Some of the most popular pages on my website are the home office series, created from photos and text sent to me by readers about where they work at home. I'm now onto my third page and only one brave workshifter has sent me a photo of his workspace in all its workaday glory, complete with cluttered desks and piles of paper.

The reply I usually get when I ask for a photo is "Not till I've tidied up!" When once I suggested an 'authentic' picture would be refreshing, the response was "You must be joking, I've got a professional image to maintain!"

Creating the pages has made me realize that not only are workshifters avidly curious about where and how others work, we also tend to be sensitive about portraying our own as anything other than beautifully organized.

Since starting the pages I've also discovered other sites that showcase real home offices as well as some featuring aspirational and impossibly glamorous ones! I suppose these are the equivalent of sitting in your own rather scruffy living room while leafing through glossy magazine pictures of immaculate interiors.

It's good to pick up ideas and see what's possible, but I've stopped posting these pictures quite as frequently on my Facebook page. With their sleek desks, new Macs, minimalist accessories and lack of teetering piles of paper, they may be wonderful viewing, but the last thing I want to do is give the impression that a perfect home office is necessary for successful workshifting. It may not even be desirable.

Fortunately I've been introduced to the wonderful Pinterest, which allows me to indulge my vice by pinning my favorite pictures on to my own board and browsing other people's.

Photo Credit: mbiebusch

Technology has enabled the average workshifter to do what he or she does. If not for high-speed Internet, mobile devices and 24/7 electronic communications, many of us would not be living the digital nomad lifestyle that we love.

But it isn't all about tech all the time. As much as we cherish the electronic gadgets that allow us to work from anywhere, the non-tech tools we use are often just as important. Even the most technology-savvy workshifter needs a few low-tech devices in order to make working from wherever a truly pleasant experience.

Water Bottle

I cannot stress enough the importance of drinking enough water throughout the day. Most of us walk through life in a semi-dehydrated state, as we simply don't drink enough water. And when you're working on your own, it's easy to get caught up in a cycle that doesn't allow for hydration. (And no, coffee and water are not the same thing!)

It's a known fact that dehydration can contribute to sluggishness, lack of energy and loss of concentration. The simplest low-tech solution to the hydration conundrum is of course one that makes it as easy as possible to consume more water. Start by purchasing yourself a good quality, BPA-free water bottle. Fill it when you sit down to work and then refill it every time it gets empty. You'll have to take more bathroom breaks (it's okay to take breaks!) but you'll avoid that 3 PM sluggishness and feel great all day.

Accordion File

No matter how paper-less you try to be, there is always going to be a certain amount that needs to be dealt with. Lots of us still receive tons of paper receipts - not everyone is on electronic billing quite yet. Even with a slower pace, the paper will pile up.

The number one way to eliminate this stress is to file the papers when you get them. And for me, the best low-tech solution is an accordion file. It's compact, so it doesn't take up room in a small office. You can also get really small ones that fit in a purse or briefcase, so you can keep your papers organized on the road, too. Head out to your local office supply store and get yourself an accordion file today - never lose a piece of paper again!

Comfy Clothes

One of my favorite things about working from home is that I get to wear comfy clothes. I was not born to wear dresses and high heels every day - that is a fact. Many elements of my wardrobe today consist of yoga pants, pajama bottoms, t-shirts and hoodies. I make a point of buying these items when they are on sale and stocking my drawers full of soft, fluffy, stretchy clothes. You'll work better if you're comfortable, I promise. So keep an eye on those sales flyers and buy yourself some comfy new work clothes!

Ambiance

The best thing about working from home is that you have complete control over your work environment. You can hang what you want on the wall, set your desk however you like and, best of all, surround yourself with things that make you happy and relaxed.

For me, it's often candles, light incense or aromatherapy oil. I make a point of always having these on hand, and I pull them out when I need a bit of "ahhh" in my office. Even the act of lighting a few candles can take your mind off the stressful project you're working on and into a place of peace. Your home office should be a calm and productive sanctuary - so always keep some tools on hand that allow you to create that environment.

These are the ideal non-tech tools that enable my stress-free, comfortable and healthy workshifting life. What about you? Do you have some non-tech essentials in your toolkit?

Photo Credit: sherlock77

In 2009 Forrester Research predicted that more than half the workforce would be teleworking by 2016:

"Fueled by broadband adoption, better collaboration tools, and growing management experience, the U.S. telecommuting ranks will swell to 63 million by 2016. Those 29 million new telecommuters lined up five abreast would stretch from New York to LA! Leading the surge are occasional telecommuters and regular telecommuters who work from home between one and four days a week."

Lots of other respected organizations have made similar projections.

Well, call me a skeptic, but while I'd love nothing better than to see an end to traffic jams, I just don't see it happening any time soon.

For those of us who are lucky enough to work where and when we want, it's easy to forget that the majority of the workforce doesn't. They're bound to the cubicle farm with tethers that date back to the days of sweatshops and typing pools. Those tethers, a.k.a. managers, simply can't imagine not being able to see the backs of their employee's heads from 9 to 5 each day.

My organization, the Telework Research Network, just completed a study that looked at telework trends over the past five years. Sponsored by Citrix Online, our summary report, The State of Telework in the U.S., reveals who's really teleworking, what they're doing, and where they're doing it. We even dared to make a prediction of our own--but it's one that's sure to disappoint the true believers, advocates, and companies hoping to cash in on the trend.

First for the good news. Telework is growing. In fact, based on U.S. Census data 61% more employees considered home their primary place of work in 2009 than in 2005, despite the recession. While the full story on the impact of the recession won't be known until 2010 Census data is available, private sector survey data just released by WorldatWork, suggests that while the overall number of teleworkers declined between 2008 and 2010, the frequency of telework increased.

Now the bad news. Census data shows that only 2.9 million employees work from home more than half the time (not including the self-employed). That's only 2.3% of the workforce. So while 61% growth sounds impressive, it has more to do with how low the number was five years ago than any kind of a wholesale change in the way we work.

How can it be that while 80% of Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies To Work For" already offer telecommuting, so few people are doing it on a regular basis? Again, I say, if you're lucky enough to workshift regularly, count your blessings. While a majority of large companies say they offer telework, it's largely granted as an occasional accommodation for only a handful of employees. Our study in fact showed that over 75% of employees who work from home earn over $65,000 per year, putting them in the upper 80 percentile of the workforce.

Employees want to telework-- according to WorldatWork, almost 80% of would do so at least part of the time if allowed. The tools and technologies to support it are widely available, inexpensive, and easy to use. But most companies simply don't have the culture of trust that comes from measuring performance by what people do rather than when, where, or how they do it.

In his bestselling book, Drive, Dan Pink observes "...despite four decades of scientific research on human motivation, there's an immense mismatch between what science knows and what management does."

He goes on to say, "...while the carrots and sticks worked successfully in the 20th century, it's precisely the wrong way to motivate people today."

It's time for managers to wake up from their "management by walking around" stupor. Fact is, their employees have already left the building. According to a recent DEGW survey of 60,000 worldwide employees, knowledge workers are not at their desk 65% of the time. So how's that whole management by walking around thing working? Not so good, I'd guess. If fact, as Pink and the majority of management gurus have been telling us for years, it really never did.

What employees of all age groups want is the flexibility to determine for themselves where, when, and how they work.

They want to be trusted.

They want to do their best and feel that they're a part of greater whole.

They want to be treated like adults.

And if they can't get what they want, they'll go somewhere else or venture out on their own.

This is not your grandfather's workforce.

You can download a copy of The State of Telework in the U.S. report here.

Photo Credit: TylerIngram

I've always been an animal lover. Growing up, I had a family life full of pets; at one point when I was a kid, our house had a cat, a dog, a gerbil, a guinea pig and 6 aquariums full of fish. Old habits die hard, because today my husband and I have a dog and 3 cats.

I do much of my work from home, so having these furry creatures around me while I'm working is a natural occurrence. There have been studies done about pets in the workplace, which show that having an animal around, such as a dog, a cat or fish, can have a calming effect on the work environment. At the same time, having pets around all day long can sometimes present challenges, too. Over time, I've learned some ways to cope with having my furry friends around while I work in my home office. Here's what I've found.

Keyboard Cats

It never fails that the minute I sit down to get something done at the computer, one or more of my cats will decide that's the time when they need attention. They will attempt to hop on the desk, lay on my keyboard, toss papers out of baskets and generally do what they can to distract me from what I'm trying to get done. As if it's not bad enough that we already have so many distractions from our work, some days I really don't want a persistent kitty vying for my attention either.

Sometimes, shutting the door to the office or putting them in a separate closed-off room will solve the problem, but many cats don't care for being locked out or locked up. Closing the door will only make them howl and scratch, which is often worse than having them in the room! I've found the best trick is to have plenty of catnip-infused toys handy. Then, when kitty gets to be too much, divert her attention with a bit of playtime. The catnip is very important here - no kitty on Earth can resist a long nap immediately after a good catnip high.

Dog Days

Dogs are a great addition to the home office environment, too. But inevitably, the minute I hop onto a conference call or start recording a podcast or lecture, my energetic pup will decide it's playtime. He finds the squeakiest toy he has and proceeds to growl and snort and have a grand old time, leaving me apologizing to my clients or re-recording my show. Oh, and of course at the same time, the dog down the street will cross before the front window, and my dog will proceed to bark his head off for a while as well.

Again, putting puppy in his kennel or in a separate room while I'm on my call is one way to deal with this, but not all dogs are willing to go quietly. The best solution I've found is to make sure you get your dog out for some good, solid exercise every day for at least 45 minutes, preferably in the morning. This could be a run at the park or a good brisk walk around the neighborhood, but the goal here is to tire your pup out to the point where he spends most of the day sleeping instead of wanting to play with you. A tired dog is a happy dog, and a happy dog makes a happy owner (and happy clients and podcasting co-hosts, too!).

Something Fishy

The good thing about fish is they don't make noise. 'Nuff said.

I find that my life and my work are enriched greatly by having pets around. As much as I like to avoid having cats snoozing on my keyboard, I do like having them curled up in my lap while I work. And I love having my dog sleeping peacefully at my feet. Animals create a positive energy and a peaceful environment in which to work. But if you're going to have pets around, make sure that they have everything they need to be calm and happy - and ultimately you'll be calm and happy, too.

Photo Credit: Citrix Online

Today, I hazarded (pun intended) a quick survey of the deskscape that is my home office workspace:

An empty plastic cup. A dinner plate with the greasy smear of today's lunch of leftover pizza. A strand of dental floss. An unopened router I'm supposed to review for one of my tech pubs. A tax return ready to be mailed. Today's mail. Yesterday's mail. Yester-week's mail.

Don't even ask about my floor.

Clutter is apparently hard-coded into my DNA. I recall the sign that used to hang in my father's office (where stacks of files were on every surface, even as file cabinets sat empty): "Please don't straighten out the mess in my office. You'll confuse me and screw up my whole world."

Guess this organizationally challenged heathen didn't fall too far from that tree.

That said, I'm efficient and successful. I wish I had a buck for every time some home office guru advised, "A tidy home office is a productive place. Cleanliness is next to godliness." Last I checked, Google is much closer--and its apps have done much more for my productivity than cleanliness has. Given the confusion in my workspace, I'd be better off taking advice from Waste Management.

Let this home office contrarian share two cents of advice found beneath the sofa cushions and the terrier that rests atop them:

• My home office is just that--my home office. So is your home office yours. Find your own rhythm clutter-wise. Sweat is better expended on billable stuff.
  
  
• My space, my rules. I've been working from a successive line of cluttered home offices since 1989, and I don't recall getting pink-slipped because my space would fail an OSHA inspection. There've been baby toys and play pens in the mix, too, at times. (That's another taboo, having kids in the home office, sages say. Well, one's now in college and two are in grade school, and they seem pretty well adjusted, thank you very much).
  
  
• Personal hygiene is no barometer. I was Facebooking with a fellow home officer who said he knew business development was slow when his scruff had grown thick. Frankly, I'm just the opposite--my beard grows thick when I'm busy.
  
  
• Watch out for the video conference requests. Recently, another friend (not a workshifter) scheduled a Skype video call with me. Unshaven, hair disheveled, and wearing a tank top, I was in no mood for such nonsense, but I threw on a hat and obliged him anyway (with the camera conveniently tilted to avoid the sight of my home office floor).
  
  
• Forget the pretense. I work from home, and all my friends and clients know this. Back 10 years ago or so, I would never leave the home in anything less than nice shorts and t-shirts. Now, I leave with no care at all about my attire. Those who know me don't care. For those who don't know me, I don't care.
  
  
• Friday will come. That's the day I generally clean the home office: transfer dishes to the kitchen, ditch detritus, file or shred papers, empty the garbage can. Which Friday this happens, I'm not sure. But one always comes along just as I'm feeling sufficiently motivated to clean.

Truth be told, professional organizers have a point in their calls for cleaner workspaces. For most, cleanliness is probably a good thing, if you want focus and productivity and all that. There's a lot to be said for the sanitary and even hypo-allergenic benefits of a space kept clean.

But I realized long ago that work is an intensely personal thing.

So, until the webcam becomes standard issue, clutter is OK--just make sure the cam's tilted up a few degrees and your secret will remain safe.

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Beall

Could you work in an office? Not your office, but the kind that requires you to be somewhere else from 9 to 5. With people tracking your comings and goings, your lunch breaks, and how often you appear to be on a tweetchat or otherwise surfing the Web. You know. Office Space. The Office.

One of my immutable business principles is that I don't take on clients that want me to be onsite. The main reason, of course, is that I'm a business owner and not a freelancer. I have multiple clients, and I need the flexibility to schedule both client work and all the other activities that come with running a business. I might work a lot of hours, but they're my hours.

But there's a second reason: I just don't want to be in an office all day.

This question arose recently because I went in to talk with a prospect about some potential work. The client and I clicked. The project was interesting. I could easily have managed much of it offsite, coming in as needed for meetings and to touch base with people--and spending more hours onsite as the project hit crunch time. But they really wanted someone they could see every day.

Could you work in an office? I don't mean if the alternative were bankruptcy or being dragged over hot coals. But whether it's a viable option for you. If your answer is NO, then is that the measure of a true workshifter?

Photo Credit: walknboston

After the holiday celebrations of December most people in January are in the mood for less food and drink, less socialising and less activity. We look ahead over a new, blank year and plan how to cultivate better habits and fulfill our dreams. Why not spend a little time at the start of the year slimming down your home office too? These activities will clear out the rubbish and put you in good shape for the workshifting year ahead:

Slimming Down the Home Office

• Go through your filing cabinet and drawers and clear out files and paperwork. How many years' accounts are you hanging on to? Check with your accountant or the tax authorities how many you are legally obliged to keep and shred the rest. It might sound tedious, but once you've started, you'll find it wonderfully freeing!
  
  
• Check all that potentially useful information you've accumulated - cuttings from newspapers and magazines, scribbled notes, brochures, business cards etc. Do you even remember why you kept it? How much of it is already outdated or will be before you ever need to use it? Most can probably be recycled - just about everything you could ever want to know is available online anyway.
  
  
• Buy a year planner and spend a few happy hours imagining your ideal year. Put in holidays and breaks first, followed by the business activities that bring you the most value. When are the high profile events and conferences in your industry? Put them in so you can attend, or even better, is there a chance you might be invited to speak?
  
  
• Every year I look forward to going through my diary and making a list of all the significant events of last year and the interesting people I've encountered. Try it and I guarantee the list will be longer than you anticipate! On a day-to-day basis it's easy to overlook how much progress you're making and once the year has ended it's a good time to take stock.
  
  
• Decide who you'd like to get to know this year and make a note in your new diary to call them, attend an event they are likely to be at, or ask someone for an introduction.

Flushing out the workshifting toxins you accumulated last year and introducing an intake of new, fresh people and ideas is a great way to start the new year feeling positive and excited about the possibilities ahead.

What would you add? How do you clear out the clutter for a fresh start to the new year?

Photo Credit: kris krug

Last month we published an infographic on the international language of business based on a study that Citrix Online commissioned from Forrester Consulting. Today we're happy to launch the results of that study. The study yielded surprising findings related to generational and cultural working behaviors that impact how businesses communicate and collaborate in an increasingly dispersed workplace, and the implications for the future competitiveness of SMBs.

Key Findings

The study asked information workers of all ages in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Australia about their business communication habits.

Gen Y does not have the monopoly on technology use and social tools during the work day. Meanwhile, the older generation is getting with the program.

• Gen Y is least likely to share information via text message (26%, compared to 47% of those aged 55+), and least likely to use video conferencing, video chat and web conferencing tools.
  
  
• Gen Y uses social networking the least frequently (40% of Gen Y workers who use social media do so daily, compared to 50% of those aged 55+).
  
  
• Older Boomers (55+) have increased their business use of social media 79% in the past year.  

The younger you are, the less you value meetings - and pay attention.

• Gen Y is least likely to think meetings are efficient. Only 29% of Gen Y workers think meetings used to decide on a course of action are very efficient, compared to 45% of Older Boomers.
  
  
• Gen Y is least likely to pay attention in meetings and barely half (51%) believe it's very important to do so in meetings to decide a course of action.

Americans have more meetings - and pay more attention.

• 90% meet in person to communicate and build relationships, more than any other nationality.
  
  
• Of those, 51% meet daily, compared to a mere 31% of French.
  
  
• 75% of Americans believe it's very important to pay attention in meetings to decide on a course of action, compared to 50% of the French.

The in-person meeting is alive and well, but not necessarily effective.

• 84% of all respondents have in-person meetings, but meetings often don't achieve their goals.
  
  
• Only 45% are very satisfied that planning meetings achieve the task in hand, and only 30% believe such meetings to be very efficient.
  
  
• Across all categories of meetings for designated tasks (e.g. review of documents, plan projects or initiatives, decision on a course of action), less than half of respondents believe those meetings are very efficient.

In an era of multitasking, it's still considered rude in a meeting.

• 83% believe that side conversations are unacceptable during a meeting, and 77% frown on those doing other work on a computer or smartphone.

We still like to look each other in the eye.

• Germans like to see others during meetings (75%), while Americans find it less important (55%) though they have the most in-person meetings.
  
  
• 79% of those aged 55 and over think it's important, compared to 65% of Gen Y.
  
  
• Why? To read body language, say 78%.

Usage among users of collaborative technologies is rising fast.

• 64% of those who use social networking tools in business use them more than last year. Video chat, team document-sharing sites and web conferencing also experienced significant increases in usage, with 56%, 55% and 52% respectively.

If you would like to download a copy of the report, you can find it posted in our Downloads section here.

As students, we could pull all-nighters, cram hours before exams and prepare for weeks for one term paper. As humans and adults, we know whether we are morning people or night owls, if we can awaken without an alarm clock or if we are simply gluttons for sleep. In other words, for the most part, we know our internal body clocks...whether we choose to listen to them is another story entirely!

As workshifters, knowing your body and mental clocks is more than just human habit - it's a necessity to maintaining work flow and ensuring productivity. Over time, as we age into adulthood, we all know on some level (be it conscious or not) when we think best, when we write best, when we perform in meetings best, etc. This self-knowledge becomes more than interesting trivia when we become the managers of our tasks and we are our own employee. In fact, one of my greatest challenges as I transitioned into a workshifting lifestyle, was prioritizing my time. Initially, I thought it would be easy! I had worked 8-18 hour days for the previous 11 years and always performed at the top of my game, so my productivity would surely be limitless once the limits of the office cubicle walls were removed! Right?

WRONG. Managing client demands and deadlines were not the problem. But, managing my personal productivity and maximum performance would be. No longer confined by clock-watching, office hour tunnel vision quickly cleared, and my time was my own and certainly wide open. I could respond to email with the Today Show keeping me company and my laptop propped up on my knees; I could work from the moment I awoke to the minute my head hit the pillow at night, taking as many breaks or running as many errands in-between as I needed to. Wow! What a life!

...An unproductive, undisciplined life, that is. I had always prided myself on discipline and never missing a deadline. But now that my schedule was flexible, so, too, it seemed were my efforts and results being affected. I simply could not afford for my work to suffer nor my project deadlines to slip; so I realized that I had some reflecting to do:

• Did I really concentrate best with the company of Oprah or was my mind trying to do double duty and absorbing nothing nor producing anything...? When I put soft music on instead, how is it that I lost track of time and wrote some of my best proposals?
  
  
• My brain always freshest and sharpest in the morning, should I waste that precious window of clarity to respond to banal email or could I use that time more wisely to strategize, research new concepts, sales techniques and perform new project brainstorming? The email could, and always would, come later.
  
  
• Would sleeping in just one extra hour assist me to stretch that morning clarity into the late afternoon, thereby not only extending my output but also providing me a whole new work window within which to operate?
  
  
• And, was working 16 hour days really the best thing...? Sure, I could, but why would I? As workshifters, often times we are our own Finance, Marketing and Operations departments in addition to trying to get actual work done. So there is never enough time...Closing my office door after a certain hour or moving my office to a different room in the house farther away would signal a mental light switch to go off, so my brain could rest and rejuvenate. Sometimes, we need to disconnect to connect....

I still do not have the exact recipe for the ideal workshifting schedule, but I do know that it's more about my unique and personal mental rhythms than it is about a clock or a deadline. When you are on your own schedule, responsible for your own hours and output, success is solely determined by how effectively you work. So go out there and get your PhD in YOU, listening to your body and mind for its most alert moments, and watching out for the productivity which will surely follow.

When are YOU at your most productive? What unique scheduling tricks have you put into place to reap the greatest benefit from your workshifting schedule?

Photo Credit: comedynose

Chris Brogan has had a few recent posts and videos where he has included photos of his new office. I read the posts, and looked at the photos and found myself looking at the office, desk, post-it notes and even pens that were visible in the photos.

When I visit a client's office for the first time, I am hyper aware of all of the art, furniture, and books that have been carefully placed in the space.

As an avid reader, a real treat is to survey the books on the shelves of clients around the world.

I have on many occasions made mental notes of books on the shelves, and made sure to look them up when I was back at my computer. I have found some great books on leadership, coaching, education, and diversity this way.

Observant by nature, my interest in the spaces where people live and work can perhaps be seen as paralleling an anthropological exploration.

• Is the office modern? Old? What type of furniture has been chosen for the space?
• What art has been chosen for the walls?
• Are there photos around? What types of photos? Family? Pets? Outdoor adventures or vacations?
• Are there awards or citations displayed on the walls?
• Are there toys in the office? Objects that might be tools to spark creativity?

I have seen offices with stress balls, stability balls, mini pools, big stuffed animals, hanging mobiles, dart boards, a punching bag, and photos of celebrities spanning the decades.

Similarly, I am often interested in the spaces and places where people work outside of the traditional office.

As someone who has been working outside of the traditional office environment for many years, I realize that we can be particular about the type of space that we chose to work.  It is more than finding wi-fi . It is often finding the place that "feels right."

I would imagine that many of us would like to be workshifting with beautiful vistas for inspiration. A recent project in Miami, allowed me to work from my room which had a lovely terrace, and an amazing view of the beach.

More commonly, I am working on planes, in airports, hotels, cafes, and my apartment. I prefer quiet spaces, and ideally spaces that are not crowded. Art on the walls is always a plus, and my preference would be no music.

I like to have my small "to do/idea" book with me, and even if on the laptop, prefer to have my Blackberry out and available. I like to open my two e-mail accounts, and as a Twitter fan - launch TweetDeck when I settle into the space.

I walk into the café near my apartment which is buzzing with people working; some on laptops, others reading, others writing, and am reminded about the different styles, personalities, and preferences of workshifting.

Our personalities and values are often reflected in the spaces in which we live and work. As we see others take notice of the benefits of the workshifting world, it will be interesting to see how virtual office spaces, hotel office spaces, and even cafes evolve.

Perhaps we will see a trend similar to the sleep pods popping up around the world. "Workshifting pods" could be on the horizon. I look forward to exploring some of your pods, and bookshelves in the future.

What makes a work space right for you? Are there "things" you need in order to create a work space that is best for you? Do you like people around in the space where you are working?

Photo Credit: mkosut