Do you find yourself using emojis, GIFs and other electronic symbols in your writing more than you used to? Do you love them or hate them? Have you ever sent an emoji or GIF and it didn’t mean what you thought it meant? (Eggplants mean what?) Like it or not, the way we communicate is undergoing a change. Pros and cons of written communication You are part of an evolution in … [Read more...]
What’s the True Cost of Working from Home?
Does working from home save you money or add to your expenses? The answer might not be as simple as you think. As usual with complicated questions, it may get answered in a court of law. The LA Times recently ran an article on the increasing number of law suits against employers for money employees have spent out of pocket and not reimbursed. So are employees spoiled rotten? … [Read more...]
When Should We Use Virtual Backgrounds for Meetings?
Have you been on a zoom meeting with Bob in Accounting, and it looks like he’s sitting in a luxurious office with a view of Manhattan? He’s not, of course. He’s using a Virtual Background to hide the fact he’s actually working from the North end of the dining room table. Someone recently asked a question on our Long Distance Worklife podcast: When is it appropriate to use … [Read more...]
Snow Days
Over the past two years, we've all learned to work remotely. That's been a great development for organizational productivity, but as Wayne explains, it's not always a good thing. … [Read more...]
The Meeting that Could Have Been an Email
I’ve been researching and writing on virtual meetings for almost twenty years. I’ve heard a lot of complaints, but the one that most amuses is, “I just sat through another meeting that could have been an email.” Sure, it’s funny and looks great on a coffee mug. And we have so many meetings it might be lovely to have alternatives to yet another hour spent staring into a webcam … [Read more...]