, it will mean next to nothing if you can't effectively engage them. And that is the number one challenge we face when presenting online. What follows are ten best practices for engaging your prospect when using GoToMeeting, or any comparable platform.

Know Your Platform Well

In my early days, I inadvertently kicked 150 people out of a meeting, crashed my computer, and kept an audience waiting for eight minutes while I figured out how to push the start button. Learn from my mistakes and know your platform inside and out! Practice makes perfect. Make dry runs and call support when necessary, and be sure to look for an easy-to-use solution.

Present Value Throughout

The biggest mistake I see sales people make is not presenting value. You may have the greatest product or service in the world, but it will mean next to nothing if you can't effectively communicate your value based on your prospect's most important needs. The very small percentage of virtual sales presentations that hold prospects' attention are those that deliver genuine value based on the audience's most important needs. Connect with your prospect in advance to learn more about their situation, the problems they face, the impact those problems are having on their business, and their needs.

Grab Your Audience's Attention

Most people begin their presentations with an agenda, or by talking about themselves. This is painfully boring. We have to grab the prospect's attention right from the start, or else we may lose them forever. Start with a provocative question, a personal story, a quote, or an interesting fact. My favorite way to start is by presenting the number one challenge that my prospect faces, and then showing how solved the same problem for another customer. Be sure to add engaging visuals, photos or graphics to help support your point.

Keep Your Slides Simple

At least 95% of the presentations I see are crammed with text. Here's the problem with this: We are naturally designed to read what's in front of us, and while you're reading what's on the screen, you're not paying attention to what I have to say. I suggest breaking complex slides into several different slides, and adding visuals to support each point. You can also use a build, where you bring in points one by one. That way the audience isn't reading ahead. And if you absolutely have to keep your slides busy, then at the very least use the annotation tools to help draw attention to what you want your prospect to focus on.

Add Some Hollywood

Instead of designing a dull PowerPoint® presentation, imagine yourself as the writer, director, producer and actor of your own Hollywood production. An Academy Award-winning film consists of thousands of images strung together to tell a story. Apply this approach to your virtual presentations. How can you add photos and other visuals to help you tell your story and illustrate your points? For an example of how to present Hollywood, feel free to view our recorded webinar at www.whatworks.biz under the "event" tab. For stock photos, www.istockphoto.com is my favorite resource.

Make the Most of Your Voice

When presenting online, we don't have the luxury of connecting with eye communication, our bodies, and movement. All we really have to work with are our visuals and our voice. So we have to make the most of it. There are many elements of voice, including volume, tone, inflection, pace and articulation. Record your Web presentations, and then play it back for yourself or others so you can collect feedback and make an honest assessment of your voice. I don't recommend using a cell phone, but I do suggest using a headset connected to a landline.

Eliminate Distractions

I have polled literally thousands of people to learn what they find most annoying when sitting in on virtual presentations, and distractions rise to the top of the list. If someone in the audience is making unnecessary noises, such as coughing, heavy breathing or burping, don't hesitate to mute them. Be conscious of your own background noise, as well. I've sat in on webinars and heard people doing dishes, dogs barking and people snoring. You want your prospect to focus on you, your message, and the value that you have to offer, and that is it.

Use Annotation Tools

Most Web conferencing platforms, such as GoToMeeting, provide annotation tools, which include pens, arrows, boxes, circles, laser pointers and more. The highlighter is one of the most useful tools. It is essentially a pen that allows you to highlight text and other images. Using annotation tools throughout your presentation will help to keep your attendees engaged and focused on your most relevant content.

Interact Often

When presenting virtually, we can't see our prospect, and they "know" that we can't see them. So they're free to do whatever they wish. Social Media and Email are some of the most common distractions nowadays. In order to keep our prospect from wandering, it is absolutely essential that we interact often. Most Web conferencing platforms provide interactive tools such as Polling, chat rooms and white boards, which are ideal for keeping larger audiences engaged. Interact with smaller audiences by asking questions and fielding questions throughout. My No. 1 strategy for interacting and engaging with smaller groups is to address people by their first names, and ask individuals if you're on track and covering their most important needs.

Stand and Deliver

Wearing a cordless headset connected to a landline will allow you to have your hands free, as well as your body. If you use a remote clicker, as you would when presenting in person, you can move about the room while advancing your slides. If frees up your energy so you can be your most enthusiastic self. I've witnessed some of the most successful sales people walking around and gesturing enthusiastically while delivering virtual sales presentations.

In conclusion, presenting in the virtual environment can be an incredibly effective way of communicating your message and your value to your audience. Focus on your value, add some "Hollywood," and keep them entertained. By doing so, you'll be sure to more effectively engage your audience and leave them with a message they won't forget! Of course, you will also shorten your sales cycle, beat the competition, and close more business.

Photo Credit: ShashiBellamkhonda

Managing the 24 Hour Workshift

2010-08-27T13:40:29Z

This coming weekend, I'm taking some time off, to go on a mini-vacation with my husband. I'm both excited and nervous about it at the same time. Part of me is thrilled to be "shutting down" from my business for a few days. The other part of me is wondering if I can really do it.

I became a full-time workshifter 2 years ago, and I've never looked back. I adore the lifestyle - making my own hours and setting my own priorities is definitely the way I like to do things. I was never big on the workaday world. But there is a downside to my nomadic work life, and it's one that I have to work hard to control. You see, because our office is where WE are, instead of the other way around, we workshifters often tend to forget how many hours we work. We work until the coffee shop closes, or our flight arrives, or our spouse tells us it's time to go to bed. Our tendency is to work until the work gets done, and it's all too easy to lose track of time until we sit, brain-dead and bleary eyed, wondering where the week went. The risk then could get more serious - if we keep going and going without enough down time, we could burn out. And trust me, burn out is not pretty.

So what's a workshifter to do?

Great expectations.

We've all heard the saying "The best laid plans of mice and men.". Well, as workshifters, often our best laid plans, (you know, the ones where we'll take weekends off, finish work by 6pm, and travel less), wind up going out the window because we blindly check our email or voicemail at 8pm, and realize that we'll never sleep that night if we don't respond to that "urgent" client request right away.

One of the biggest traps we fall into as digital nomads is we forget to shut off our work at a certain time each day. We don't set boundaries for ourselves, and before we know it, we've been pulling 16 hour days 6 times a week. The only way to get out of the "always-on" trap is to start to manage expectations - not only those of your clients and colleagues, but your expectations of yourself, as well.

For me, setting a time limit on the day simply doesn't work. Sometimes, I have to be up and at it at 7am, and then on the same day, I'll have no choice but to be at a video shoot at 8pm. What does work for me is letting a limitation on my actual tasks for the day. When I'm planning my week, I make my To-Do lists based on what I know I can reasonably accomplish in any given day, and then I stick to it. I always leave a bit of space for the unexpected (and sometimes that means postponing certain things), but by not taking on more than I can chew at once, I'm ultimately more successful. Not only that, but if I've set my own expectations first, it's much easier to manage the expectations of my clients. If I've planned to have something done for Wednesday morning, I am able to clearly communicate this, and as a result, I'm a lot calmer and so is my client.

Manage your time, yes. But manage your expectations of yourself too. Set your schedule in manageable chunks. I guarantee you'll look back on your week having accomplished a lot more.

Photo Credit: cathyse97

Self-Discipline Tips

2010-08-26T20:32:56Z

I believe one of the most important character traits of a successful workshifter is self-discipline. While working remotely obviously gives us all a great deal of freedom and flexibility, it's up to us to put ourselves on a leash - figuratively, of course - in order to actually get things done and succeed.

Without adequate levels of self-discipline, it's likely your work and business will suffer. Here are some of the standards that I've set to condition myself and maintain the discipline that's needed on a daily basis when you're working outside of an office.

Set working hours and stick to them. Whether it's 7 a.m., 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., make a commitment to start working at the same time every day and do not budge from this under any circumstances. This will help your colleagues and clients know when to contact you.
Make yourself available to your colleagues and clients using chat and instant messenger tools, like Skype, Google Talk or MSN Messenger. By signing in you are signaling that you are "in the office," thereby holding yourself accountable. This tactic will also help prevent you from falling into the habit of hitting snooze and sleeping those extra 30 minutes.
Set aside blocks of time every day to perform tasks that may not be related to specific work projects - for example, spend 15 minutes in the morning and late afternoon updating your Twitter account or surfing Facebook . Or, dedicate the last 30 minutes before you shut down your computer to checking the mail or paying bills. Setting aside these blocks of time to allow yourself to perform these tasks will help you condition your brain to stay focused throughout the rest of the day.
Spend some time at the end of your workday to prioritize the activities that need to be addressed the following day. This will help you mentally prepare for what's ahead and give you an immediate starting point on the next day.
Record your time to determine what you've accomplished throughout the day. I do this anyway, since I have to complete a timesheet, and I've found that this gives me a sense of achievement, or, a kick in the rear if I haven't been as productive as I should have been. If you don't work in an environment where you record your time, I highly recommend doing this on your own.
Finally, don't get discouraged when you're having one of those days where you feel like you have the attention span of a lightning bolt. It happens to everyone - whether you work in an office or not.

What about you? Do you struggle with self-discipline from time to time? If so, what do you do to overcome it?

Photo Credit: suttonhoo

Workshifting on a Train - Part 2

2010-08-23T21:02:42Z

Okay, so I have returned from my workshifting train trip from NYC to Miami, and yes I am fully aware of how crazy that sounds. I traveled on Amtrak for the duration of the trip using something that's called a USA Rail Pass. Basically, you receive 8 segments in 15 days for just under 400 dollars, which considering how late I booked it, is a pretty good deal. It was a total over over 60 travel hours.

Look, its no surprise that taking a train that distance will not be as time efficient as air travel. However, I decided to take a train to mix things up a bit and investigate whether workshifting was indeed possible all the way up and down the East Coast.

Now, for the question of whether I remained productive. You know how when you get on a plane, you can just crank out work because there are no distractions? Yeah, it was like that, except for 60 hours instead of six. It was beautiful.

From a workshifters perspective, Amtrak trains are pretty solid. They boast big, comfy chairs, probably the equivalent of First Class on most airlines. They also have working outlets for each passenger so you can stay charged up at all times. And of course, you can't beat the scenery. No, the normal trains do not have WiFi, only some commuter trains do. But I use Verizon Wireless broadband anyway which is built into my netbook. I was very impressed with Verizon's service. I had access to WiFi for the entire trip. There were plenty of spots where I had no cell phone coverage on my T-Mobile Android device but was able to keep working on my netbook.

All in all, the trip was fantastic. I was able to remain just as productive if not more so, while soaking up beautiful scenery, meeting some very interesting people and visiting some cool spots in the US. I love experimenting and pushing the boundaries with workshifting because I believe we have reached a point (at least in most of the developed world) where work is truly what you do and not where you sit. The ability to workshift is not just about productivity and connectedness, its about freeing yourself to take an adventure and bring your work along with you. And that's exactly what I continue planning to do. :)

The Silent "D" in Workshifting

2010-08-18T12:53:44Z

The silent "D" in workshifting stands for self-discipline. The freedom of "office anywhere" allows us to have is sometimes dangerous for the new workshifter. It is easy for the high productivity environment created by working outside the office to have the opposite effect. Not having the office to discipline us requires that we discipline ourselves. This can be hard (Remember the first time you left home on your own).

Self-disciple is part of our character. It is not willpower or a set of activities. I used to believe I was disciplined because I had a planned calendar and kept to it. I now believe it is deeper. To develop discipline we must start with our thoughts. Our thoughts then determine our actions. Our actions develop habits and our habits form character.

Thoughts --> Actions --> Habits = Character

Simple (not always easy) ways to achieve self-discipline:

Remember what you want most, not now. Focus on your goal. Adopt long-term thinking as opposed to short-term thinking. Set up short range rewards along the way to get you to the next step. If you get this- You have won 75% of the battle.

Advanced decision making. Make your decisions ahead of time. When the choice needs to be made, it isn't as hard. For example, if I decide before I go to dinner that I am not going to order dessert, when the waiter asks at the restaurant, it is easier to choose "no" because I already decided.

Consistent action. Repeated actions lead to habits. Habits form your character. Start with a simple area to be consistent in. I have a friend who started making her bed each morning to develop a consistent habit. This small habit formed a character of discipline which has permeated into her professional life.

The freedom to workshift is a blessing or a curse. Discipline determines which one we experience.

What do you do to create a character of self-discipline?

Photo Credit: qousqous

The Critical Qualities of Workshifting

2010-08-17T23:16:21Z

When organizations and individuals start having conversations about workshifting, the discussion seems to naturally gravitate toward how to manage a person who isn't sitting around an office all day. It's a reality and unfortunately, this is where the workshifting concept can often get stuck.

A basic tenet of workshifting is being able to manage yourself. That's not to say people who work in offices can't manage themselves, but I've heard from many people over the years that they need an office to visit each day. Because working from home or the local coffee shop can sometimes be a distraction. And having an office away from home keeps them focused.

So I thought it might be interesting to start a discussion on qualities of self-management. Obviously, they apply whether you're in a workshifting arrangement or not. But if you are considering asking for a workshifting arrangement, this might be food for thought. And even if you find these are qualities you need to work on, that doesn't mean you won't be successful in workshifting. It just means you need to reflect a little and perfect your ability to self-manage.

The first quality is knowing yourself. It's about understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Being very honest with who you are. Let's face it - we're not all rock stars at everything.

There are a few ways you can spend time learning about yourself. I always say there are three ways to learn - hearing it, seeing it and doing it.

Ask for feedback. Talk with people who have a sense of your working style and ask them for feedback about your strengths and areas for improvement. If you don't have anyone you can ask right now, think about prior performance appraisals you've received and use that feedback.

Once you get feedback, take the time to process and evaluate it. I'd caution people not to immediately dismiss it. You might agree with all of it, parts of it, or none of it. But think it though, make the decision for yourself, and then decide what you will do with the information. Do you need to create an action plan to work on something that was mentioned?
Read books about developing strengths. One terrific book is called, "Now Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham. In the book, there is an opportunity to take an assessment that can help you define your personal strengths. Great way to create your own path of self-discovery.

If you have ever taken any assessments in the past, this is a good time to take them out and review them. Consider the results and, like the process above, evaluate what you need to focus on moving forward.
Step out of your comfort zone and do something you haven't done before. For example, if you're apprehensive about public speaking...go out there and volunteer to do a public presentation. Use the evaluations from the sessions to improve. Then do it again.

Stepping back to assess and evaluate our personal strengths and weaknesses is a valuable exercise not only for workshifting but anytime. It allows us to keep ourselves focused and positioned to adapt as necessary.

Next up, how self-management and our careers are intertwined.

Photo Credit: Valerie Everett

Designing a Workshifting Disaster Recovery Plan

2010-08-14T17:33:56Z

One of the things we have been wrestling with is building a sound disaster recovery plan for our business. If you have never done it, disaster recovery quickly turns into one of those never ending rabbit holes that take a lot of planning to get it right. But all of this time I never really translated disaster recovery into my personal life.

Until...

I lost the hard drive on our main iMac in our home. All of our digital pictures, our entire iTunes library, lots of documents, you get the picture. I have talked about some technology sins that I have committed in the past but not having a good backup of this system had to be my worst. I know better, I know how to build a good backup and recovery plan for a business, have done it several times in the past. But I sure didn't have a good one for home and I will bet that I am not alone.

After rebuilding our iMac, and being really lucky to come across a tool called Disk Warrior that saved my hide, I got to thinking about the close call and wondered why I couldn't apply some of the things that I have learned in business to my workshifting world.

Like I mentioned above, disaster recovery can be as big and as complex as you want to make it, but here are a few key areas to start your own workshifting disaster recovery plan:

Get a good idea of where all of your important data resides. For us the killer apps on this machine were our iTunes and iPhoto libraries. For you it might be some important work documents. Find them and document where they are being stored.
Identify your must have applications. These are the ones that you can't do without on a day-to-day basis. Document these must haves and then think about prioritizing them. In the event of a disaster you likely can't bring them all back at once. By having them prioritized it will give you a good concrete list to work from.
Now that you know where your data lives get it off of your machine and preferably out of your home. There are several, cloud based, tools to help you do this. Take a look at Mozy and DropBox to get you started. To survive a real disaster (fire, flood) it does no good to have your backup disks sitting in the drawer under your machine.
Take your key list of applications and start thinking how you can make them more resilient. This one can be a tuffy, but if you are a small business it could be that your Quickbooks invoices are your lifeblood. What should you try to get back first? Hopefully you will already have that answered.

These are a few key areas to think about but there are certainly many other areas that may be important for you, depending on the nature of your work, data, and needs.

How about you? Had any personal disaster stories that you want to share?

Photo Credit: Will Scullin

A Workshifting Experiment: Taking a Train from New York City to Miami

2010-08-12T13:48:20Z

Since December 15, 2009, Melissa and I have been home for about 15 days. Last week, we returned from a 91 day workshifting trip in Europe, and decided to ground ourselves in the East Village for a few weeks before our next adventure. Problem: My little brother, who I call Boy, is graduating and he lives in Miami.

At this point, I am absolutely exhausted at the thought of another short haul flight. So, I decide to do the only natural thing any workshifting nomad would do...take a train to Miami from New York City.

I just got a new netbook, and of course am rocking Verizon Wireless broadband card as usual. I am actually curious to see if I can stay productive while traveling down the entire East Coast on an Amtrak.
P.S. The hashtag for this little experiment is #imonatrain.

Developing a Firewall for the Mind

2010-08-11T16:40:51Z

I heard a great quote while on a webinar with Author and Wired Editor, Jonah Lehrer. He was discussing the Paradox of Choice and Decision Theory, he said to think about the "why," and "what" decision we are trying to make. Doing so can help us "...avoid, avoidable mistakes." The essence of this boils down to the conscious choices we make and how the brain processes rewards and expectations. It's a really meaty topic that I'm interested in learning more about. For now, I decided to jump in and start applying what I heard.

His quote has been stuck in my head for weeks now. Lately, I've been really thinking about the "why" and "what" of the choices I make every day. What I'm discovering is that these questions act like a firewall for the mind. Keeping out the most harmful stuff and allowing in most of what will benefit me.

For example, I recently purchased a truck. Originally I had it loaded with tons of additional options. When I sat down and ran my decision through this filter, I ended not taking any of the options. My new mental firewall saved me roughly ten grand.

As I'm writing this post I'm on a much needed vacation. I even ran my vacation through the "why and what" machine, and I ended up staying local instead of traversing globe. The vacation decision was both professional and personal. I needed a break from what has been a particularly busy schedule. But, after much thought, I didn't need to break from my home life. In fact, I really felt the need to stay mostly local. Not only did this decision keep my bank account topped off, it turns out I really needed to spend time with my family in their normal routine. Going to the store, piano practice, playing catch in the backyard and all the things I take for granted. It has only been a few days but its been wonderful.

I'm starting to run my professional goals through this as well. If you do any mind mapping, this thought process may materially alter your goal setting, decision tree, etc. A good starting point is workshifting goals. When asking people why they workshift, the standard answers tend to be around freedom, family time, independence, etc. Now take those answers and ask yourself "why," and "what" decision am I really making? The answer could lead you in a surprising direction.

Ok, I'm starting to sound like a fortune cookie. See what it's all about, and I think you'll find it as fascinating as I do.

Thoughts?

Photo Credit: Air Force One

When a Workshifter Comes In From the Road

2010-08-10T04:13:03Z

I've been workshifting since before there was a term for it. I started back in the late 90s, when I convinced my office that I could manage most of my project details remotely. By the early 2000s, when the company where I worked acquired a new building, I even built workshifting (then called telecommuting) into the desk counts for the office space. Years later, I brought workshifting to my marketing company, New Marketing Labs , because my home is 67 miles away from my desk.

But recently, I picked up an office space closer to home because working out of coffeeshops was getting too disruptive. And in so doing, it gave me pause to reflect on the differences between being 100% nomad and having a desk. It also gives me a new way to workshift, so I'll share that, too.

The Immediate Stretch Out

The first thing I noticed upon getting an office is that I've stretched out my stuff again. I bought a second monitor right away (because living inside a laptop lid is restrictive). I had to buy all these "supplies" like an easel board and dry erase boards, so that I could have some "object permanence." When we're workshifting back and forth to different coffee shops, we can't do that kind of thing.

Oh, and I had to start thinking about refreshments and breaks, because when you're at a coffee shop, you're surrounded by things to snack on and drink, but in an office environment, especially if you've rented your own, there's nothing unless you bring it in.

New Benefits for Workshifting

One thing I noticed right away. The moment I had a desk in my office, I didn't want to be tethered to my cell phone all the time for communication. I turned on Skype right away (though I roll in invisible mode all the time). I'm also renewing my GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar usage (they're a client and the sponsor of this blog).

The benefit of having my office is that I'm not worried about all the loud noises and interruptions of others around me. It doesn't matter when the espresso machine runs, because there's not one in my office. So, I can use remote communications tools much more effectively here.

Having an office space away from my main office (but not a coffee shop) means that I can have more team-minded meetings again. Because I can use remote communications software, I can see everyone's frustrated heads more easily, and that sometimes helps (because nonverbal cues are important to better understanding).

Still a Nomad at Heart

I still have to leave this office behind sometimes. Not counting airports and hotel rooms, I still have to get out to coffee shops and bookstores sometimes. I can't stand too much silence. And hey, sometimes a change of locale helps the experience of thinking and understanding.

When all is said and done, there are benefits to having some kind of office space from time to time. Workshifting isn't about giving up offices entirely, nor is it about staying out there away from the mothership forever. What it is about are options. The more you can work in ways that best suit your role at work as well as your roles in life, the better it is for everyone.

Paper: The Workshifter's Secret Weapon

2010-08-09T14:51:29Z

Paper. The analog method. Call it what you will. In this age of digital, using something as 20th century as pen and paper sounds like a very strange thing to do.

It doesn't matter if you use a tablet, a pocket notebook, the other side of some printed paper, or the back of an envelope. Paper can be more than just a quaint way of going old school. It can be a useful and powerful tool.

Why use paper?

I'm definitely not harking back to the days when William Faulkner wrote his manuscripts with a pen on a legal pad. Instead, I'm advocating the use of paper for other tasks, which I'll get to in a moment.

The goal these days seems to be to go paperless. So you're probably asking why paper, and not ... well, something digital. A few reasons:

No matter how hard we try, we're not always online or have our computers turned on
There are situations -- when riding transit, for example -- when we can't just whip out laptop, tablet, or smartphone
Sometimes you just can't be bothered turning on a computer or electronic device

There are times when the keyboard is a source of stress when I'm trying work. When I have distractions pummeling me, it's like the keyboard is taunting me and I don't have a good comeback for those taunts. That's when paper becomes a sanity saver.

And as someone told me, when the power goes down pen and paper stay up.

Using paper effectively

Doing that isn't as simple as pulling out a notepad and moving a pen across it. As I mentioned a few paragraphs ago, there are certain tasks that I recommend using paper for. With some of them, going the analog route can be more effective than using software or a Web app.

Like what? Jotting down quick notes, ideas, and quotes. I do that a lot. In fact, half of my notebook is filled with little snippets like that.

If you write for a living, dragging yourself away from the computer is a great way to focus on building an outline or even scribbling out that first draft that's been giving you trouble. Regardless of what my instructors in journalism school told me contrary, going this route actually helps me write faster.

Paper is great for brainstorming. Better, I think, than mind mapping software. Using paper and pen allows you to be a lot more spontaneous and gives you opportunities to immediately explore a tangent.

No matter how you're using paper, keep the old adage don't think, do in mind. Let your pen flow over the paper. Don't worry about mistakes or whether or not what you're putting down is any good. You can edit and excise later.

The drawbacks of paper

Yes, there are a few. The biggest one is the what does that say? problem. No matter how neat your handwriting is, if you're writing quickly then sometimes your nice flowing handwriting becomes a hard-to-decipher scrawl. If your handwriting is anything like mine, then this is a problem at the best of times!

If you want to move what's on paper to a digital repository like Evernote or Google Docs, it's going to eat up a bit more of your time. You've got to spend more than a few minutes typing up what you've handwritten. This can drag on you if you're facing a deadline.

Of course, running out of ink and of empty pages is a constant danger ...

Still, I believe that the advantages of using paper really outweigh the drawbacks. Paper is portable and flexible. And it's easy to use.

Do you use paper? If so, how? Feel free to share your experiences by leaving a comment.

Photo Credit: pyth0ns

Chasing Mobility

2010-08-05T17:21:19Z

I've been workshifting for a long time. I started out with pens and paper and dimes for the payphone - long before e-mail was ordinary and mobile phones were ubiquitous.

I embraced technology at every step, and my business life is littered with the detritus of obsolete objects to prove it. DOS-only systems. Floppy disks. Zip drives. Dot matrix printer. Flat screen monitor. Thermal-paper fax machine...

At every step, mobility took a skip forward and connecting with clients and colleagues got a little easier. Faxing replaced telexes and courier services. E-mail made delivering documents near instantaneous. Laptops let you take your office with you. And today I'm looking at real-time streams of conversation and wondering what comes next.

And yet... I'm still searching for true mobility. Still learning what's possible. You see, the other day I had an epiphany that I could forward my office number to my mobile and take calls when I'm workshifting from the rooftop deck or the corner bar.

Chasing mobility is made up of skips and leaps forward, and occasional duh moments.

What are you doing to find your mobility? Any leaps or duhs to share?

Photo Credit: Philip Bitnar

Cloud Access Can Save Your Virtual Workshifting Butt!

2010-08-04T20:23:47Z

2010 seems to have been the year mobile gadgets have really become ubiquitous. Smart phones, laptops and the like are no longer just for professional uses. It's hard to walk through a public facility anymore without seeing people of all ages on their smart phones and mobile computing devices. As workshifters you know that the majority of the weight in any of your carry on bags these days is at least 50% gadgets and devices. Well, mine is anyway. The biggest challenge all of these devices bring us on a daily basis is having the ability to access the information you need from any of them.

Today I'd like to talk about an app that I use all the time and has been a lifesaver on many occasions: Dropbox. Dropbox gives you the ability to access data across a multitude of devices and share that data with anyone you allow access to.

Last year at about this time I was speaking at one of the biggest events of my life. While traveling on the plane to the venue my laptop screen decided it was going to just stop working. No warning and no Apple store in sight when I landed. Luckily, I had placed my presentation in my Dropbox folder and had it stored safely up in the cloud. 15 minutes after landing I sent a message to the event promoter and asked if he might be able to lend me his computer to do my presentation. He was more than happy to help me out and within 20 minutes I had alleviated the stress of having to give my presentation without slides.

This is the magic of Dropbox. Heck, my wife is as far from a geeky gadget gal as anyone but loves the Dropbox app! We place photos of our 12 week old son in the secure Dropbox and she then has the ability to show them to anyone that asks via her Andriod based smart phone installed with the Dropbox app without taking up precious memory space.

Dropbox can serve a multitude of functions but really excels with the workshifting professional that wants to have important backups and files easily accessible from any device with internet access. Give it a try today. they have a free 1 Gig plan as well as some paid plans.

Let me know what you think of Dropbox!

Photo Credit: Akakumo

Living to Work vs. Loving to Work

2010-08-04T17:24:34Z

Today's post is from Maren Kate, an entrepreneur who blogs about starting a small business, living extraordinarily and escaping the 9 to 5.

I always hear the stand by "You shouldn't live to work, instead work to live". It's true, I guess, but it always confused me because I truly love what I do, so I have no interest in just working to live, instead I love to work. Now to some this is a sign of workaholicism - but I disagree. I feel like calling productivity a disease is kind of silly in the first place - I mean if you love what you do, are happy and not only aren't hurting anyone but you're adding to the world - how can that be wrong? It's like saying that Mother Teresa was a compassionaholic or that someone who loves to write day in and day out is a proseaholic. So loving-work-aholics, unite, it's our time to shine and to show the world that work doesn't always have to be tedious and with a little creativity & persistence it can actually be one of the best parts of your life.

How to Love What You Do

1. Do you do what you love?

It's a basic concept. If you hate numbers and you work as an accountant you're going to hate your job and most probably your life. If you love writing and you work as a blogger you're going to enjoy life and feel as if you're job adds value to your overall existence. So ask yourself, if I could do anything in the world & get paid a decent wage for it - what would I do? Then figure out a way, come hell or high water, to do just that.

2. Don't get mired in the things you hate within your business.

Too often entrepreneurs start a business based around what they love, but within a few months are hating their lives. The problem is that instead of doing what they love in their business they've tried to become everything to everyone. Thus the artist starts balancing the books, making sales calls and learning HTML when all she wanted to do was paint. Make sure that when you start a business you either A. love the admin side of things or B. find someone who can do that for you while you focus on what you love and are great at.

3. Love where you work.

I had a job as a receptionist over summer break when I was 18. It wasn't a hard job and for the most part I liked the answering phones and filing a bit, but I went home every night crying. Why? Because I hated (with a capital H) where I worked. It was a window-less, cubicle, cell of death, nothing but white walls surrounded me and the horrible lights above me made me literally ill. If I had been doing that same job next to a bright open window, with warm wood walls and a cool summer breeze blowing in - I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have minded it at all. Loving where you work is incredibly important, especially when you are work shifting from a typical 9 to 5 into a career or business where you have freedom of location. Choose wisely, pay attention to your inner aesthetic needs and you'll find yourself 100 times more productive and happy at work.

Making the shift

Shifting from living to work to loving to work isn't an easy one, that's why so few people do it. Most people won't leave their comfort zones or force themselves to truly consider what they would be happy doing. Call it fear, call it negative self image, call it whatever you want - the point is that it's prevalent in our society. So to be different, will be difficult. But the pay off is oh, so worth it. Think of it this way - if you love to work you'll be 5 to 10 times more productive, easily. So you could cut your 8 hour work day into a few hours and still have the same results when you start loving your work vs. when you live to work you'll try to put off your work as long as possible. So you can slave away in a 9 to 5 for the next 30 years, living to work and not be very happy - or you could take a year to figure out what would really make you love to work and do that for a fraction of the time for probably the same, or more financial reward. When you love your work your whole world gets better!

A World Of Teachers

2010-08-03T20:35:57Z

When the student is ready, the teacher appears-- Buddhist Proverb

I consider myself a life-long learner. I TRULY enjoy the process of learning about new ideas, concepts, recipes, languages, cultures, and ways of being. As a person with a portfolio career, who has worked/continues to work in different arenas, I have learned the power of informal and formal education.

My father often says, that he received his degrees from U.C.L.A > The University of the Corner of Lenox Avenue in Harlem. A great deal of his education came from growing up in Harlem. The "lesson plans" were not always structured, planned, or even safe, but they were life lessons taught by people, situations, and life experiences. They were lessons that have shaped my father, and in turn me and my sisters. The important early childhood message of valuing informal education is one for which I am very grateful.

I have been fortunate to experience a very good "formal education." I also have been able to be a participant in wonderful professional development sessions that have spanned topics areas including coaching, "difficult conversations," educational reform, human trafficking, project management, the art of Zen cooking, among others. I attend film festivals, university lectures, and discussion groups. These structured programs and workshops have truly enriched my personal and professional life.

And yet, I am a firm believer in the teachers and teaching situations that present themselves to us on a daily basis as we life or mobile lives on planes, trains, in coffee shops, in the nail salons, and on the "corners" of streets around the world.

The skill for many of us, involves being open to hearing "life lessons" from people who may look and sound different, and as my father says "may not have a lot of letters after their name."

We can go many places with this conversation. We can focus on organizational structures that may only value certain voices; we can acknowledge that many of us have been taught to value specific social capital; we might even be able to venture into the area of multi-tasking, where we are often texting, tweeting, updating our status, or talking on our mobile phones - -keeping ourselves busy, and not available to connect with people. Or, we can focus on gratitude, and being grateful for the opportunity to meet so many different people who in their different lives bring richness to our learning and day-to-day living.

It has happened more than once, that I have been going about my day, and have come in contact with someone who has helped me see something differently, shared their story with me, or simply showed a sense of warmth and sincerity that can be a treasure in our fast paced world.

I once titled a piece that I wrote "the Sheroes and Heroes Among Us." I think many of us have heard of stories from people that are our neighbors, colleagues, etc. that are powerful. Sometimes, the stories are not BIG, or even about heroism. Sometimes, the stories are very simple, and the learning just as important.

Some recent stories and teachers for me:

Engaging in conversations and learning from the taxi driver in Washington, D.C. who has been driving in a city for over 30 years, who has experienced the issues of gentrification, race relations, and the changing of political parties as an insider;

Learning about the current substance abuse counseling work of the car service driver that worked in the fire department in downtown Manhattan on September 11th;

Hearing the fascinating story of the woman in the nail salon that came to the U.S. for a better life, and took the dangerous journey familiar to many immigrants;

It can mean reflecting on the life of the young soldier on the plane, who was heading back to base, after coming home to bury a friend.

Their stories, sense of humor, and commitment to what they do, are part of my ongoing learning.

Questions to ponder:
-   How do you value our informal education?
-   Where are your "corners" of learning in the world?
-   Do we value some voices over others?

Photo Credit: Jeff