When we work remotely, technology is our lifeline. You’d think we’d be grateful for the ability to see each other when we’re not in the same office, or send our written messages around the world at the speed of light. Instead we tell anyone who’ll listen that the volume of email is interfering with our work. Most of us have only been using Zoom for three or four months, and … [Read more...]
The Laptop Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
Maybe you’re too young to remember when you got your first laptop computer. (Mine was in 1998 and it weighed about 5 pounds that felt more like 20.) Maybe you’ve never been without one for work. As an article in The Atlantic points out, what seemed like a good idea at the time really began the erosion of work/life balance that smart phones have continued. Cast your mind back … [Read more...]
How to Make That Meeting an Email Instead
Ah, the wittiness of the internet. How many memes, pictures and snarky comments have you seen from people complaining that the latest assault on their precious time was “a meeting that could have been an email"? Especially when we work remotely, it’s easy to complain about the time spent in unproductive meetings. I feel your pain but here’s a question for you: Exactly what … [Read more...]
Help Your Remote Team’s Productivity with Attention Management
by Maura Nevel Thomas Some managers judge the productivity of their team members by what can be observed during time in the office. Are they staring intently at their computer? Constantly running to meetings? When did they arrive and leave? It’s true that “knowledge work” has intangible outputs, like analysis, relationships, and creativity, and these things … [Read more...]
Is Business Communication Evolving or Devolving?
Has communicating over distance, especially since so many of us work remotely now, really changed over the past few years? My previous post about the use of emojis at work raised some hackles among readers. Some fell into the camp of “They’re cute and help create an informal, friendly relationship, stop being such a fuddy-duddy.” The other group (and I’m paraphrasing) believes … [Read more...]