3 Tech Tools to Help You Travel Lighter

During this past holiday season I spent about 18 days in Syracuse NY visiting family and friends.  I decided for the first time ever to travel for an extended holiday vacation without my laptop – having to walk through several airports lugging heave luggage I figured the less tech gear I had to take with me the better!  Thanks to two small pieces of technology (that fit in my pocket) and one service I use I was able to stay connected, entertained, and when needed – productive.

Watch this short video to learn more about how I took The Anywhere Office with me and was able to work from anywhere while traveling lighter than ever before!

Two things I forgot to mention in the video . . . The reason I have an iPod Touch and not an iPhone is because I refuse to switch from Verizon to AT&T as my cellphone provider.  I have been a loyal Verizon customer for years for two main reasons – excellent signal (I can make and receive calls from just about anywhere and almost never have a dropped call) and great customer service (sadly almost unheard of today).  The minute Apple gets smart and moves away from their exclusive deal with AT&T and brings the iPhone (or some variation of it) to Verizon I will be the first one in line to get one!

Also one additional app I use on my iPod Touch that really helped me stay in touch was Yahoo Messenger.  Yahoo is the main IM service I use and I was able to seamlessly stay connected using my iPod Touch so I didn’t miss any messages from my family, friends, and colleagues – simply awesome.

BTW – I shot this video using my new Flip UltraHD camcorder and the Gorilla Tripod – 2 more great portable pieces of technology I have!

Comment below and let me know what is the key technology you use to stay connected when on the road.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (15.5MB)

E-learning, cloud computing, distributed work, and telecommuting (Techwatch Radio interview)

I had the pleasure of joining my friends Sam Bushman and Jay Harrison, the hosts of Techwatch Radio, last Saturday on their weekly tech talk show.  I’ve been a fairly regular guest on their show over the last 5 years and always enjoy the discussions we have. What I love about their show is that, much like this blog,  they take a practical approach to technology and living a digital lifestyle.

The program consists of fast-paced news, callers, guests, and features such as the website of the week and the do’s and dont’s of tech. Sam and Jay focus on balancing technology in your life and letting hi-tech serve you, not own you! Their fun, casual way of simplifying complex issues will help the average person get up-to-speed on the tricks and tools for the times we live in.

Last week I joined them for the second half of the show and we discussed elearning, managing remote workers, the growth of telecommuting, why I’m drinking the Apple Kool-Aid (and switching to a Mac soon), cloud computing, and the shifts involved with successful distributed work. You can listen using the player below and I invite you to comment on this post and share your thoughts on these topics and our discussion.

Techwatch Radio can be heard Saturday mornings from 10-11am ET.  You can listen live from anywhere online or download past shows from their RSS feed.  I subscribe to their podcast and listen on my iPod Touch so I don’t miss a thing!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:36 — 3.4MB)

Social networking – a shift in the way we communicate

Let’s face it you can’t read an article anywhere these days without someone mentioning social media, social networking, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook. These tools not only affect the way we connect to each other as people but also how we share information and communicate.

Businesses of all size have now adopted the use of social media from large corporations and small businesses to solo-preneurs and freelancers.  Much in the way desktop publishing and blogs put the power to spread information in the hands of the masses – social media has provided unprecedented ways for us to connect and network with one another. Check out this eye-opening video I found on YouTube that shares some amazing stats about the social media revolution.

One of the common myths we often dispel with virtual teamwork is that using technology makes relationships less personal and you can’t build trust or get to know people who you rarely or never see.  I don’t agree – using these tools like Twitter and Facebook allows you to connect (or re-connect) with people, stay in touch, and get to know each other. Read more

Is silence killing trust in your business?

While the old adage says “Silence is golden” it could be eroding trust in your business or on your team. When working with others remotely – whether it’s virtual team members, clients, or vendors – communication is what brings everyone together. Lack of effective and timely communication can quickly destroy working relationships and fill people with doubt and fear.

While timely communication and the danger of silence is something we often talk about in our workshops for virtual teams, it was highlighted recently by an experience I am having with a consultant we hired to do some specialized marketing. Never having met this consultant in person, my trust in him was based on his website, the testimonial of others who refer him, and examples of his work.  While all of these essential pieces were in place, the trust he had developed has quickly dissolved through poor communication.

In trying to get an update on the status of our project, which is past deadline,  I’ve left him several emails and voice mails over the past few weeks that have all gone unanswered. So what am I to think? In the lack of any information or communication from him, doubt creeps in: Maybe he has dropped the ball on my project, I guess we aren’t that important to him, why is he ignoring my messages?

Now believe me I understand what it’s like to be busy – but a short, quick reply to any one of the messages I sent would have not only kept me in the loop but would have increased my trust in him. A simple “Hey sorry I haven’t been able to get you that report yet but something came up and I want to make sure I give it my full attention”. A world of difference from silence – my attitude would have been “wow look how important my project is to him!“ When people’s problems are acknowledged in a timely manner they are more likely to feel respected and be patient for a solution.

I’ve made this mistake myself in the past and now have a policy that if I don’t have time to reply to someone, I at least send a quick message to acknowledge I received their message and will get back to them soon in more depth. Is this a mistake you’ve made? Have you let replies slide and found yourself struggling to repair lost faith? If you are a solo professional, small business owner, or virtual team member working with co-workers or clients you don’t see – your relationships are all based on trust.  Communication is not just important, it’s critical. Great communication doesn’t just happen – it needs to be a deliberate process.

When working with members of your remote team or clients, put these guidelines in place to be a “conscious communicator”:

• What are the preferred forms of communication? (ie. phone, email, instant messenger)
• What is the expected time frame for a response? (ie. 24 hours for email, 2 hours for voicemail)
• Take time to keep people updated with regards to project milestones and progress.
• Make sure everyone is on the same page with regards to expectations and deliverables.
• Consistency – how regularly should everyone be checking in with one another?

Proper communication can serve as a pathway to building trust, or left unchecked it can kill your business and your reputation and undermine your teamwork. By putting simple guidelines in place to make it a more conscious process your teamwork and business will thrive.

What are your tips for effective communication guidelines?

Choosing the Right Technology for Your Virtual Team or Virtual Office [VIDEO]

A question I’m asked by many entrepreneurs, small business owners, and virtual team managers is  . . . “With all the technology available how do I know which tools are best for my virtual team or virtual office?” This is a common challenge and choosing the wrong tools (or too many tools) is a common pitfall of virtual teamwork.  It’s important to decide on a core set of tools to support remote collaboration and make sure everyone on your team knows how to use them.

But how do you choose? I have devised a workflow analysis we call the ICC Approach as it looks at your needs in 3 key areas – Information, Communication, and Collaboration.  In this short video I walk you through this analysis and help provide questions to guide your thinking when evaluating mobile work technology.

Give it a view and share your comments below to let me know your thoughts and experiences!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (18.9MB)

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