Recently I polled some fellow workshifters on the twitter network asking about what some of their biggest challenges were when working out of the home office. It was an interesting find because quite a few folks said that the biggest challenges included trust and communications. After having been a professional workshifter for the past three years I can honestly say that I concur with this challenge. So how do we deal with them? I've created a few methodologies in which I live by on a daily basis. I hope these help. Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.... Read More
Much like the shirtless dancing guy in the amusing but compelling video above, workshifting is a physical movement--but instead of flailing your arms, you seamlessly move the location of where you do work. One day, you're meeting your manager online from a coffee shop. And the next, you're prepping a client presentation while sitting at an airport gate. This is all possible thanks to the World Wide Web and its wondrous ways of allowing us to use remote technologies.On a higher level, however, workshifting is a paradigm movement in the way business runs. With a jump from 919.4 million mobile... Read More
Today's post is from Josiane Feigon, author of the bestselling book Smart Selling on the Phone and Online, the sourcebook for inside sales. Her Cubicle Chronicles blog is voted among the top 25 sales blogs. She is founder and CEO of TeleSmart Communications, a 20-year veteran and thought leader of the industry, Josiane is recognized as one of the world's leading experts on inside sales team and manager talent, providing consulting, coaching, and training solutions for hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies. Visit Josiane's website: www.tele-smart.com to read her blog, purchase her book, and download her latest e-books and white papers.Sales 2.0... Read More
As a home office-based working journalist and corporate copy writer, my job sometimes takes me on the road. This coming week, for example, I'll be gigging as a reporter for a private organization's trade show daily. Not sexy, but a nice gig amid the otherwise doldrums of summer-- a remote work gig for a remote worker.But how will I make sure it happens seamlessly and without jeopardizing existing projects? And how will I make sure I work as effectively as possible from the road?First, I clear it up front with this client: Between work for you, I'll need to do... Read More
Where do workshifters come from? Obviously, they're dropped off by a stork. But, are they born workshifters or do they have to become workshifters?Most workshifters were at one time or another sedentary office workers, before they took the leap to working independently. Recently, I was preparing to make the shift from occasional workshifter to permanent workshifter. It occurred to me when making the transition, that despite the fact that I had been working outside the office for several days at a time, the move to permanent workshifting required a lot of preparation.And so, to help others who are just about... Read More
Some people workshift because they can. Some view workshifting as a triumph of technology, others a triumph of humanity. At my company, we workshift deliberately. We believe that it empowers our staff as well as ourselves to add value and remain creative. We believe that people work differently, and they should be able to decide how and where to do it. We view work as "art", and artists always have distinct methods of extracting their best. If you are a small business owner and you workshift deliberately it's important to be able to articulate why you workshift as you begin... Read More
With Google Voice turning one year old and becoming available to U.S. residents, it's time to highlight the benefits to workshifters.1. Choose a Local Number or use your existing mobile numberAt my company I have the ability to forward my office phone to another number. However, the call can't be forwarded unless the number I'm forwarding to is in the same area code as my office. Nowadays, people aren't choosing to have home phones, they're using their mobile phone as their main contact number. And...why change your cell phone number if you relocate to that area code since almost all... Read More
Guilt is a funny thing. It's amazing how quickly that nagging voice can kick in, leading us to question our actions or feel that we have fallen short of some kind of accepted standard. Workshifting comes with its own set of guilty feelings. First off, there's that little thing of the commute. My husband and I live in Chicago, a city that is renowned for its gridlocked highways and nightmarish commutes. While most days I have a commute of about 1.5 seconds - the time it takes me to walk from our bedroom to my office - my husband spends... Read More
I recently wrote about a friend of mine who hosts a successful, productive workshifting collective from his home office. I'm a veteran workshifter, and to be honest, I really like working all by my lonesome in my office or studio. So I was especially curious to see how and why a group of workshifters had created a cooperative work environment. Here's what I learned during a visit to the team's HQ.The TeamThere are currently five people on the workshifting team -- four are founding members who adhere to regular work schedules and one member is a PhD candidate who occasionally... Read More
If you go back and look at how Google started as a company, it's really amazing to see how much they have grown. Starting out with search, they have grown into many areas including collaboration, mobile, and productivity. While at times I wish that Google would focus, it's hard to argue against their strategy as they are leaders in the search market and challengers in many other areas.So when they announced Google Wave there was a ton of hype because everyone was waiting for that next killer application from Google. Let's face it, these are the guys who did Google... Read More
Just recently, I found myself lying in bed at 1:30 am with my iPhone in hand answering emails and responding to people who I missed on twitter and Facebook that day. After switching off the device I realized that I was then spending another hour laying there thinking about the next day and how I might be able to work on the issues, problems or ideas presented in the emails. This sounds somewhat absurd doesn't it? I mean it wasn't more than a few years ago that you shut down the computer and that was the end of your day.... Read More
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About workshifting
"If you work from your home, out of coffee shops, hotels, and airports every bit as much as the office, workshifting is for you. Tips, reviews, and opinions on the world of web commuting are what workshifting is all about."
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The purpose of this whitepaper is to quantify the benefits of workshifting -- specifically working from home -- has for employers, employees, and the community. "Workshifting - The Bottom Line" addresses this and is available to you for FREE. Download Now
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