Today we have a guest post from Brent LaSala who is Citrix Online workshifter.

Recently I had the privilege of workshifting with Eric Bensley, a good friend and co-worker at Citrix Online.   As a permanent workshifter based in San Francisco, this was a rare opportunity to assess the dynamics of working from home with a teammate.  Needless to say, there were a few lessons learned.
 
Eric arrived at my apartment Monday morning around 10:30am, just as my alarm was going off... Only kidding, David (my boss), it was more like 7:30am.  We cooked a delicious egg scramble because we're a couple of well-rounded, domesticated gentlemen that function best with high blood sugar levels.  It's not relevant to my post, but let's face it, cooking your own meals is a major workshifting perk that keeps extra change in the piggybank and adipose tissue off your finely sculpted abdomen.
 
The day started out great.  We were energized, excited for the work day, and before long were bouncing (brilliant?) ideas off one another while pounding coffees.  By about lunchtime we noticed a few 'home-dwelling' behaviors/sounds not ideally suited for a prosperous work environment.  A knowing glance of discomfort, coupled with some form of verbal outcry was typically enough to relay a message of disapproval.  Video production is a small hobby of mine, so by about the 4 o'clock hour we were inspired to make the following tutorial on workshifting etiquette, only 'slightly' exaggerated.  Hope you enjoy!

One of the comments on my last post (Is telecommuting good or bad for the environment?) got me thinking about the various different ways we refer to people who don't work in traditional office settings.

It seems as though the number of terms increases almost as quickly as the number of people who enter this type of working arrangement. I started putting together a list of a few of the descriptors that seem to appear most frequently (I'm sure you will have others to add):

• Workshifter
• Mobile worker
• Road warrior
• Digital nomad
• Telecommuter
• Teleworker 
• Home office executive
• Remote worker
• Nomad worker
• Digital worker
• At-home workers
  

While many of the terms are used interchangeably, like "teleworker "and "telecommuter," others clearly have different meanings. Road warrior, for example, is someone who travels extensively for business - much like George Clooney's character in the movie Up in the Air.  A home office executive, on the other hand, would be someone who works exclusively from home. 

The question of terminology of course becomes interesting when trying to measure the number of people who telecommute, how this is changing over time and how it is impacting our culture. Let's say for example, you are trying to measure the impact of Workshifters on something like home office supplies. How can you be sure you are comparing apples to apples when so many people define Workshifters in so many different ways?

How can we even measure the number of people who are telecommuting if we don't have an overarching term or "guidelines" to qualify you for this category?

It appears that the Bureau of Census attempts to count us Workshifters by determining how many people "primarily" work from home. That clearly doesn't encompass someone who is primarily on the road. Shouldn't this type of person be classified as a telecommuter, too? (Note:  I contacted the Census Bureau Public Information Office to learn more details about how they will be counting Workshifters in the 2010 Census, but have not yet heard back as of this posting.)

What do you think? Should there be a set way to classify people who work outside of traditional office environment? Or, is it impossible to reach a consensus on these terms, since the "best" definition of telecommuting most often depends on your own point of reference?

Photo Credit: eshm

Today Zack Grossbart stops by to take a different take on distractions and focus.  Zack is the author of the upcoming book The One Minute Commute and writes over on his blog.  Zack focuses much of his writing on exploring how to build distributed teams using best practices from the high-tech industry.

Everyone knows that distractions make it more difficult to stay focused, but sometimes they make it easier. Have you ever fallen asleep during a long phone meeting? My father (a practicing psychologist) told me how distractions can make it easier to stay focused on the telephone.

When you talk with someone face-to-face you are getting a huge amount of information. Telephone conversations give your brain the audio information, but not the visual information. When it doesn't get the visual information from the conversation it will look for it somewhere else. Give your brain something more to do. Other people can tell when you lose focus on the phone conversation.

Use small distractions to help you stay focused:

• Visual distractions help you focus. Don't watch a movie (that is too distracting), but some low-key Internet browsing can work well.
• Do something with your hands. Play with a desk toy, pass a ball back and forth, knit, anything that you can do mindlessly.
• Walk around. Exercise is good for your brain and movement helps you focus.

Giving yourself small distractions while you are on conference calls will help you stay focused and be more productive.

Do you have a good idea for staying focused on the phone? Post a comment and let other people know.

Photo by: Robert Banh

Without a doubt, one of the best things about being my own boss and working from home is coffee.  But not just any old coffee - you can get any old coffee from the vending machine in Cubicle Nation.  Oh no! When I talk about coffee, I'm referring to a daily love affair of two - possibly three but never more - cups of properly made cappuccinos a day.  

I'm known amongst my circle of friends as a coffee snob. In fact, I think I may have even lost friends because of my coffee snobbery. There have been hints that, on my Fridays off (my "mummy days" when I try to catch up with other non Friday working mum and SAHM friends), I have not been invited to certain social events, as some think I'll turn my finely caffeinated nose up at their nescaff.  They're right.  I'd rather have a cup of builder's bum.  And I really don't like tea much, except on the two occasions when I've been severely traumatised (childbirth x two) and then only with two sugars and lashings of sympathy.

The fact that I'm writing a blog post about coffee is testament to my love affair with the stuff. And yes, I do realise it's also testament to me being an anorak a l'extrème. But I console myself with the fact that I'm not the only one who has this strange but life-enhancing relationship with the bean of life.  The New Zealanders are renowned for their love of coffee. For those in the know, New Zealand (and particularly Wellington) is the home of the best coffee in the world.  It is one of the few countries in the world that imports its beans raw and roasts them locally, and, having drunk a fair few cups whilst I was down in the land of the long white cloud earlier this year, I believe that the Kiwis do make the best coffee in the world.  

Whilst I was in New Zealand, I was introduced to the "flat white", which is best described as half way between a Cafe Latte and a Cappuccino.  It is crafted by the Kiwis with loving care, and there is a standing joke that it takes 20 minutes to get your coffee.  But boy, is it worth the wait!  There is a particular texture in an impeccably crafted flat white that brings out the flavour of the coffee and gives the partnership of espresso and milk the same sort of divinity as peaches and cream or strawberries and champagne.

The trip to New Zealand was a reccie trip to see if we wanted to move there.  Yes I do, because I simply can't contemplate living the rest of my life without access to Kiwi flat whites. My work shifting vision is firmly in Wellington, my dream house a mere hop away from flat white heaven.  

Back from New Zealand, the withdrawal symptoms were so bad that I bought myself a new coffee machine, a bona fide tax deductible business expense as a happy bonus and a great excuse  - as if I'd needed one.  

New machine all set up, I  went onto YouTube to find out how to make a flat white, only to discover after several failed attempts, that those darned Kiwis make it look far easier than it actually is. My new machine is a good one, and it makes a jolly good espresso, but alas, the skill is in she who crafts the coffee, and she is a mere amateur with pretensions of becoming a Kiwi barista.  I can sometimes get the milk almost a little tiny bit like the Kiwi flat white, but it never quite works.

Want to try it out for yourself? Check out this video and see how you fair:

 

Perhaps I should blame the British cows for not making the right type of milk, or perhaps I just need to keep that Kiwi vision in my head and hope that we emigrate sooner rather than later.

Photo by: Nick in exsilio

Today we have a guest post from Sean Ryan.  Sean is an research analyst with IDC focused on mobile enterprise software. 

Classifying mobile workers
Charles Darwin may not have had a smartphone or a laptop with wireless connectivity, but he did spend five years aboard the HMS Beagle making stops along the way to classify new species and fit them into a well-defined taxonomy.  It makes you wonder how a naturalist like Darwin would define the characteristics of the various types of mobile workers. How different would that classification be from the distinctions made by business managers and HR departments today? How different would it be from those of the technology providers (ISVs, SIs, carriers, device OEMs) developing solutions to meet the needs of various worker types? One can imagine how there could be different distinctions of what constitutes a mobile worker and different ideas around the tools and policies to support those workers.

Many of you reading this post likely have an idea of the type of mobile worker you are. Terms like road warrior, corridor cruiser, work extender, digital nomad, web worker, and telecommuter come to mind. You may be a journalist, or an attorney, or a sales professional, or a call center specialist, or an executive, or a traveling nurse. You may work exclusively from home. You may travel to different locations. You may split your time between the office and your home. As a research analyst covering the wireless industry for IDC, I spend a lot of time paying attention to the various mobile worker types and the technologies they use. I myself am a mobile worker;  I split my working time between the office and my home, and I also  travel for business.

While in some cases it may be fairly straightforward to classify a mobile worker type, in other cases it is like classifying a Duck-billed Platypus. (Is it a bird? Is it a mammal?) Unfortunately, for CIOs and for technology solution providers, classifying mobile workers -- whether straightforward or not -- is an exercise that they must engage in if they are to effectively set policies and offer a comprehensive set of tools to enable and support a potentially diverse set of mobile workers at a given organization.

As part of our ongoing research at IDC we have developed a mobile worker segmentation to help our clients in this exercise. We have identified three top level mobile worker types: office-based mobile workers;  non-office-based mobile workers; and home-based mobile workers. Each of these categories has subgroups to account for the messy realities of overlapping worker types, as is the case with my situation. Under this taxonomy, I am an office-based mobile professional since I work out of an office primarily and I am mobile or remote at least 20% of the time. Though similar, this is different from a pure telecommuter, with a home office only, who also travels for business.

Our research shows the mobile workforce growing from 847 million mobile workers in 2008 to over one billion by 2011. Office-based mobile workers accounted for 62% of the mobile workforce, mobile non-office accounted for 32% and home-based accounted for 6% of the mobile workforce in 2008. Similarities exist across all of these mobile worker types, particularly between office-based workers who also telecommute, and telecommuters who also travel for business. Yet, in many cases there are different needs among the worker segments, and further distinctions are made when considering different verticals and taking into account different roles in the organization. Certain aspects of technology can be consistently leveraged across all mobile worker types and across verticals and roles. However, organizations do have to make decisions that can greatly impact the financial bottom line: Who gets cellular services (voice and/or data)? Who gets smartphones? Who gets laptops? Who gets netbooks? Which mobile apps do we support and for which users? Who gets remote access or a VPN client? Where do we deploy WiFi? What level of helpdesk support is offered to mobile workers? These are among the considerations that organizations need to take into account.

A typical mobile worker tool chest can consist of a smartphone (sometimes more than one; I see a lot of execs carrying a BlackBerry and an iPhone), a laptop, a netbook, remote access services, conferencing services, social networking tools, collaboration software, unified communications, and a variety of vertical and horizontal apps accessible from mobile devices. One size does not fit all, a fact that will become more apparent as the needs of mobile workers and the capabilities of the tools become more sophisticated.

What kind of a mobile worker do you consider yourself to be, and what types of technologies are you leveraging as a mobile worker?

Photo by: karenwhitak

Ah, football season is here. After the 2nd week of College Football (how about that Matt Barkley from USC) and the first week on the NFL - millions of people all over the country are now giving themselves a new job title - Monday Morning Quarterback. I can already see the player trades, the extra copies of the local paper being picked up to check stats, circling this week's picks and projections and checking the injured roster for nice and easy trades that come from the post game Fantasy Footballers. For those that are foreign to what I am talking about, Fantasy Football as written by FOX Sports columnist Roger Rotter is

...a game that allows fans to take an active role in professional football by creating their own team and competing with teams built by others. Fans create their own roster of players by drafting talent from actual NFL teams and compete based on those players' real-life performances in NFL games.

Most major sports media players offer free leagues for people all over the world to join, play, talk trash, track stats and enter an almost Second Life type of community for 4-5 months in the fall. The greatest thing for these media companies comes in the form of longer page views and inflated impressions due to the fantasy captains hanging around waiting for something to happen.

So what's the cure for the Monday Morning Quarterback?

As much as Americans love their football it can become a major distraction throughout the week and needs to be treated like any other distraction. The first thing is to notice when it is taking away from your work. This seems obvious, but when Monday seems to go by quicker than usual (not that this is a bad thing), your to-do list builds faster than Adrian Peterson in the Red Zone.

The next step is to allow yourself time to indulge. Giving yourself an hour in the morning to check stats is no different than giving yourself an hour to read your RSS Feeds. Having this time set aside gives you something to look forward to and gives you ample time to get through your to-do list.

The last tip is to start looking at Fantasy stats in your downtime and on the go. Taking the bus, subway or in the airport? Take a look at the top sports apps in the iTunes app store. They are sure to keep you in the loop and get your fix in while you are killing time on your way to a meeting, new destination or the office.

But I Missed This Year's Draft...

Don't feel left out if you missed Fantasy Season this year, there is still plenty to be thankful for this football season. Renewed hope and belief for every market, every school and every player that is on a contract year!

I look forward to seeing the coffee cups with mascots, Football Fridays and the water cooler talk that comes with football season. I have even seen some local sports bar hook up wifi for the Monday Night working crowd. Here's to a great season and may the Dolphins look better than they did last week.

Photo by: Arnett Gill

There is something about working away from a typical office setting that says pajamas, sweatpants and free t-shirts (why are they so comforting?). For some, getting away from the 3-piece, the tie, the uncomfortable shoes and tucked in culture is a driving force to take the leap into working from home, the airport, the beach or wherever your work-life takes you.

For me, I'm young, into music and pop culture and like to carry a certain style, even at 8am in the coffee shop. Getting into this feeling of comfort allows me to focus less on shifting and more on working (swear the pun was unintentional). My work outside the office wardrobe consists of a nice pair of jeans, some Nike Skateboard Sneakers, a printed tee and a fitted cap. Paint that stereotype.

This type of dress allows me to work in my element, or my zone per say. It may not be your cup of tea, but finding a way to get dressed and motivated can increase productivity and instill a mindset that is geared for working.

Here are 5 Things About My Attire and My Daily Grind

1. Conversation starters.

When I am public wearing a graphic tee that has some sort of meaning, or invokes someone into curiosity, it has the ability to opens communication and starts a conversation with someone. I regularly wear Rock For Hunger shirts, a nonprofit that I work for, and it always creates conversation, from someone locally saying they volunteered, or wanted to volunteer, to strangers far away who want to get involved and make donations. I also know that I can learn a lot from other people and their situations and getting them to open up is the key!

2. Nike's mean I can walk in comfort and style.

My shoes of choice are Nike's and I love their SB Brand (skateboard). The shoes are durable, comfy and look great with either jeans or slacks - yes I am that Gen-Y, rocking sneakers with suit pants. Having comfy shoes makes walking in big cites enjoyable and also gives me the freedom to walk more - something that assists in keeping myself healthy. Imagine loving to walk 20 blocks mid day instead of taking a cab. This gives you a nice little heart rate bump and saved $10 so you can buy another tee to start a new chat.

3. Gear Bags.

My bags and my gear are a huge part of how I work and how I GTD. I have started a nice little collection including the over the shoulder laptop case, the big backpack and the little Kiva foldup bag. Being comfortable lugging around your electronics and having easy access to things like power cords, cameras, pens and business cards sure makes my life easier. I'd love to know your favorite bags and Lea from LocationIndependent.com goes over some top choices for LIP's.

4. Self-Reflection.

One of the best parts about my "work" attire is that I can look at my life and know that I have created my own "corporate" culture and acknowledge where I am at in this portion of my life. Style changes over time and really from day-to-day, but my values and having that opportunity to be who I am, is something really powerful in my daily grind.

5. Customization.

Just because I love wearing tees and jeans, doesn't mean that I get to wear them everyday. Client meetings, video shoots and conferences have their moments to wear that tie and jacket. Customization can also include mash-ups from jeans and a blazer to flip-flops with button downs. Having that customized freedom opens your mindset from going into your closet every morning and grabbing the same khakis and shirt that make your life feel so routine.

How does your style affect your performance?

For those of you still working in office settings, or those that split time to those that are 100% independent, how does your dress impact your performance? Can you accomplish and innovate in PJ's the way you could in a suit? Does your personality and passion explode when you are free to express yourself?

For me, waking up in the morning and getting ready for the day is something that helps shape my entire mindset. From my attitude to my motivation and production to how I talk, write and perform.

Photos by: Cool People Care, skateonrails, double-h, B_Tal, & twentysixcats

The other day as I sat in a Me & Ollie's Cafe enjoying a sandwich and trying to get some writing done on the fly, I had an encounter with a Space Hog. You've seen That Guy. Heck, you may have even been That Guy once or twice. Space Hogs make the concept of workshifting a hard sell when trying to get more places to offer WiFi and outlets for us.

What does a real Space Hog look like in the wild? He's the one sitting at a nice six top or a booth big enough for a family of seven. He brought a portable printer, his iPod, his laptop, his cell phone and bluetooth headset, reams of paper for the printer, and a stack of folders a mile high. His extension cord and laptop bag or suitcase (no, I am not kidding) often are placed in the center of the aisle, impeding traffic.

What is mister oh-so-important doing? He is nursing a cup of $1.50 coffee while sitting there all day, feeling entitled to take up that much space for that many hours because he "ordered something". Generally he is yelling loudly into his cell phone, annoying the nice grandma seated at the two-top next door. He's also uploading his Power Point masterpiece while downloading the entire Michael Jackson discography from his favorite torrent site, because he is so proud to be a "multi-tasker", and oblivious to the impact on the bandwidth for other workshifters trying to get things done.

Are you aware of your impact on other patrons and on businesses while workshifting? Sure, there is argument to be made that workshifters bring in business to otherwise struggling establishments in times of a down economy, but we can also drive business away if we aren't careful. Obnoxious workshifters are the reason some places still refuse to jump on the workshifting-friendly bandwagon.

Things to watch out for:

1. Length Of Stay: Restaurants and coffee houses thrive most with high table turnover. The more rotating butts in the seats, the better the income - the more meals they sell, the more money they make in tips and profits. Be aware of how long you sit. If you know in advance that you may need a 6 hour stay because your home office is being painted - ask. That simple courtesy often gets you the green light from the manager or owner. In general, two hours is a good limit for both getting work done and not imposing.
   
   
2. Table Choice: This one should go without saying, but I see it often enough I must mention it. If there is just one person workshifting, you need to choose a table for one. Period. End of story. If your gear won't fit at a one or two top when you are solo, you need to rethink your gear. Spreading out over a larger table means a larger party can not sit there, and is quite rude.
   
   
3. Volume Control: Another one that should go without saying. If you are on the phone in a public place, lower your voice. Even better, take the call outside. I realize you may not want to leave your expensive laptop unattended, so just be aware of how your call is affecting the people around you. There is no need to shout. If you are someone who has a voice that carries even when you whisper, cupping your hand around your mouth a bit, or sitting around a corner for a little buffer also helps lower the volume.
   
   
4. Don't Be A Bandwidth Hog: Not all cities have public WiFi and WiMax. Some don't even have adequate broadband infrastructure. Not only that, establishments are paying for the bandwidth you use in many cases. Public computer use is not the time to upload several video files to YouTube or download large movie and music files. It makes the bandwidth sluggish for other workshifters and people there to do homework and such as well.
   
   
5. Buy Something: Seriously. Buying one cup of brew coffee for under $2 and not tipping doesn't justify an extended stay. Support the businesses letting you work where you want by making a purchase and tipping well. You don't like it when certain people come stay at your house for weeks on end, freeloading and not contributing, do you? Then don't freeload at your local businesses.
   

If you increase your awareness of how your workshifting interactions affect others around you and the establishments you frequent, workshifting will be a much easier sell to businesses who have yet to jump on the WiFi and accessible bandwagon. Also, you'll just plain be easier to be around, and avoid being That Guy - and we all want that.

Photo by: jaydoubleyougee

Earlier this week I interviewed Greg Matthews, Director of Innovation at Humana, while he was in Boston to speak at the Enterprise 2.0 conference.  A title such as "Director of Innovation" is not one that we're used to seeing in the health industry.  This interview provides a glimpse into all of the innovative things that Greg and his team are working on. 

Many of these innovations apply to the mobile and distributed workforce by encouraging people to get out from behind their desks and become more active.

Note: Don't mind that the video is a little shaky.  I forgot to bring along the tripod :)

While searching through the photos on the CrumpleItUp's Flickr account, I thought these few were particularly interesting.  Why?  Because even though Greg and his team don't usually work from airports, coffee shops, bookstores or other workshifting locations, they have taken the time to make their office a fun, active and inspiring place to work. 

By making this investment into their work space, the Innovation Center shows it's employees that they want them to be active, have fun, and not be stuck at their cubicle or in their office all day.




To learn more about Greg and Humana's Innovation Center, you can find them on the very fun website CrumpleItUp.  You can also check out recent posts by Chris Brogan ("More Fun Then Talking About Insurance") and Amber Rae Lambke ("Social Business from the Inside Out").

You can connect with Greg on Twitter and LinkedIn.

What are some ways that you stay active as a workshifter?

Working with distributed groups is a bit like learning to play golf. You're going to make mistakes, use a lot of 4-letter words, and start drinking early in the day. Ok, so let's just stick with the mistakes and frustration part for the purpose of this post.

Hearing about others' mistakes can be entertaining ... but can also help you avoid looking like a fool. With that in mind I've put together a list of 6 ways to look like a fool at a distance while working remotely or working with remote teams. Some of these things have happened to me and some are from friends or colleagues:

1)      Leaving personal IM on in an online meeting - So you're getting ready to present to the global marketing team on Q1 results and your significant other alerts you to this evening's plans. You've already begun screen sharing in your online meeting so everyone gets to read what you have on tap for Friday night. I've heard several versions of this story that I'm not comfortable publishing but you get the idea. Turn off notifications for IM, email, and twitter before you start presenting online.

2)      Talking to yourself on mute - I have a love/hate relationship with my mute button. When I press it I can eat lunch or talk to officemates but I always forget to unmute myself before I begin talking. It usually takes 30 seconds before I realize that I'm talking to myself. The only way I've found to avoid this issue is to leave my finger on the mute button after I press it or put a post it up on my computer that says "unmute" after I press the button.

3)      Jumping into an unanticipated Skype video call - At about 10 AM you roll out of bed to start the day and find out that a key client would like to meet via Skype in 5 minutes. You jump on the call only to find that your client would like to use video and you're wearing a t-shirt that says Beer Crawl '02 and facial hair that resembles Chewbacca's. If you're working with a web cam, always keep a nice shirt handy (you can keep the Beer Crawl shorts on if you want).

4)      Yanking the phone off the hook - A lot of remote workers stand with headsets when presenting in a meeting. It makes sense except when you accidentally jar the handset and hang up on the call. This is especially frustrating in a Webinar when the other speakers have to pick up the slack. High tech tip...use a rubber band to anchor down your handset to the base.

5)      Pointing at the screen - I'm stealing a bit from Peter Cohan (http://www.secondderivative.com/) on this one. Sometimes we point at the screen when we meet in person. I've walked by people presenting virtually while pointing at their computer screen and saying "if you look here." It's natural but mouse when presenting online, use annotation tools or move the mouse.

6)      Presenting in or near the bathroom - Some home office configurations can leave your desk far too close to the bathroom. Nothing ruins your presentation momentum like a healthy flush of the toilet. This will also leave others on the call wondering if you're in fact presenting from the toilet. If you can, keep your office away from the bathroom door. If you can't, at least mute your phone.

I hope these stories will help you avoid some common mistakes. At the very least, these should be entertaining.

Anyone feel like embarrassing themselves and sharing a workshifting moron story?

Photo by: msmail