As a nation, Australia has one of the world's most carbon-intensive economies, producing more than 20 tons of CO2 per person - ahead of the United States, Canada and even Saudi Arabia. In October, Australia caught up with much of the rest of the world by putting a tax on carbon dioxide production. The Australian Lower House has now passed all 19 carbon tax bills, which means Australia's 500 largest corporations will pay $23 for each ton of carbon they produce. 

The full implications of this milestone legislation still remain to be seen, but we expect the price of most goods and services to rise - from electricity and gas to groceries and transportation. To soften the blow, the Government has promised a "Household Impact Compensation" that should leave 9 out of 10 households better off, but the overall message is clear: carbon will cost.

Australian airlines across the board have expressed concern over the impact of the carbon tax - in fact Australia's regional airlines believe it will force them to cut services to small and regional town centers, leaving many workers locked in relatively remote locations. Meanwhile, bigger airlines like Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin say they will have no choice but to increase ticket prices to cover the cost.

For those working in regional Australia, a further rise in the cost of travel and gas is an unwelcome addition to the already high cost of living in Australia. Mercer Corporation's annual survey shows that the cost of living in Australian cities has been quickly rising over the past year, with 6 cities now in the top 100 globally.

However, the carbon tax debate has also galvanized the community, with many weighing the cost of living and transportation on the one hand and strong environmental action and sustainability on the other. It's got me thinking - are we on the brink of a workshifting climate change here in Australia?

Workshifting is a perfect alternative to physical travel, benefiting employees and employers alike. From a business point of view, it is a cost saving that also results in increased productivity and efficiency. For employees, it represents flexible working and a greater work-life balance.

Today, collaboration products allow remotely located workers to stay in touch and connect almost as well as if they were physically in the same office. With today's technology, all that is required is an Internet-enabled computer and a telephone. Coupled with the planned rollout of 28 new fiber locations by the National Broadband Network, bringing high-speed Internet and the prospect of workshifting to thousands more Australians across the country, this could be the last boost Australians need to make remote work popular - the tools already exist; it's just a matter of doing.

Photo Credit: kirantr

Since starting at Citrix 5 years ago, I've internalized the company motto: "Work with anyone from anywhere." Although we've been using this saying for a long time, mobile technology has only recently caught up. I can still picture an image we used to use for marketing that showed someone working on a beach with a laptop, and I always wondered how many people actually got Wi-Fi access on the beach.

Fast-forward to today when tablets and smart phones are so prevalent that many of us carry 2 to 3 devices (I currently carry 3: iPhone, iPad, IBM ThinkPad). How do we stay connected when we're so distributed now? Mobile collaboration, or the ability to connect and collaborate anywhere, will become even more important over the next few years. Distributed work is not new, but these powerful electronics are increasingly pressuring us to communicate and make decisions at a distance. How do we adjust?

We recently announced that anyone can attend a GoToMeeting session from an Android device or iPhone. The whole process of launching these products got me thinking about how the way we interact will change, a realization that really hit me when I attended a GoToMeeting session from the dog park a few weeks ago.

First, we have to challenge our assumptions. Our communications are very unstructured, thanks in large part to email. We bounce ideas, send messages and make calls, but we've forgotten how to set up an agenda and bring people together for a successful meeting. I recommend you look through a new book titled Read This Before Our Next Meeting by Al Pittampalli, published through Seth Godin's Domino Project, to learn more about how we've lost sight of efficient meetings. We need to get back in the habit of structuring collaboration around outcomes. Mobile work styles are great at creating flexibility for the employee, but not for agendas or results. We must define our interactions and what we want to get out of them.

A bigger theme we see with mobility is the idea of choice - you can choose where and what devices you want to work from. But choice must also extend to when you work. Some people assume the new mobile technologies mean employees can now work 24/7, but we must fight this assumption. Why do we like to be mobile? Because it gives us the freedom to control our lives. We can meet from a park, work on a business trip or share slides with someone in a different country.

Our challenge here is to set boundaries and stick to them. Use mobile collaboration tools to be more effective, to work from anywhere life takes you - but set a schedule of availability and abide by it.

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Google+, the latest and greatest social network, hit the Interweb about 4 months ago in a limited field trial. A select group of, oh, 25 million people or so were invited to poke around and check things out. Last month, Google+ opened its doors to the public at large, so now you only need a free Google profile to get started.

But why join another social network, you ask? Well, that's not an easy question to answer, but the web is all about choice. Providing a new way to connect, share and collaborate might just be a good thing. With privacy and sharing features that differ from Facebook's and a posting format longer than Twitter's, Google+ is quickly becoming a contender in the social media market. I've been looking at G+ through the lens of a workshifter lately, and I'm finding all sorts of benefits for those of us who work in online offices.

Expand Your Network

I'm meeting all sorts of new people on G+. Whereas it can sometimes be challenging to follow the fast-moving Twitter timeline, G+ offers many neat filtering options that let me streamline the way I see folks - kind of like putting a magnifying glass on my social feed. By dragging and dropping people into Circles, I can surf by interest (adding people to lists on Twitter takes more steps than I'm willing to bother with). Most people on Google+ spend a lot of time sharing great content like links and videos, meaning there's an opportunity to get involved in some fun conversations. Google+ also allows long-form posts and displays comments pretty well, so it's easy to follow the real-time updates.

Search Socially

Since Google+ is owned by, well, Google, the search functionality is powerful (and even more powerful now that the site is public). For example, I can search for "fiction authors" and find posts where users are discussing writers, or I can search for people who actually are fiction authors themselves. Because Google profiles can be really detailed, they are extremely searchable. Think of what this means for connecting with others you're interested in and what it means for them being able to connect with you - powerful stuff. If you spend most of your time working alone, you are better able to reach out and network.

Organize Your Interactions

The Circles functionality is fantastic. You can create groups for any number of interests and organize your information streams any way you like. You can have a feed for close friends and another for book club buddies. Then, you can read and share information with just those people. Not everyone who follows me on G+ may be interested in my latest course development techniques or my veggie lasagna recipe. Google+ lets me have different conversations with different groups, which is great for connecting with people who share our particular hobbies or industry.

Hang Out

Want to meet up with friends but can't get everyone together in person? Dump them all into a circle and invite them to a Google Hangout, a multi-way video chat that holds up to 10 people. Google recently added some new "Extras" that allow you to name hangouts, create shared notes and sketchpads, integrate Google Docs and share screens. It's all nicely consolidated on one screen, too.

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Today we have a guest post from Roger Courville. Roger is the principal analyst and Global Training Guy at 1080 Group, LLC. Roger recently completed a study and checklist on video conferencing and shares his top 4 surprising insights from the study.

The possibility of being able to see the person you're talking with while on the phone is not new - it's literally been decades since the first commercial services have tried to deliver on that promise.

What is new, however, is multipoint video conferencing that is affordable, portable and well-integrated with systems and processes already in use (e.g., computers and web conferencing). But now that it's so widely available, we need the skills to use it effectively.

To better understand what's necessary for successful video conferencing, 1080 Group conducted a global survey of nearly 1,200 professionals that focused largely on the "how" (for example, "What are people doing right that we can mimic?" and "What are video conferencing users doing wrong that we can avoid?"). As a complement to the survey, here are a few thoughts on the "why" behind the results.

There's more to video conferencing than saving money

It's easy to posit: Video conferencing "saves costs of travel" for your organization. Out of eight different values, cutting travel expenses was ranked second.

The winner, interestingly, was that video conferencing "allows us to show something that is not easily shown from a computer screen."

The take-away message: Saving money is important, but productivity is our top concern.

Your mileage may vary

Curious about how survey respondents were experiencing value, we dug deeper. What we uncovered were statistically different opinions about where value is derived. For instance, Europeans were much more likely to appreciate being able to communicate more frequently than their global peers were. In some cases the differences varied by industry, such as financial services' inclination towards being green.

Message: The value of video conferencing depends on your own communication or organization needs.

Not everyone gets it

When we investigated what prevents organizations from using video conferencing, we discovered that the biggest challenges were largely people-based. "Inability or unwillingness to use new technology" and "entrenchment of the current way we do things" took the top two spots by a wide margin.

Perhaps of interest, "expense that is difficult to justify" came in dead last. For many this isn't a surprise, but it's an important reminder that the bottom line does not drive everyone in an organization.

Message: Capitalizing on new value-creating opportunities in your organization may have a cultural element.

Personal leadership is critical

Finally, a number of insights pointed to the experiential nature of meeting and collaborating virtually. Sadly, some people disparage the communication medium because they see someone else use it unsuccessfully. By analogy, this is like saying, "PowerPoint is bad," instead of, "Some people use PowerPoint poorly."

When we compared how video conferencing leaders (those who initiate and lead video conferences) say they perform against how attendees rate those leaders, we noticed some differences. The main gripe for attendees was that leaders "have distracting mannerisms or gestures."

Message: Turn your leaders into good examples for others to learn from.

The bottom line

The expected growth for video conferencing use is staggering - our survey respondents anticipate 211 percent in the next year. Interestingly, even those respondents who already categorize themselves as active video conference users expect 63 percent growth, a strong testament that they believe there's untapped potential.

The good news for all: While meeting and collaborating via video conferencing might be different, it's not hard. The question for many organizations may be "Are we going to lead, follow or get trampled on?" as this momentous shift occurs.

Photo Credit: Citrix Online

This week, Australia's fifth and final National Broadband Network (NBN) first release site was launched by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, and the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Senator Penny Wong.

The site, located in Willunga, South Australia, joins the other four sites in Townsville (QLD), Brunswick (VIC), Kiama Downs/Minnamurra and Armidale (NSW) that will soon see the benefits of high-speed broadband access.

While many businesses across Australia have already embraced some form of teleworking, for many users, particularly those based in rural areas, high-speed Internet access has been a key barrier to enjoying richer video and web applications. The NBN rollout is removing this obstacle, meaning more Australians will now be able to enjoy the benefits of a telework lifestyle; increasing their workplace flexibility, allowing them to better balance their work and family lives, and giving people living in regional areas greater employment opportunities.

The demand for advanced broadband is clear - Willunga has seen the highest take up rate of any first release site, with more than 90 percent of residents signing up for a free fibre connection. To date, more than 650 trial users have been connected across Australia, with over 1800 customers receiving services over the NBN.



As the NBN deployment spreads across Australia, all businesses will benefit from using the many online collaboration tools available, helping them improve their efficiency and productivity while overcoming the issue of large distances by bringing people and organizations closer together.

While it will take some time for the NBN to become a reality for all Australians, as more communities get connected it's critical that businesses start preparing for the impact that this infrastructure will have on the way that they operate.

Collaboration services - such as video, web and mobile applications - now exist to help these workers stay in touch and get the job done. Whether you're outback or in the outer suburbs, market movements suggest we're on the brink of a boost in Australian flexible working. Today, it's not just about teleworking, but workshifting. The tools and opportunities are here today; it's just a question of how quickly businesses will embrace them.

Photo Credit: Talentless Clown

Have you ever tried to imagine what the future of technology will be like? Ignoring the perennial favorites (seriously, where's my flying car already?), nailing down those small-time changes that add up to a real culture shift is no easy feat. I recently got myself an HD webcam (to use in my GoToMeeting with HDFaces™ sessions), and it got me thinking about the future of workshifting tech. What's next? 3D? Holograms?

Turns out, 3D cams are already available, but you'll have to put up with those ever-popular goggles to see the full picture, losing any chance of being taken seriously in the process. So until we get holograms, we're stuck with good ol' HD, which I discovered in a recent meeting makes people look like bashful preteens when it comes to making good eye contact. I flick my eyes up to the lens, back down to the screen, back up, back down - and I wonder if I've been caught staring somewhere I shouldn't have (curse those off-camera distractions).

It made sense to me, then, that the next step for video conferencing is a technology that can further strengthen this visual human connection. But how? To answer that problem, I did what I always do when faced with a difficult question: I googled it. Here's what may be coming our way soon:

Potential video conferencing future # 1 - Periscopes

Have you ever used a periscope? Mirror magic lets you look somewhere and see something else. Now imagine having a mini-periscope covering your webcam and extending down to eclipse a portion of your screen. Sound weird? Well, apparently it solves the eye-contact problem. Despite its effectiveness, I'm having trouble picturing wide-spread adoption with this one, although the thought of periscopes popping up in cubicles like a sea of submarines does strike me as appealing.

Potential video conferencing future # 2 - Camera behind the screen

Take the webcam that sits on top and embed it into the middle of the screen. Then simply position the webcam video feed over the hidden camera and voilà - seamless eye contact! Seems like a simple concept, but as always, there are some pretty big complications. Light has to pierce through the Las Vegas glow of your screen to reach the camera lens. Apple's idea is to rapidly cycle the display between active and inactive, transparent and opaque, at such a rate that the camera can still get a good image while your eyes notice nothing.

Potential video conferencing future # 3 - LCD monitor-camera hybrid

Think outside the box with this one. Instead of having one central lens that collects visual information, try having thousands - as many sensors as there are pixels in your screen. That's Apple's other solution (surely another manufacturer must care about eye contact): weave in loads of light-sensitive receptors in-between the cells of an LCD screen and then combine the separate data feeds into one big picture. High-tech and futuristic, this solution is what I'd like to see. The image resolution would improve thanks to the larger "lens" - it'd be like looking through a window the size of your monitor.

Until the day when the people in my virtual meetings are projected as holograms onto my desk R2-D2 style ("Help me, Obi-wan Kenobi!"), I'll continue to eagerly make predictions about the future of workshifting tech. What do you think is coming next?

Photo Credit: Sean MacEntee

While video conferencing technology isn't exactly considered "new" technology, it has long been considered a potentially revolutionary solution for healthcare.

Why? Not only does it mean that patients can receive real-time access to specialists in metropolitan hospitals regardless of their location, but it also dramatically improves the way that GPs and clinicians share information and train staff across multiple practices.

Not only have the latest developments, such as the availability of high-definition group video conferencing, meant that this technology is now far more accessible, affordable and compelling for healthcare organizations, but the Australian government's decision to provide doctors monetary incentives for videoconferencing is sure to drive uptake. Check out the full article that appeared in The Australian here.

The great thing about this initiative is that it's a mandate. Introduced in July of this year, the new plan supplies doctors with a $6,000 incentive payment the first time they introduce a patient to a city specialist through a videoconference - just a part of the government's $620 million telehealth program.

What does this mean for Australians? For those living in regional areas, it means greater access to healthcare, which is really important for such a geographically dispersed country as ours. Video conferencing technology gives clinicians and patients in rural and remote areas real-time access to the specialist advice normally only found at city hospitals, and patients no longer have to travel long distances to consult city-based medical specialists; instead, they can receive the same level of care from the comfort of their own home.

One of the areas where video technology will have the greatest impact is in the care of young children, who may find a hospital environment stressful. It will also be useful for doctors working in rural practices or nursing homes. These government incentives will help regional GPs afford the necessary equipment and train their staff to provide these video consultations.

While it's too early to evaluate the success of the program, given that some specialists still do not use computers, it's definitely a huge step in the right direction. With the availability of proven, easy-to-use technology, more healthcare organizations will adopt desktop video conferencing, making consultations far more beneficial and cost-effective while encouraging specialists to adopt electronic communications with GPs.

One customer that has already reaped the benefits of video conferencing is Medibank Health Solutions, a division of Australia's largest integrated provider of private health insurance and health solutions. The organization has been using Citrix GoToMeeting with HDFaces, a high-definition group video conferencing solution to connect disparate remote staff for better collaboration and training.

In this short video, Dave Buckmaster, the technology manager for Medibank, describes how they're trialing the technology with its clients to improve their services.

Watch this space as we see more healthcare organizations enjoy the benefits of video collaboration!

Al Pittampalli and The Domino Project have recently published a book, "Read This Before Our Next Meeting," focused on the modern meeting and the importance it plays in businesses success. Al provides strategies on how to replace mediocre meetings with well-managed, productive meetings.

With Al's permission we have been allowed to share this exclusive excerpt from the book:

Sometimes, when I'm called into a meeting, I wonder what could possibly be so urgent that it pulls me away from my real work. As with the yellow "BREAKING NEWS" banner that appears on CNN every time I turn it on, I'm skeptical. And after the meeting is over and I'm forced to confront the truth that no, there was no real urgency, I'm disappointed, angry. I feel betrayed.

Once we're exposed to the callous indifference of a false-urgent meeting, we begin to question everything the organization does. If management is willing to regularly tolerate such an affront on our productivity, why bother?

Meetings need to be less like the endless commercial breaks during a football game, and more like pit stops at the Daytona 500. Sure, even these stops slow momentum, but not for long, and only in service of winning. Quick high-energy transactions to refuel, to change the tires, to allow the driver to do the work better and faster--that's the type of meeting that people will walk away from with a continued sense of urgency and energized with a feeling of aliveness.

Maybe even more unsettling than the false-urgency problem is that meetings have become a tool to delay decisions. They have become our default stalling tactic.

I fear we have become politicians.

I recently saw a town hall meeting on television, featuring a candidate for state senate. When confronted with questions from the audience that would force him to make tough decisions, he dodged, and instead scheduled future meetings. Not surprising for a politician desperately trying to hold on to votes.

But this scenario is eerily similar to ones I've seen in our organization.

Like all human beings, we're terrified of making decisions. In the face of pressing, difficult decisions, we stall. Meetings are a socially acceptable and readily available way of doing so.

This is why we find them so useful. Meetings provide a forum for us to gather more and more intelligence indefinitely, and the emotional assurance from surrounding ourselves with others alleviates the fear (at least temporarily).

We have to remember that we can never guarantee a good outcome, no matter how much planning we do. Thoughtfulness is important, but so is speed. A system that allows the use of meetings as a stalling tactic leads to a culture of indecisiveness that is no longer acceptable.

The system is broken. But it's not too late to fix it.

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Want to learn even more? In addition to picking up a copy of "Read This Before Our Next Meeting" you can join Al Pittampalli and change expert Seth Godin for a webinar, sponsored by GoToMeeting, on why embracing change is more critical than ever - and how the Modern Meeting can help.

The webinar is on Thursday, August 18 at 10a PST / 1p EST. To register, click here.

Whenever I'm part of a conversation about workshifting, the topic of communication comes up. Business leaders know being able to find the right communication systems is an imperative. Any workshifting solution must address the issue of effective business communications.

That's why I wanted to share with you a recent article I found on the use of video conferencing in the workplace. The article, from Human Capital Magazine based out of Australia, talks about the advances and advantages of using video conferencing for business. As an HR pro, I found the article particularly interesting since it was written from an HR perspective.

Conceptually, we know that using video can save travel time and expenses. And, we've seen how technology advances have improved video quality while making it extremely affordable. So it was fascinating and perplexing to see the data from Citrix research indicating a low adoption rate with Australians. For example, here are some highlight statistics:

• Only 26% of Australians use shared phone lines to work, compared to 49% of British workers
• Only 13% of Australians use video conferencing, with almost half insisting on organizing face-to-face meetings
• 83% of Australians prefer to meet in person to build trust

Another statistic I found particularly interesting was that 45% of Australians insist on face-to-face team meetings. Only one country meets more often - Americans (51%). The article goes on to ponder how culture may have an impact when it comes to the adoption of business systems.

There's been a lot of conversation, particularly over the past couple of years, that technology advances are requiring us to stretch our minds and our skillsets. Is it possible that technology will also ask us to move away from or adapt our cultural beliefs?

Incorporating video technology will require considerations not only in terms of systems implementation and financial cost analysis, but an examination of culture. Educating participants on the dynamics of video and how to interpret an employee's participation (i.e., body language, facial expressions and voice inflexion) will be keys to the success of using video communications.

Are you using video communication in your organization? How does it compare to in-person communications?

Photo Credit: Citrix Online

Soon after relocating to Minnesota, I began to pick up on a peculiar local phrase: Minnesota Nice. I noticed that it was sometimes complimentary and other times sarcastic. If a guy allowed you to merge in front of him on the freeway, it was an act of Minnesota Nice. If he, instead, cut you off on the freeway, it was also a manifestation of Minnesota Nice.

From an early age, we're instructed to be nice, play nice, act nice. But what is nice exactly? Being nice certainly isn't synonymous with being respectful, intelligent or cooperative. To be honest, nice seems disingenuous and superficial. As an adjective, it's really rather vague and unhelpful. Even the spelling of the word nice suggests that something cold lurks beneath the surface.

Let's look at nice in action.

Imagine you and a friend attend an art opening. Your friend knows the artist, and she's forever raving about her work. You think the art stinks - quite literally. Piles of trash are lined up along white gallery walls, but you say nothing. While sipping a coffee afterwards, you run into another friend. He asks how the opening was. You say casually, "It was nice." This could be interpreted as: "I'll fill you in later on the gory details," or "It looked like garbage but I don't trust my own judgment." In one icy, 4-letter word, you've played it safe. But as a result, you've lost an opportunity to participate in a thought-provoking discussion. And no one bats an eye at the garbage passing as art.

Minnesota Nice - or any form of nice - isn't all that useful in a team environment. Honesty is better, even if it causes some friction. Professionals should be able to have a respectful, honest conversation about work-related topics without making each other cry or shout.

Working as a team - in person or across distance - requires a few simple tactics.

1. Listen Up: Learn how to really hear what others are saying. Treat the person and the information with respect, even if you disagree. Brush up on your listening skills.
   
   
2. Speak Up: Practice ways to effectively articulate your perspective and ideas. Don't get defensive if people don't understand what you're saying. Just take a deep breath and find another way to get your message across.
   
   
3. See the Big Picture: Keep your shared goal top of mind in all of your interactions. Even the most disparate personalities have at least one thing in common - the project. Remember that.
   
   
4. Drop the Ego: Remember that others have something to contribute. Nice gets us nowhere, but a poorly placed ego gets us nowhere even faster. The fact that you are smart or creative is absolutely great for you, as well as your team, but don't forget other people are also talented. Don't allow your great ideas to stand in the way of progress; instead, use (and sometimes lose) them for the betterment of a project.
   
   
5. Be Encouraging: Build up the members of your team by encouraging and supporting them honestly and respectfully - don't treat them as competition or keep them at arm's length by being nice. The stronger each member of the team is, the stronger the overall team.
   
   
6. Learn from Others: Don't be threatened by someone else's strengths or expertise. Everyone is a teacher at some point. Seize the opportunity to learn and grow.
   
   
7. Celebrate Team Achievement: It's annoying when one person hogs the team's limelight. When a shared goal is met, remember that everyone made contributions to the team's success.

The hands doing the work shouldn't get in the way of the work itself. People don't always agree, and that's a very good thing. Different perspectives invite lively debate. We dig deeper, and along the way, we make important discoveries. We move forward - together.

How do you crack the nice?

Photo Credit: Drift Words