Cybertour given at Internet Librarian 2009 on how to work with colleagues and management digitally or in different locations, & free technologies for doing this.

1. Working Digitally High-touch & High-tech Rebecca Jones rebecca@dysartjones.com 905.731.5836

3. Technology solutions

5. Implications Managers & leaders have expanded scope of influence & perspective Initiatives, priorities & political support have a wider audience Organizational “knowledge” (know what’s going on) & understanding of dynamics influencing strategies is broader Teams have more diversity & broader talent pool More team members, possibly changing regularly, from different functions Employees tend to be more motivated & engaged Appreciative flexibility More committed & align personal commitments to performance goals

6. Implications Managers’ focus shifts from activities to deliverables Allows time for attention on “overview” rather than details Most importantly allows for more strategic thinking, political & relationship building, & build market strength Allows managers to have collegial authority Mobile employees excel with effective collaborative relationships Managers who model collaboration & effectiveness increase employees’ respect & their own positional power Top Ten Strategies for Managers of Mobile Workers by TerrencyGargiulo, www.makingstories.net

7. Implications It’s a change A change in how managers functions, and how employees function It takes time to put new processes & performance practices & measurements in place Productivity may decrease At first ---- and then level out & increase It takes time Managers must learn to influence rather than direct Project management is critical So is information sharing

8. Technology as an enabler It’s not “there” yet, but it getting “there” faster than we realize Watch what teens & the under 30 crowd are doing They aren’t afraid of technology Read Don Tapscott’sGrown up Digital Their norms include freedom, speed, customization & innovations They use technology very differently than the over 30 crowd What technologies are critical? Web conferencing; shared document space; instant messaging; phone; voice enablement; email

9. Technology enablers Email & document spaces (blogs, wikis) are the “pillars” Use to document the “meaty, formal” stuff Back up confirmation after meetings, phone convo’s Groupware for sharing schedules, documents Google docs, groups, soon wave Phone, voice Combined with a webcam – next best thing to being there Instant messaging to Blackberry Messenger to iChat The watercooler – “did you see this?” “how should I do this?” convo

10. Some of my favourites - Yuuguu http://www.yuuguu.com/ Remote sharing of documents & desktops Remote support Online meetings & presentations Instant messaging Skype www.skype.com Phone to phone or computer to computer Instant messaging Webcaming Callgraph.com or digital recorders Blackberry – “documents to go”

12. http://awurl.com/V5viXkTJC

13. Invisibility Communication 101 high % of messages transmitted via body language Out of sight is out of mind honest oversights lead to undermining of trust, productivity & performance fewer opportunities for management feedback Challenges

14. Isolation & Overwork Working & behavioural preferences extraverts, “people who need people” High tech does not eliminate the need for high touch & interactions with human beings must be factored in for some people Potential for increased burn-out longer hours difficulty in separating office & home lives “Work is always there. I can hear the phone, my messenger is buzzing….I’d better keeping checking email.” Challenges

15. Procrastination Dealing with distractions goes hand-in-hand with overwork & burn-out Digital drop-in’s Self-motivator extraordinaire individuals must: institute routines maintain momentum keep connected with processes & co-workers Self-disciplined to “get on with it” & “get off of it” Challenges

16. Maintaining focus Working hard, working steadily, but in the right direction? Delicate art of keeping a vision in front of people you can’t see “I sometimes feel like I’m herding cats…” Veteran Virtual Team Leader Challenges

17. Solutions Recognize that virtual relationships take longer to develop “conversations” & virtual water coolers must be explicit & supported Establish & enforce clear ground rules & norms for shared work space & processes what’s our acceptable turn-around time for returning e-mails? Responding to chat messages? Checking documents? Actively seek opportunities to increase understanding of each other, provide feedback & build trust

18. How do you build trust? You are available or respond asap You treat sensitive issues sensitively & recognize that everyone has a different level of sensitivity You avoid sarcasm & communication that can backfire Managers: visit employees on their turf go to bat for the budget for technology & travel keep the norms & insist that all members do

19. Use the technology to build the team Team members introduce themselves via presentations about themselves Host Thursday or Friday “happy hours” on chat/phone to share weekend plans or just talk Every email or document has a specific subject line regarding the topic Trust is the bandwidth of communication K.E. Sveiby

20. Experience teaches us the managers: Work a lot Travel a lot Thrive on their work & on engaging their staff Model collaboration – asking for help, offering ideas, instant messaging Are available – blogs to keep them visible; IM, txt, phone… Are patient Are reliable “How to Manage Employees in Remote Locations,” BNET.com 9/24/2007

21. Experience teaches us the members: Self-disciplined Strong communicators Good collaborators Organized Document work well Are you ready to work virtually?

22. Experience teaches us that all involved: Aware of & respectful of other’s working & communication styles & cultural differences Aware & respectful of your own preferences, tendencies, strengths & weaknesses, whether you are extroverted or introverted Comfortable with technology Confident Intuitive Do you WANT to??