The Integration of Communication Tools

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Are you making the most efficient use of the social media websites and communication tools?  With the huge boom in social media, companies are constantly coming out with products and ideas that keep the industry growing.  In the last few years we have seen a push to integrate all these tools, new or old.  The perfect example is Facebook.  Now you can post to Facebook from your cell phone, Twitter account, MySpace, Skype, and from other websites or other applications (and vice-versa).  Having a hand in every well known social media website can be crucial to keeping your company’s name out there – so being able to post to all these sites at once can help reach the broadest audience when it comes to marketing, or even simple communications between a group of employees.  This push to integration might be considered the new standard – and the only way to tie all the websites and apps together.  As of this year, I can finally open my Facebook contacts right in Skype, and soon I’ll be able to make a Skype call right from Facebook.

 

The Internet is now way more then just the WWW or e-mail – with so many new tools popping up, integration is necessary.  Since the Internet is has exponential growth opportunities, we are sure to see more tools continue to hit the market.  Also, Facebook and Twitter are here to stay, so you might as well join the masses and hop on the social media band wagon by connecting your accounts on each site – it will save you the extra time you need when work deadlines need to be met.  On top of these free solutions there are tools like HootSuite Pro that your company may want to consider purchasing, giving more of an all-in-one feel to your social media communication tools.

 

We should keep one thing clear, and that is the use of social media with your business has one main goal – keeping your communications efficient.  These sites can be great marketing tools, but they can also be great distractions.  If your employees work from home, keep an eye on productivity levels since you can’t keep an eye on their screens – not meeting deadlines can often be a result of distractions both around the house and online.

 

So all in all, integrating all these communication tools has its pros and cons.  You might want train one employee in as many of these tools and websites so that your company gets the most out of them.  Remember we’ve moved into a new age of the internet, where WWW is no longer limiting companies to just one online profile (ie. their own website), but is allowing for multiple profiles on many social media sites.  And be sure that your web designer has linked each online profile to your website (ie. a LIKE button for your Facebook page in the contact section).

Virtual Changes

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Working online is one of the biggest trends of 2011; businesses are extending their networks into employee’s homes, and offering about 400 000 online jobs every year. The online workplace is growing, and it’s making work more balanced, more engaging, and more accessible.

So what else is changing?

Resumes

Elance CEO Fabrio Rosati believes that resumes are next in line for extinction. Digital portfolios are taking over the recruiting process; whether it’s a LinkedIn profile, a professional blog, or a professional service like Elance, employers are going to start looking online for its potential employees.  An online portfolio can link to references, past work, and truly show an applicant’s skills.  Throwing out the paper and jumping online also gives employers a better sense of who you are personally and professionally; it’s hard to judge someone’s character on paper.

Mobility

Communication technology is going to keep improving to accommodate the vast majority of employees working remotely.  While businesses want to accommodate more remote employees, they are also asking for more mobile applications. With jobs becoming more accessible, it’s only natural for technology to follow.  To avoid being stuck at a computer all day, apps for tablets and smartphones are in high demand.

Marketing

According to Elance CEO Fabrio Rosati, companies are going to start investing more and more in social media.  Not only looking at digital portfolios, companies are also extending their marketing tactics into the online world of social media.  Virtual marketing platforms such as web banners, and “digital word-of-mouth” tools like Facebook, Twitter, and Groupon where companies can grab attention of different consumers and clients, and extend that into those clients’ networks. “A big trend with businesses will be to not just market their products to me, but to use social media to market to me and at the same time tap into my network of friends,” says Rosati.

Whether it’s technology, jobs, or networking, the online world is always changing.  It’s important to keep an open mind in order to move forward with the rest of the virtual world.

How Social is Social Media?

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Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are a few of the most prominent social media sites. These sites originally started as a way to keep in touch with friends. Now they have expanded into the workplace, and become a tool for businesses to communicate with each other and with their clients.

But just how many people are really using these sites to their full potential?  And are the right people using social media?

Recently a CIO of a social media consultancy was late for a conference.  Upon his arrival, he immediately signed on to his Twitter to see what the other 300 CIOs present had updated.  To his surprise, there was nothing. This CIO argued that IT’s should be the first to familiarize themselves with new technology, and in turn, use it to its full advantage.

The virtual world is continuously changing—new means of communication are always making their way into people’s lives.  Now that social media has entrenched itself in the workplace, every employee should be able to recognize how these different information platforms work.

Twitter is used for quick updates. Users can tag other employees or companies–or anyone really–to let them know what’s going on, for example, what was just discussed in a meeting or at a conference.

LinkedIn is used for professionals to share their work and interact with each other. This function has earned it the nickname “Grownup Facebook” by younger and older generations. But younger professionals use it as well!

Facebook is the most used social media site in North America. Aside from establishing profiles, users can create groups or pages, and attract fans to “like” these groups or pages. Users can send messages, or broadcast updates. It’s kind of like twitter, but a bit more space especially in terms of writing.

For those of you who are not yet on the social media bandwagon, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself.  And even if you are, a quick review can’t hurt!

Productivity in Pajamas

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Last week, The Toronto Star reported on a survey by Career Builder on telecommuting. The survey reveals some interesting statistics, including that 30% of telecommuters admit to working in pajamas. The Star claimed that “The man in the grey flannel pajamas might be the new icon of office life.”

The Star’s dry wit aside, the survey results raise an interesting question about the culture of telecommuting and the anxieties around it. The survey seems more like a fun investigation rather than a serious study (the survey does not differentiate between full-time telecommuters and the guy taking a sick day, the terminology is a little vague), so we can’t draw too many industry trends from it. However, we do know that telecommuters find distractions from children, pets, and errands more than commuters.

The survey does not answer the level to which these distractions affect people’s productivity. It also does not differentiate by type of work, or by the expectations or needs of the company. It is a bit puzzling that no one thought to ask this. In any case, the survey highlights a common anxiety by managers and employers about telecommuters: “how can I know that people are working if I can’t see them? What is our metric for knowing that my employees are being productive?”

The answer to these anxieties takes a multi level approach. First and foremost create Norms of Behavior with your team as suggested by Skerret in The Star’s article. This will ensure that your team members have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Our second piece of advice is that if work gets done, then your employees are productive. If an employee can produce quality output on time, then an employer knows they’re doing their jobs.

Finally, if deliverables are being met on time then you need to trust your team members. All too often we see managers who micromanage because they are unsure of whether their staff is working. If an employee fails to deliver, then the manager needs to start managing that person more carefully. The Career Builder survey lists five helpful guidelines on making sure telecommuting employees work productively which are also very helpful.

There’s a tendency for employers to be suspicious of telecommuting: that an employee is more likely to waste time at home. However, we suggest that the employee who wastes time at home watching television is probably the same one that would waste time in the office on flash games and Farmville. In fact, most people who work remotely are very productive and motivated.

Telecommuting as a business practice is not going to stop, nor should it. The virtual workforce is expanding, and Gen-Y, the new face of the world’s workforce is particularly attracted and suited to it. It is true that as more and more people work from home, a cultural shift will have to be established, and workers will have to be able to separate work and private lives more and more. However, shifts aren’t bad things, and you have Virtual Team Builders to help you through it.

Virtual Teams Are Green Teams

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“Going green” in the workforce is becoming progressively more and more popular.  Whole companies, are constantly trying to out-green one another by boasting about their recycling methods and materials for their products. Others are promoting their energy efficient means to complete a task.

A virtual team provides numerous green benefits besides time and money.

Working virtually gets rid of the need to travel.  Saving on gas reduces your carbon footprint because daily emissions are being eliminated.  Driving and flying also affect the environment in a harmful way. Staying in the comfort of your own home is a great way to give back in a positive manner.

Presentations, manuals, and other documents often consist of the same materials: mass amounts of paper that get thrown away after every meeting.  A virtual workplace can create presentations without making waste!  There are many online resources that now allow you to send files and even slideshows easily to anyone within your organization – the accessibility is somewhat like still being “at the office.”

An employee at a typical business office will produce over 1 pound of paper waste each day.  And, driving a car is the most polluting act the average person can do.

Virtual workplaces are ideal because there is a growing need for people to reduce needless waste and be more green.

“Give Peace A Chance”

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“Give Peace a Chance”

Working virtually does not necessarily mean working peacefully; eliminating the office does not eliminate the office drama, and dealing with conflict can be an issue when it comes to virtual teams.  The lack of visuals cues can hinder conflict management because people can’t read facial expressions or body language.  However, there are steps each team can take when facing a problem in the workplace.When discussing the issue at hand it’s important to listen without judgement. Talk about what the issue is without assumptions or accusations so the best solution can be reached faster.

While you don’t want to cater to personal disputes, it’s still necessary to take that into account.

People’s concern need to be addressed; in a virtual office, out of sight often equals out of mind.  This is still important in order to resolve conflict.  But it is important to keep in mind what the real problem is and to leave out conflicting personalities.

In terms of a solution, it’s important to keep in mind what’s best for the overall project.  What’s going to be the most beneficial outcome?  And then how is your team going to reach it.

Bottom line, try and keep the emotions out of the conversation.  Looking at the problem with your head and not your heart can have an entirely different outcome.  It is really dependent on the situation whether or not to choose a logical solution, or a more compassionate one.  Discuss several options with all members involved; remember, you are a team, so work together like one.  If one person isn’t satisfied, it will affect the entire dynamic.

When you think a proper resolution has been formed, put it into action.  You won’t know what’s going to work until you take the initiative to make it happen.

Keep in mind:

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”  - Henry Ford