Author Archive
by Celine Roque
July 18, 2008 at 6:58 am · Filed under
Reviews
The surging popularity of telecommuting means there’s also a great demand for infrastructure to support the work-from-home lifestyle. Email and instant messaging have been useful in the past. Unfortunately, they are not very efficient in supporting online client-agent collaboration. I’ve been looking for a tool to help me manage my projects with other people for some time now. There are many programs out there, but what bugged me was that most of them are only one-way tools. They provide the means to update clients about the project status, but not the other way around. The problem is that many tasks involve getting deliverables from clients as well, like specs needed, certain documents, and the like. A service called Homecourt Client Extranet attempts to bridge this gap.
It’s an online collaboration tool which uses a sports paradigm that’s both easy to understand and simple to use. Recently, I was able to talk to Aaron Vegh of Innoveghtive, the company behind Homecourt. He says, “The chief principle of Homecourt is the assignment of responsibility.” On the main page, there are two courts – yours and your client’s. Just create a t
ask and assign it to either your court or theirs. Each task can have its own collapsible thread of comments, eliminating the need to sift through tons of email just to follow the discussions. You can even attach files to comments, and put tags to organize them better.
An added bonus is the ability to customize Homecourt with your company logo, background color, and subdomain URL, making it ideal for you to embed it within your company’s website. Aaron informed me that their development team is very dynamic, and future plans include having an API for developers, OpenID support, vCard support, notifications via IM, SMS, RSS and Twitter, the ability to export data into XML and other formats.
After trying it out for myself, I was impressed with tool’s overall design. Of course, there’s always room for improvement. In Homecourt’s case, the invoice system could be more robust and detailed. It would help a lot if each invoice could have itemization in place for clarity (after all, clients are very fussy about what they’re paying for). And since some projects involve multiple points of contact (3 or more), it would be great to see Homecourt become expandable to meet this need.
As it is, the tool is quite useful for streamlining collaborative workflow. If you’re interested in giving it a go, you’ll be glad to know that Innoveghtive is offering a free trial. Head on over to the Homecourt page to find out more and sign up.
by Celine Roque
July 15, 2008 at 1:01 pm · Filed under
AppGap Tips
My friend Tina once told me about a conversation she had with her uncle. He asked her about her job, and she responded that she had just resigned to move to a more fulfilling job with a smaller company. He admonished her for being “erratic”. A real worker, he said, sticks with his company, like he did for 30+ years. She almost never heard the end of it, if not for her aunt who to came to her rescue.
Tina is part of Gen Y, or the Millenium Generation – those born between 1980-1995, said to be tech-savvy, success-driven, prone to change jobs more often, and challenge traditional thinking. From now until the next decade, millenials will be flooding the workforce, and managers will have to find ways to get the most out of them in the workplace. After studying their behavior up close (and yes, I’m a Gen Y-er, too), these are my observations on how to manage this generation and maximize their potentials.
1. Focus on productivity, not hours. More than any other generation before it, millenials want better work-life balance. They prefer flexible schedules that will allow them to leave work as soon as they finish their tasks for the day. To be sure, this will not work for all companies, but for those where it can, I say why not? It’s a win-win situation in that employees will be driven to work more efficiently and meet productivity targets, and afterwards enjoy a relaxing afternoon with friends as their reward. I’ve seen this get implemented with great results.
2. Demonstrate strong leadership. For this generation, respect isn’t freely given by virtue of position. It is earned. They have to see their bosses practice what they preach and demonstrate their competence. Give them a pat at the back to acknowledge their contributions. Be transparent about the goings-on in the company – they appreciate brutal honesty. If you can do these things, you’re sure to secure their esteem and loyalty.
3. The key word is GROWTH. Give them challenging, meaningful work. Millenials constantly look for new experiences and opportunities for growth. Being stuck in a static environment for long periods of time will make them restless, just like other generations, but even more so. This is one of the main reasons why they tend to switch jobs more often. Perhaps it’s because they grew up in a world of fast-paced technology, and they want to evolve at the same rate. Provide them with sufficient mentoring and training to develop their skills, which in turn will make them even more valuable assets for the company. If they demonstrate the readiness, give them accountability for their projects so they can better appreciate the impact of their work on the business.
4. Don’t berate, communicate. As I’ve said before, millenials appreciate honesty and transparency (I don’t think they’re alone in that respect). In addition, they also want to work in an environment where they can speak freely and be treated as equals. To make them listen and follow you, it’s best to talk to them, and not down to them. Having managed millenials myself, I find that this really is the most effective way to reach out to them and improve their performance.
5. Embrace technology. Having been surrounded by technology all their life, they are quicker to adapt to the latest trends. Listen to their ideas on how to use these to boost productivity. Unless it’s critical, a total ban on personal Internet usage at work may actually be counter-productive. A recent study shows that e-breaks relieves stress and rejuvenates the mind, much like coffee breaks. Done in moderation, leisurely activities such as letting them log on Facebook or surf other sites, as long as they comply with your office’s acceptable web usage policy, wouldn’t be a bad idea.
by Celine Roque
July 14, 2008 at 8:09 am · Filed under
Notable + Quotable
Study: Social networks may subvert ‘digital divide’
An interesting study from the University of Minnesota shows that social networks aren’t the time-suckers some think they were. According to a researcher from the university, “What we found was that students using social networking sites are actually practicing the kinds of 21st century skills we want them to develop to be successful today.”
authorSTREAM: Send PowerPoint Presentations Directly to YouTube
Kristen Nicole talks about a new way to share PowerPoint presentations: “I think the option to sync authorSTREAM accounts with YouTube is a good implementation of API offerings. As it becomes increasingly important to simplify content-sharing within the social media realm, I find it particularly necessary for such options to be presented to users in a two-way communication channel.”
Sleeping at work - more of us are doing it
This news item from CNN shows that around one third of people who participated in the National Sleep Foundation’s annual survey had fallen asleep at work. This comes as no surprise, since the same survey showed that people slept less and worked more. “The average amount of sleep was six hours and 40 minutes a night. The average workday? Nine hours and 28 minutes.”
Always looking for ‘best practices’ stifles innovation
When you’re too busy trying to achieve results via other companies’ ‘best practices’, you’re left simply trying to keep up rather than creating original innovations of your own. According to the author “Usually the intentions are good, but in a roundabout way. The problem with the type of person I’m describing is that he or she is often motivated almost entirely by fear. It’s not so much research they crave, but safety. If we just do what someone else has done (and succeeded with) we thus have no risk of failure.”
Do you feel like being regulated?
Web Worker Daily discusses a new survey that showed 49% of the respondents in favor of the Internet being under FCC regulation. According to blogger Mike Gunderloy, “That adds up to a phenomenal number of my neighbors and yours coming down in favor of the government getting deeply involved with our means of work.”
There’s Web 2.0, then there’s reality
“One thing is more than apparent when you look in on Web 2.0 and the constant chatter about all the cool hardware, software and ideas. The majority involved in this space have no idea of what being on the other side of the technological divide is like or how it is limiting the adoption of the things they believe in.” This article discusses how most Web 2.0 proponents discuss spending on their expensive tech gear without realizing that this alienates lower income audiences and makes the digital divide wider.
5 Great crowdsourcing solutions to let Web 2.0 work for your business
“The Web 2.0 technology brings together people from around the world to do more than just socialize. Crowdsourcing is a way to put them to work and innovative companies are creating great ways digital professionals can harness the power of diverse talent and resources.” This article lists some tools you can use to implement crowdsourcing in your business.
Enterprise 2.0 & Blogs - First Mover Advantage
According to this article, internal blogging early in your career can help you make a stronger impression in the workplace. “I’m not saying any old Joe can achieve great things just by blogging. However if you really are great, and have great ideas and interesting things to say, then step up and get noticed.”
Info Overload: What can we do?
In this 2-part feature, the author discusses information overload: “When facing a full inbox, new tweets, new posts on FriendFeed, and an RSS reader with 1000+ unread items, the stress often comes from not knowing where to begin.” The article proposes some steps one can take to manage so much information in our digitized world.
by Celine Roque
July 10, 2008 at 9:42 am · Filed under
AppGap Tips, Tips + Pointers
It’s 11:30pm, do you know where your files are?
There are many reasons why our data might disappear on us, including natural disasters, unexpected malfunctions, and Murphy’s Law. Would you be able to access backups of your files if they were irretrievable this weekend? Whether these files are for personal or professional use, most of them carry more value to you than could be measured in megabytes. To avoid the loss of important data, you’ll need to take some important measures.
Don’t store important data in the hard drive where your OS and program installations reside. The drive where your OS and programs run is probably the drive that will encounter problems and need to be reformatted or replaced. Most viruses, worms, and malware target this drive. To lessen the inconvenience of reformatting, use a secondary hard drive as your data storage drive.
Backup online files. If you’re a web app power user, odds are you have important data resting online. If the web apps you use allow you to download copies of your files, take advantage of this feature. When you copy these files to an offline location, you will be able to access them should you have an unstable or nonexistent internet connection. Also, reliability won’t be an issue. During the 9/11 attacks in New York, I lost a lot of data stored primarily online because the servers of the company I was working with were located in that area. I should’ve known better and kept copies of my online files. Back them up on a weekly basis as a safeguard should something happen to the equipment of the company carrying your data.
Routinely back up to an external location. This might include a USB thumbdrive, a CD, an external hard drive, or an online storage service such as Xdrive or Carbonite. Online storage services are unlike your average web app servers. They are more durable and have a tight security guarantee.
If you’re downloading to an external hard drive or USB device, security might be an issue. To keep your data secure, you can store the device in a safe or keep it protected through encryption or passwords.
Have a list of folders that need to be backed up. This list will come in handy in case of emergency reformatting and you need to backup ASAP. Apart from listing important folders, also indicate where the backup files are located. Doing this allows you to keep an inventory of where your data is stored, should you need to locate these files in the future.
Choose your backup medium well. Select a device that has a long lifespan and is readable on most computers. For offline media, select something with lasting power. These could be good quality CDs/DVDs for non-sensitive data, or durable external hard drives/flashdisks. The National Institute for Standards and Technology conducted a study on the lifespans of optical media, and they found that dye type is an important factor in optical media longevity. For example, CDs with a pthalo-cyanine dye combined with a gold-silver alloy tend to be more stable, but it’s hard for consumers to find out the composition of an optical disc’s dye layer - a bit of extra research is needed in this area.
For online backups, select a storage company with a good reputation. Find one that works with businesses, and has been providing their services for a long time. Research consumer reviews of the service as well (testimonials on their product site should be taken with a grain of salt). Also, be sure that there is a guarantee and that their company has redundant servers.
Start now. Don’t wait for a computer malfunction to start backing up your files. It should be a routine for individuals and businesses that rely heavily on computers. By starting a backup routine now, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of effort - and headaches - in the long run.
by Celine Roque
July 9, 2008 at 7:53 am · Filed under
AppGap Tips, Reviews
It’s easy to get drowned in Web 2.0. For those of us who follow the latest trends, we tend to get caught up in the endless tide of new product releases, conferences, startups, and the deluge of buzzwords that come along with them. Sometimes, a person can be too close to see what’s really happening around him, so let’s take a step back and try to sober up with a healthy dose of reality check. Are people really ready to live Life 2.0?
Internet penetration. These are the facts: as of March 31, 2008, the number of Internet users was roughly 1.4 billion. That may seem pretty big, but compare it to the world population of approximately 6.7 billion, and the global Internet penetration comes up to a humble 21.1%. Clearly, we still have a long way to go in creating a genuinely global web. Emerging technologies such as WiMax will go a long way in bridging the gap in accesibility, but for the vast majority, being connected is just not a priority, and the food and oil crisis doesn’t help any.
Broadband penetration. In order to fully appreciate Web 2.0, including the consumption of rich media content and running web applications, a broadband connection is ideal. Pew Internet just came out with a report on broadband trends in the US, and it found that 55% of adult Americans now have broadband connection at home, while 10% are using dial-up. Worth noting: up to 62% of dial-up users say they’re not interested in shifting to broadband, primarily citing price as the deciding factor.
Security. O’Reilly envisions Web 2.0 to mean the “web as a platform”, but how are the doors to this platform - that is, web browsers – holding up? A recent article on TechNewsWorld featured a study which revealed that 40% of web surfers are using out-dated and risk-prone browsers. The truth is, most people are content to be able to browse their favorite websites, either blissfully unaware of security threats, or just plain indifferent. This should be alarming for web application developers, as running their web apps on these old browsers may lead to erratic behavior, hurting user experience.
Awareness. Speaking of web apps, the NPD group came out with a study late last year to measure people’s awareness of web-based office suites. The results show that this segment is still in its infancy, with almost three quarters of those surveyed saying they’ve never even heard of these web apps, and only 6% saying they’ve tried to use one, with varied results. If this research is any indication, the trailblazers have their work cut out for them.
by Celine Roque
July 7, 2008 at 2:13 pm · Filed under
AppGap Tips
A great thing about storage devices nowadays is that their prices have plummeted, while their capacities have shot through the roof. However, having affordable storage can sometimes lull us into complacency. The explosion of content on the Internet can be quite tempting, along with the myriad of sources for rich media like DSLRs and high definition videocams. I used to save everything that got my interest without much thought (after all, what’s my spanking new hard drive for?). Of course, my PC quickly became a cluttered mess, with all my gigabytes nearly filled to the brim. Sound familiar?
The quick and dirty solution would have been to buy even more storage, but then that would mean throwing myself into a never-ending vicious cycle. I don’t want to be spending more money that I really need to, and being wasteful makes me feel guilty. A Web 2.0 remedy would be to port some of my files to one of those free online vaults in the cloud. While this sounds promising and would give me mobility, it doesn’t really solve the problem of clutter (not to mention the reliability issues). It’s like telling somebody to clean her room, and she does so by throwing the trash onto the living room. No, the real solution to data overload is to take a glass of organization and a spoonful of discipline.
Prioritize. What I learned is that it doesn’t take much to save space and clean your digital clutter. Most of what’s inside our computers is really fluff – things we rarely even used or look at anymore. The first thing is to ask yourself, “Which files and programs do I really need?” If you don’t use it, might as well lose it.
Back-up. For seldom used files that you can’t bear to part with, create a backup on DVD (or whatever your favorite format) and start building up your archive.
Organize. Download everything to one folder. This makes it easier to keep track of what goes in to your computer. After reviewing if it’s worth keeping, either move it to a systematically arranged folder or delete it outright. That said, nothing should stay in this download folder for very long.
Make it a habit. Always be aware of how much data you save, much like being careful about eating too much fatty foods. Run Disk Cleanup religiously and defragment every once in a while. Keeping it light will make your computer run smoother, and you’ll probably finish your work much faster.
These are just some of the little things I tried to do that really helped a lot. Did you have a similar experience? How did you go about it?
by Celine Roque
July 3, 2008 at 11:23 am · Filed under
Reviews
Don’t Treat Web 2.0 Like Web 1.0
This Mashable article discusses how most Web 2.0 enthusiasts haven’t fully understood or evaluated how to make Web 2.0 actually work for their business. “Too often we’re focused on the fun, new, and shiny in our various web apps, and it’s important to occasionally pause and evaluate the business and utility of all this time-sink we’ve accrued in social media to determine if it is in fact worth it.”
Elevator Pitches, Now Ready for Your Uploads
Techcrunch adds an easier upload feature to Elevator Pitches, the startup they launched recently. Erick Schonfeld writes “But we soon realized that we had launched too early because the process for getting new videos on the site was just too cumbersome. It was all e-mail cut-and-paste, essentially, and we were overwhelmed. New videos didn’t immediately go up, and traffic trickled down.” Perhaps this new feature will encourage more CEOs and businesses to upload their pitches.
The Boss Made Me Do It: Multitasking Still Inefficient
From Ars Technica comes this article discussing how multitasking leads to inefficiency. “The complaints against multitasking are the usual; you’re not as focused as you could be if you were just doing one thing at once, switching focus repeatedly actually makes you less productive as each time your brain takes a few moments to reprioritize tasks.”
Stop Banning Facebook at Work: Multitasking is Here to Stay
A response by YWorking. com to the previous article. Matt Ellion brings up an interesting point: “The real issue I have with this is one of trust. By constantly monitoring your employees’ screens, by installing filters and blocks, by blanket policies forbidding access at work, you’re essentially saying to your employees that you can’t trust them.”
Awareness: Cyberharassment
NewlyCorporate gives an introduction to cyberharassment and cyberstalking, sharing information that the modern employee should be aware of. “Cyberstalkers use the internet or electronic methods to intimidate or harass. Not every conflict on the internet is cyberstalking. An offensive email, blog, chat, or argument is not necessarily harassment.”
Slife 2.0 Gets it Right
Mike Gunderloy from WebWorkerDaily reviews the second version of Slife, a time-tracker made for OS X. His review states that there’s much improvement, “It fixes the problems I saw last time, adds some new functionality, and drops the price - to “free.”
How do you measure workplace happiness?
Steve Roesler talks about happiness and fulfillment in the workplace, as well as its importance: “There’s a relationship between how much you love your job and how well you perform. That’s not a mystery. But there is a dynamic you need to know about in order to manage yourself and others…”
In the same vein, GreatWorkplace posted “Creating a Work/Life Balance“, which includes measures that some employers have taken to improve work/life balance for their employees. One of these measures - flexibility: “More and more employers are offering employees a flexible work week in terms of hours and days…”
With Fuel Prices Rising, U.S. Companies Work Quickly to Reduce Employee Travel
Rising fuel costs could well prove to be one of the primary reasons why teleworking will become more commonplace: “66% of organizations reported that soaring fuel costs are having a moderate to very high negative effect on their business operations. And they don’t see an end in sight.”
by Celine Roque
July 1, 2008 at 8:15 am · Filed under
AppGap Tips, Tips + Pointers
Although the use of computers is prevalent, the ideas of how to use them more efficiently and optimally still escapes most people. This can become a major obstacle within a business environment. After all, if you’ll be using computers and their software as your most important tools in the workplace, you ought to do it properly. This could be something you understand, especially if you read this blog. But what if you’re the only one who understands this in the office?
It’s a familiar situation to most tech-inclined people. You find a new and more effective way to do things, try to share them with others, but they say “No thanks! I don’t want to be bothered with all that!” If you know from experience or merely have a hunch that your coworkers are like this, is it even worth it to try?
Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t. But, like most things, you’ll never know until you try.
Start with a small suggestion. Don’t start planning an online collaboration system just yet. Maybe a simple suggestion of installing instant messaging software so you and your coworkers can easily ask each other questions and get instant answers without running from one office to another. Changing the underlying system has to happen in little steps, if you want it to happen at all.
Be the example. Since you’re trying to share the idea that some tools increase efficiency, start with yourself. Show how efficient you’ve become as a result of competently using these tools.
Don’t be surprised if they don’t love how efficient you are. I’ve found that some supervisors give more importance to tradition and “time-tested process” than actual results.
Get someone on your side. Even if it’s just one person. Convert them one-by-one if you have to. Since you’re the only one who knows about web apps, productivity software, and GTD, others might consider you an alien who makes things more complicated. If another person gets great results from what you preach, then others are more likely to follow.
Learn to accept that there are some things you can’t change. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try your best, but don’t get your hopes up that working for your company will soon be like working for Google - where everyone is updated on the latest trends and ideas on technology. There will be some things that will be very difficult to change and there will be obstacles to your path. Of course, this doesn’t equal defeat. As long as you can still use your tools and processes yourself, and as long as your input is appreciated in some way, you’ve made a difference.
Are you the only tech-inclined person in the workplace? How do you deal with people who aren’t maximizing the web and the software tools at their disposal?
by Celine Roque
June 26, 2008 at 8:50 am · Filed under
AppGap Tips, Collaboration
Sometimes it feels like the company owns your time, and that usually means that you work in a time-oriented office. Usually this is the regular 9 to 5 job where you log in and out of the office and your supervisors need to see you actually working. This type of work environment is traditional and comfortable - since this is how we’ve been doing things from the Industrial Revolution onwards. But a new type of workplace is emerging, one that is more results oriented and focuses on what you accomplish rather than how many hours you log in.
Having experienced both approaches to work, I noticed some key differences and made the following list based on my observations:
Time Oriented (TO): You must work hard. Maximum input produces maximum output.
Results Oriented (RO): You must work smart. Maximum output from the minimum input possible is desired.
TO: You are seen as diligent if you are the first one in the office and the last one out of the office.
RO: It’s not about when you arrive and when you leave, it’s about what you accomplish during your stay - no matter how long or short it is.
TO: Let’s have long, regular meetings so we know we’re discussing things in depth.
RO: Let’s have meetings only when necessary, and make them as short as possible.
TO: Use email to communicate as it is short and saves time.
RO: Use the appropriate communication tool for the situation - whether it’s email, instant messaging, a collaboration platform, or a phone call.
TO: It’s about when you work that matters.
RO: It’s about how you work that matters.
TO: You must adapt your working style to the needs of your company or supervisors.
RO: You must find a way to satisfy the needs of your company or supervisors within your own working style.
TO: Show up and offer your time.
RO: Step up and offer your ideas.
Is your workplace time oriented or results oriented? What makes you say so? And have other items to add to this list?
by Celine Roque
June 24, 2008 at 12:15 pm · Filed under
AppGap Tips, Tips + Pointers
In a recent post we discussed how to evaluate your existing productivity tools and applications to see if they are a match for your needs. And should you discover that they aren’t, you’ll need to find replacement or supplemental tools to increase productivity. How to go about doing this?
Research. Once you’ve evaluated the tools and methods you’ve employed, you’ll likely have surfaced some problems or challenges you need to address. When you notice these problems, you’ll have to do a bit of research to solve them. Are there better tools out there with the features you need? Is there a productivity or efficiency system you haven’t tried yet?
Your research can start simple. If you have a cluttered inbox, you can simply input “how to unclutter email inbox” in your favorite search engine and start from there. You can also look at the reviews of existing productivity tools to see if they are for you (my colleague Bill’s many reviews here at The AppGap may be a good place to start). Note down everything relevant that you discover during the research process so you can easily go back to these ideas later.
Testing and Tweaking. Once you’ve found a list of new tools and methods, it’s time to test them. Of course, it’s best to test them one at a time rather than as a group so that you can accurately evaluate each change you’re making. Set a testing period of 7 to 10 days, or earlier if it’s obvious that your new tools aren’t working out. Here are some things you should look out for:
* Ease of use. Are the commands and interface intuitive? Can you easily access the features you need whenever you need them?
* Features. Does the tool have the features you need? If not,c an it easily integrate with another tool to compensate?
* Lifespan and reliability. Do your new tools have many bugs? Is technical support available? Is the company reliable enough that you’re likely to get updated versions for the next few years?
* Collaboration-friendly. If you’ll be using your tools with a team, it’s important that they have options for collaboration, or that everyone in the team can easily adapt to using them.
Don’t be frustrated if your new tools have imperfections - it’s almost impossible to find a tool that will perfectly pair up with all your needs and expectations. That’s why it’s important that you learn how to integrate different tools and make them work together to form a unified system. After all, there’s no way to get everything you need out of a single application unless you have the resources to hire a reliable programmer to make you the ultimate productivity tool from scratch.
During your testing phase, you might find that you’ll also be using non-computer tools such as index cards or a whiteboard. This is perfectly acceptable, and, in fact, encouraged. The point of the testing phase is to find out what works for you and your team. Whatever tools you need, no matter how bare and simple they are, you need to incorporate them into your workflow.
Also, don’t be surprised if the testing process takes a few weeks - it’s a necessary step to finding the best tools and system for you. However, it’s very important that you record and measure the results of your testing phase.
Re-evaluation. Now that you’re done with testing your new tools, it’s time to evaluate the results. Did they make a significant impact on your productivity? How much time did it cut back on your previous number of working hours?
This is like a debriefing process that allows you to review the lessons learned from your testing period. If you’re doing this with a team, it helps to have each individual’s input. Not all members of your team are guaranteed to have success with your newfound productivity system.
What’s guaranteed is that there are many valuable lessons you’ll learn when it comes to finding new tools and getting them to increase your overall productivity.
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