Shift

Build Your Ideal Position

2019-05-21T14:11:00.001-07:00

Last week was the final post in Building Your Ideal Position. You can still sign up for the free series, and then even take the whole course!

Up next - how to Operationalize Your Business.

Impress in any position with this proven methodology for Mapping, Streamlining and Automating your work. This next series will teach you how to increase efficiency and reduce expenses. Subscribe to never miss a post!

Qualifying Your Ideal Position

2019-05-14T14:41:00.002-07:00

At this point in your journey towards Building Your Ideal Position, you might have added a few qualifiers. Such as:

IMPACT - Is it important that your career have a positive impact? Check out 80,000 hours.
"FEMALE-FRIENDLY" - Looking for an environment which actively promotes female development through career and life changes? This article is for you.
REMOTE - The one that comes up the most often—you need flexibility in your work schedule. Let's dive into this more...

Contrary to what is still (oddly) popular belief—your physical presence does not correlate to your ability to produce. In the early 2000s there was an upsurge and subsequent decline in companies allowing remote work (remember Yahoo, as an example?). There are other articles written on this (here is one from NBC), so I am not going to rehash all the details here, rather as a synopsis:

1- Working remote is not a good fit for all workers

2- Not all companies have the structures in place for remote workers to be successful

Still, the benefits are many, and if you are interested, you can read through some. Now, I have been blogging about working remote for over a decade (feel free to read past posts on that topic.) And on a more personal note—I am a full-time traveler and have been for nearly my entire adult life. I have been place-based briefly for various positions over the years, but have for the most part worked in a fully remote capacity.

So, in this post I will outline some ways to find remote work.

COMPANIES

Many big companies offer “remote” or "virtual" as a location option, so you can filter your search accordingly. For instance, Amazon.

Some companies operate fully remote, and do not offer an in-office option. Such as Aha! and Crossover for example. I highlight them because they also write about how remote work is a part of their company culture.

Many search engines are dedicated to posting remote jobs:
https://remote.co/
https://remote.com/
https://jobspresso.co/
https://www.workingnomads.co/jobs
https://talent.hubstaff.com/
https://weworkremotely.com/

That should get you started. Have another qualifier you need help with? Leave a comment below.

Subscribe above to have these posts delivered to your inbox every Tuesday at two Pacific, and for even more, sign up for the entire course on how to Build Your Ideal Position.

Photo by Ryan Riggins on Unsplash

Money Matters When Defining Your Ideal Position

2019-05-07T13:57:00.000-07:00

Did you get a good list going last week? You should be well on your way to finding clarity around what your next Ideal Position will be. You might also be thinking- this is all good, but what I really love is being able to cover the cost of living!

As you start to refine your next Ideal Position, use sites like Salary.com or Pay Scale to see the income range for positions you are targeting. You can also search Career One Stop, which gathers it's data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Discovering that your next Ideal Position does not offer a range you can live with in your area? Go back to that list you just built last week, take some keywords from your top five points of interest, and enter them back into a search engine to see what comes up. Often times the same bullet point from a job description is valued differently per industry, location and company. I have taken bullets from an Admin position (a role which itself varies widely in pay- from $30k to upwards of six figures), and found the same descriptors in a C Suite role.

So here again is another opportunity/friendly reminder- don't under value yourself. Focus on companies and positions that appeal to you AND can support you financially.

Photo by Fabian Blank on Unsplash

List what you love

2019-04-30T14:16:00.002-07:00

This series is all about Building Your Ideal Position. Let's recap the last four weeks:

Observe- we started out slow, observing interactions and feedback, focusing on when people are already telling you that you are valuable.
Ask- then we stepped it up by actively soliciting feedback from people who know you well.
Find your core values- an inward exercise to hone in on your values.
Personality matters- expanding on your values, looking at your personality, and how it is described in different ways.

Now what do you do with all of this?! Well, you turn it into what you have to offer a company, others, the world. Because as you have been learning- only you can be you, and there is value in that.
You have spent time gathering data and learning about how to talk about your assets, values and preferences. Now we will begin to mirror that to what is being asked for.
This week you will search in order to compile a list of points that most interest you.

Start with companies that already interest you. Visit their career section and peruse their open positions. Don't restrict yourself to positions that you might qualify for, read through anything you might find interesting. This will give you an overall idea of what the company is looking for and how they talk about that. As you go, copy and save any job responsibilities that resonate with you. If it sounds interesting, or intrigues you, add it to your list.
Then broaden your search. Use any job search site of your choice. You can start with big ones like Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Idealist, Dice, Angel List, The Muse, Career Builder, Zip Recruiter, Mediabistro, Dribble, Coroflot ... just to name a few. That should cover a wide range of industries and positions from Start Ups, design, construction, high tech and so on. The reason to use aggregator sites like this is so you can enter in keywords rather than positions titles. It is great if you don't yet know what your Ideal Position is called. Start by entering some of those descriptors that you have discovered over the last few exercises. Maybe you were a "troubleshooter" or a "promoter". Put those keywords into the search to see what comes up! Read through those job descriptions with the same goal as above- if something in the role sounds interesting, then add that bullet point to your list.
Know you are going for a certain type of position? Search Workable for standard job descriptions, and then continue to add the interesting aspects of those descriptions to your list. You might even find that more than one position title is interesting to you!

These exercises allow you to refine what types of companies and positions appeal to you AND will fit your personality, are in line with your values, and are probably things you are already doing well (based on that feedback you observed and gathered). Now you know how companies are talking about those things that you are naturally inclined towards and actually interested in doing! So get that list going, and check back next week for more actionable next steps.

Photo by Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash

Your personality is a preference

2019-04-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

In last week's value finding exercise, you were tasked with going through a list of values and selecting those which resonate with you. You selected words based on your personal preferences. Again this week, I'll help you further focus on and define your personal preferences utilizing personality tests. These exercises are so important when looking to build your ideal position. We can take what we know about ourselves for granted. It takes a lifetime to get to know our own inner workings, because we are always changing with each new, daily input. Being able to clearly communicate your personal preferences is key in every aspect of life, including finding fulfilling work.

The results of personality tests do not define you (this is not meant to be reductive), they will however help you to further understand and clearly communicate aspects of yourself. You will then have a repository of pithy descriptors from which to pull when crafting a cover letter, resume, or speaking about yourself in an interview or networking event. These assessments also have the added benefit of helping you better understand others. Reading through each grouping gives you perspective on things outside of your personal preferences. So while you may have been reacting to aspects of other's personalities, once you know more you will be better equipped to deal with them, and if nothing else, at least understand them better.

This is not an exhaustive list of available tests, but here are some of the most common (and a few of my favorites) to get you started.

Try:

The Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator (popularly referred to as the MBTI). There are free versions available online if you do not wish to purchase the full assessment. Just search- MBTI free. There is no one in particular I'd recommend. Once you have your result, also delve into the ...
Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS), which you can just read about or take the free assessment.
EnneaApp- I've only verified the apps availability on iOS, but it is free to take the test and provides a good overview of each number.
The Big Five Personality Traits (or the Five Factor Model) has a free basic assessment, and focuses on relating. So offers more insight into how your personality and preferences shows up in relation to others.
StrengthsFinder, found on Gallup, is not free but is useful in pinpointing and verbalizing your overarching talents. Some organizations even purchase the assessment for all employees because of the insights it offers.
The Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential (MAPP) is an interesting one, and offers results similar to those of a career placement test you might take in high school. So if you are looking to understand which industry your skills are geared towards, it might be interesting to take the free assessment.
Sparketype, a free assessment created by the Good Life Project, is designed to "reveal the essential nature of the work you are here to do".
Love languages- they do have a version for work, but even the free one for personal use can be very insightful!

Even more:

Check out the book "Reading People", where author Anne Bogel collects, explores and explains many (or maybe even most) of the personality tests available and how they offer insights into love, life, and (the reason you are reading this) how we work!
Also interesting, and why I chose this image, "What Color is Your Parachute" called the best guide for job searching.

Finding your Core Values

2019-04-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Find value in the last two weeks of value exercises? It’s important work and is a foundational step towards engaging in and being fulfilled with your chosen profession. I could cut straight to the chase- focus on helping you write that resume, land that next job, but the newness will wear off, and you’ll be back dealing with that itch of discomfort and wondering why. Maybe you’ll even question why you went through writing that new resume to begin with! I don’t want that for you. So, let’s keep going before we commit to all that.

Gathering all of that data last week might have been a bit draining. So this week, I’ll lighten it up. Take some time to identify your core values.

Go through this exercise, it’ll only take about 30 minutes.

For a pdf that you can keep on hand, here is a study by CMU that you can download (it’s based on the above).

For even more info, check out some of the resources on this site. I’m not affiliated, but love to provide more info whenever possible.

Go ahead, keep getting to know YOU.

Remember, subscribe above for weekly reminders about new posts every Tuesday at two pm Pacific, and express interest in my upcoming resume course here.

About your value...

2019-04-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

How did that value exercise go last week? Did another week pass and you are feeling deflated and undervalued, or are you more able to recognize that unique perspective which you and only you can bring to a situation?

It’s true that your value is not always recognized (here is where some subtle and tasteful self-promotion can come in, but more on that later), so let’s dive into finding out information on your perceived value to others in order to hone in on the why, when and how! Take time this week to ask. That’s right—actively solicit feedback on how people perceive you.

Simply send a quick email with the following three questions to a few colleagues with whom you regularly interact, former classmates you’ve shared a project with, or even friends (those that register above the level of an acquaintance).

What are my unique abilities or super powers?
What shows up in the room when I do?
How have I contributed to yours and/or others’ lives?

You could also set up a couple of short interviews to cover off these deeper questions with close friends or family (be sure to take notes, or record the conversations). These allow you to go more in depth on how you show up in the world. Use their responses to reflect—does your self-perception align with how others see you?

Stress: What causes me tension?

Patterns: What recurring patterns do you observe in my life?

Strengths: What allows me to be great?

Energy: What gives me energy?

Try at least one, if not both of these information gathering exercises. The more data you can gather, the better! Which leads me to a good tip:

TIP- participate in this exercise as an observer/listener. Be receptive only. This is not a conversation, simply a study. You are gathering data. Try to remove your emotion so as not to taint the data.

If it helps think of it as an exercise of being like a monk—removed and at peace. Just try it out. Go on, go get your zen on.

Your Value

2019-04-02T14:35:00.001-07:00

You are valuable. Don’t take yourself for granted. We all do this- we know how to do something and instantly forget that not everyone else knows the same thing. It might seem like a simple thing to you, but to someone who's not you, they don't know it the way you do. Seems obvious but I see this so often with absolutely everyone in my life and with myself as well.

Time and again I have seen friends, family and colleagues undercut their own value. Thing is, we all do things differently, and someone needs to hear from YOU. It might not be about one particular thing you know, but rather a compilation of things, and it is the way you weave that knowledge together that is uniquely your own. I have so many examples of this, a few of which you can read below, and maybe one will resonate with you.

The point is- make note of your value; add to it and refer to it often. However you want to capture this, even if it is just a note on your phone, do it.

Here are a couple moments you can capture:

When you receive a compliment (one which you agree with).
When you feel good after an interaction; pause for a moment to reflect on why, and then write down an action you took that made that engagement feel good.
When it feels safe to be vulnerable with someone, then just ask them! Ask what is something they value about you.

In the coming weeks I will be coming out with more tips on harnessing your value as I gear up to launch my first online course focused on (gasp!) self promotion. At the end of the course you will have a brand new resume to use in leveling up your current position, or finding your next position.

Why resumes? Well, my core focus is Operationalizing YOUR Business, and if that is your day to day job, let’s start there. This course is a map outlining a streamlined process for resume building, so you can get back to being your best you.

Remember to stay tuned every Tuesday at two (Pacific) for new posts, or subscribe to get a notice in your inbox!

As promised, few head-scratching examples of times I’ve seen people (myself included) take themselves for granted, when they need to be looking at and recognizing value.

My sister once expressed to me her shock at a close friend recently making a financial shift, one which she thought was elemental, and that every young person starting out in the world does. I only said that I hoped she was able to be open to her friends new discovery, and that we all arrive at places at different times in our adult lives. This same friend had figured out other things that my sister had not and she was grateful every time she learned from her friend. My sister took her knowledge for granted in that instance though, so rather than add value for her friend, she questioned her own knowing.
Recently I was pushing a friend to start a Vlog. Feeling like he was a poor writer, but having a lot to say, it seemed an optimal solution. Unfortunately he took his knowledge for granted. While he spent countless hours listening to other people's expertise, and so knew the value of a Vlog, he could not see himself in this role, rather only compare himself to those he perceived further along this path, and so a path not open to him. To this day I still overhear some of his conversations, and people are in awe of his knowledge and tell him so outright. Still, he holds himself back.
I hate to sew, but I love to knit. So any time a pattern would require seaming at the end, I’d figure out a way to knit it in the round, just to avoid the seam (and because I think it looks better to be seamless!). But that is also because I do not seam well. I was in a knitting group once, and one of the fellows showed me his seams- completely invisible. And he didn't think it was a big deal to learn to do (another undervalue!). Yet, so insurmountable for me that I'd just knit it in the round. Unfortunately I didn't write those pattern alterations down (because it was so obvious to me at the time!), and guess what- yea I really don't remember. And you wont either! So write down your brilliance, keep adding to your value list, and get in touch with the fact that there are amazing things about YOU.

Constantly Shifting

2019-03-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

Life shifts. Groundhog Day is just a movie. Some things we come back to, all things we build upon, the core of a thing we look to as a guide, but nothing stays the same.
I’d taken a break from posting here, but it is funny how when something is so core to your being, that you never really leave it behind. So although I was not talking about it here, I never stopped being involved in all the various ways to shift the way work is defined, accomplished and discussed. How companies operate and how individuals define their skills.

The very landscape of work is changing. We are in a global economy where outsourcing and automation have changed how work is done. I am fascinated by this new structure and bring strategies to help navigate this new terrain. I am queueing up new content to cover topics for individuals seeking to land their ideal position or start their own venture. My content will cover getting to your core, and how to present and promote that essence. Also for those well established in a company and looking to be more efficient and effective in how work is done. I talk about it all, from managing globally disbursed teams to automating tasks.

So stay tuned for more on this ever evolving and shifting landscape to better understand how and find new tools to help you and your teams to shift the way you work.

Look for new posts every Tuesday at two (Pacific), or sign up to have this content delivered to your inbox.

Shifting- where I am writing

2014-12-08T14:23:00.000-08:00

Though it looks here that I have not been writing much of late, if you look for the latest edition of "The Business Guide to Sustainability" you will see my name as a contributor! Check out my work in the "Technology" chapter.
I have also decided to combine this blog project and all future content into a collaboration: livelywork.com
This is an opportunity for me to expand my audience, and to offer my readers access to more thought-provoking posts on various ways to work.

Enjoy,
Chantel

External Structure

2013-01-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

In my last post I introduced a lot on the topic of structure. Most of what I mentioned though was focused on individuals learning how to create their own structure in their workday. There is also much to be said around how an organization is structured, and how that enables employees to be effective. Similar to my prior mentions of decision fatigue and the tyranny of choice, the same happens at the organization level as this quote from the book “Reframing Organizations” mentions: “If structure is too loose, people go their own way or get lost, with little sense of what others are doing. Structures that are too tight stifle flexibility and cause people to spend much of their time trying to beat the system.”[1]

Organizations are challenged with creating structures which support individuals to find and tap into their own potential, while remaining open and flexible enough so as to not stifle the creativity and innovation they seek to foster.

Professor Teresa M. Amabile writes about how the social environment affects creativity in this Harvard Business article titled “Creativity and Innovation in Organizations”, in which creativity and innovation are outlined as:

“Creativity is the production of novel and useful ideas in any domain.

Innovation is the successful implementation of creative ideas within an organization.”

The article then goes on to show how the work environment impacts individual/team creativity, highlighting the need to properly set and measure goals, and to call out how intrinsic motivation is more likely to cultivate creativity and innovation.

The point is that organizations need to find balance when creating structures and measurements for productivity, and that (similar to an individual’s quest) clear communication, goals and measurements are paramount to keeping on task and in focus. Conversely, a structure which is too rigid, and does not allow for the individual’s own variances, will squelch the intrinsic motivation necessary for individual and therefore organizational success.

To further this point, I will reference this section from the book “Flow”:

“Two terms describing states of social pathology apply also to conditions that make flow difficult to experience: anomie and alienation. Anomie— literally, “lack of rules”— is the name the French sociologist Emile Durkheim gave to a condition in society in which the norms of behavior had become muddled. When it is no longer clear what is permitted and what is not, when it is uncertain what public opinion values, behavior becomes erratic and meaningless. […]

Alienation is in many ways the opposite: it is a condition in which people are constrained by the social system to act in ways that go against their goals.”[2]

For clarity, "Flow" is a mental state in which a person is fully immersed, feels an energized focus, is fully involved, and enjoys the activity which they are performing.

Creating the balance of structure necessary to harness creativity and innovation, and to cultivate Flow is a process every organization needs to go through.

Productivity Inc. is a consulting firm that focuses on, in part on creating this type of "Strategic Innovation". Their website states that true innovation “thrives in organizational cultures that create space for new ideas and foster collaboration among employees and enterprise networks. And, most important, it requires the leadership behavior, infrastructure, and processes to execute effectively on key insights.”

There are tools and methodologies, even consulting firms out there to help organizations create the correct mix of structure where innovation is found, but not hampered.

[1]Lee G. Bolman;Terrence E. Deal. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series) (p. 75). Kindle Edition.

[2] Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (2008-08-18). Flow. (Kindle Locations 1874-1875). Harper Perennial Modern Classics.

Structure

2012-12-29T13:52:00.006-08:00

There can be an initial challenge around how best to prioritize when engaging in a flexible work environment. It is important to first ask yourself whether you are engaging in work that is ultimately satisfying and what you want to be doing, instead of pushing yourself to complete tasks, blindly striving towards a goal that is nothing more than a tic mark on a to do list. This takes time to assess, and there are many resources to help in the process (books like Flow and Business Model You, just to mention a couple). Once you are engaging in fulfilling work, it is then important to build structure into your workday. Structure begins with clear goals. If you are working for yourself, this will come from the overarching goal and mission of your business. If you are working as an employee or contractor, then these goals are created through conversations with a manager, and are a conclusion of how best to use your skills in support of the company. Clarity is key, otherwise you may get caught up in busy work or tasks that do not ultimately support your desired goal.

Once engaged in fulfilling work with clearly outlined goals, structure is what speeds you to success. A lot has been said in recent years about information overload in this increasingly digital society. Where the hype was once for multitasking, light is being shed on the mind’s actual ability to process information and perform tasks effectively. There is more coming out on the neuroscience behind this, but here is a great little NPR article that introduces the topic nicely. Essentially we are lead back to focus- the age old method of clearing the mind of clutter and bring clarity to the present moment. So, structure your day to allow yourself to focus on each task set before you. Instead of allowing in distractions, or trying to multitask, put it all aside and tackle one thing wholly.

When there is not enough structure, or it shifts too often, then decision fatigue can set in. A snap shot of what that implies: “Virtually no one has a gut-level sense of just how tiring it is to decide. Big decisions, small decisions, they all add up. […] ‘Good decision making is not a trait of the person, in the sense that it’s always there,’ Baumeister says. ‘It’s a state that fluctuates.’ His studies show that people with the best self-control are the ones who structure their lives so as to conserve willpower. They don’t schedule endless back-to-back meetings. They avoid temptations like all-you-can-eat buffets, and they establish habits that eliminate the mental effort of making choices. Instead of deciding every morning whether or not to force themselves to exercise, they set up regular appointments to work out with a friend. Instead of counting on willpower to remain robust all day, they conserve it so that it’s available for emergencies and important decisions.”[1]

So you may be starting to see that by leaving your day too open, you are actually diminishing your ability to be effective. Another way to phrase this is the “Tyranny of Choice”. Barry Schwartz wrote an article so titled where he mentions that too many choices increase the burden of having to gather information to make a wise decision. Increasing options does not increase well-being. Not having a structure to your day, not knowing when you should be checking email or when you should be singularly focused on the project at hand will ultimately lead you to being ineffective overall while still feeling overloaded, as if you were working too much.

On that note, I will leave you with one more article about goals, focus, and structure. This article uses the perspective of being overcommitted, but it is on point and delves further into clarity, SMART goals, and the important, but too often overlooked need for down-time.

[1] Tierney, John. Do you suffer form decision fatigue? The New York Times. August 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Support

2012-09-19T14:44:00.003-07:00

The Freelancers Union does great work bringing together those people who define themselves as independent professionals by aiding this group in finding solutions to things such as health care, retirement, wage security, and other broken systems.[1] They are addressing the current gap which has developed as more freelancers, contractors, consultants, etc. become an increasingly common alternative to traditional, full-time employment. This movement towards independent work is not slowing down though, and there is a serious need for each individual to be supported in their work, and ultimately supported to be who they are in the world.

There is a need to rethink how work is done, to shift out of the box-- away from predefined job-titles, and away from the concept that presence equals product. A solution is needed to help incorporate all aspects of an individual so that people no longer need to rewrite their resume for each new job or industry, and instead can let all of their experience shine through. A solution is needed to support diversity and show the value in multiple skill sets, even when they do not seem to align in a traditional fashion. Fast Company magazine recently highlighted how restrictive it is for companies to create single-sized, out-of-the-box definitions of work.

“Companies are set up to do one thing very well. That’s the business they’re in. All of the roles in the company are defined and structured to create the best environment for doing that one thing as efficiently as possible. The number of people employed by the company fluctuates with the workload. More work, more people. Too many people and too little work means layoffs or mismanagement. Success is doing the same thing you’ve always done, just a little bit better, achieving just a few more sales or shaving a hair off of costs. Change is discouraged by time constraints and the stifling number of approvals needed. Failure is punishable by pink slip. Every day is the same.” [2]

We need to realize that we cannot define something that is not yet in existence. By trying to strictly define industries and set roles within them, we are not allowing for crossover—the in between space where innovation can be found and the next thing is waiting to be discovered. We need to be comfortable with the unknown. By creating platforms which will foster each individual’s best work, we will find the true source of innovation and creativity.

So while the Freelancers Union is working towards certain support systems, ultimately the very definition of work needs to shift to allow for people to integrate more fully all aspects of life, so that the diversity of each individual is an asset used to support their unique skill combinations.

[1] http://www.freelancersunion.org/about/index.html

[2] Shapiro, Aaron. Stop blabbing about innovation and start actually doing it. Fast Company. April 2012. http ://www .fastcompany .com /1833190/stop -blabbing -about -innovation -and -start -actually -doing -it ?partner =weekly _10.

Focus

2012-09-18T13:57:00.001-07:00

In my last post I wrote about the struggle of how, what, and when to prioritize all aspects of the day when engaging in a flexible work environment. I have been studying alternative work modes such as freelancing and consulting to gain a better understanding of different types of self-management. The top two (contracting the most business) freelance sites right now are: Odesk and Elance. Both have a focus on the business, not the employee as their primary target. This focus furthers the dichotomy of how best to produce good work. The focus on the business side continues to foster the industrial mentality (as I mentioned here) that the only valid work is the work that is observed by management. This furthers the concept that people need some external checks and balances, and that internal, intrinsic motivation, being driven by your own passion and willingness to do good work is not enough. Odesk even goes so far as to use a type of spyware to perform random check-ins throughout a project. A screen shot of the freelancers computer screen is taken, and sent as viable evidence that they are indeed addressing the assigned work. This does not foster a trusting relationship and effectively breaks down any freedom or creativity the employee would otherwise have.

When I came across the site DoNanza, I was hoping for a site that was focused on assisting independent workers to operate as a company. Instead it is mostly an aggregator that culls postings from the web and drops them unceremoniously into an inbox. They may be heading towards something more, but unfortunately as it stands no real assistance is offered in building a business, or even in vetting clients, only in finding the next online gig, which are all primarily tech-based jobs.

Overall, there is a lack of focus on the worker as an individual, yet there is a shift happening towards more independent work. Work is moving away from the industrial 9 to 5 and towards the Gig Economy, or “e-conomy with ‘e’ standing for electronic, entrepreneurial, or even eclectic” [1] . This is a movement characterized by millions of workers, who have been employed full-time in traditional roles with organizations, moving to fill similar roles remotely and on a contract basis. MBO Partners, a heavyweight in freelance connections, recently conducted a study that predicts 65-70 million people will be independent workers in 2020; that’s over half of all US employees.[2] Add in the other countries already taking advantage of this more lithe work structure, and it is obvious to see that people are moving from more stable, full-time salaried positions to flexible self-employment.

So while half of the battle is with each individual finding how best to focus their workday, the other half is in getting the support needed to enable people to work effectively as an independent professional.

[1] Horowitz, S. The Freelance Surge is the Industrial Revolution of Our Time. The Atlantic. August 2011. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/09/the-freelance-surge-is-the-industrial-revolution-of-our-time/244229/

[2] Kim, R. By 2020, Independent workers will be the majority. Gigaom. December 2011. http://gigaom.com/2011/12/08/mbo-partners-network-2011/

Your own worst boss

2011-11-30T13:00:00.001-08:00

Working remote takes some getting used to. Managing your own time is not a skill that is fostered in traditional work environments where employees are expected to fulfill certain hours of the day instead of producing a defined amount of measurable work (more in this post). When switching to a remote environment, people need to learn how to manage their time and any conflicting diversions. Learning to prioritize is the first step. Knowing your goals, and tracking your own ability to produce will help to hone in on how and when to work.

It is actually more common for employees new to a remote environment to overwork. It is difficult to set clear boundaries. There is often a general assumption that if work is not seen it is not done. However, there is actually nothing more effective than personal accountability. No manager will ever be able to manage an employees time or hold them accountable as well as any one person may do for themselves.

From the book "The intelligent organization" by the Pinchot's- "Workers will be far more efficient if they have a hand in designing their own work than if work design U performed by management and handed down for compliance. This fact flies in the face of bureaucracy's most basic tenet, that it is the job of management to design and coordinate workers jobs."

This same point can be made not only about the work that employees do, but to my point, about how, when and where they do it.

The polarity is between “work” and “life”. Being in a remote/flexible working arraignment allows the two to become more integrated, and people can become more effective at both. Less of a distinction is actually a better thing. It is important to prioritize work, so as to achieve set goals, but all other aspects of life are equally important, and need the same attention. Balance is the key to being the most effective in all aspects of life.

So, if you find that your day is calling to be re-prioritized to focus on something which is not “work”, fine! Then return to working when you are more able to be effective. Manage your time so that you are most effective, and not with the expectation of toiling through traditional working hours.

This method of prioritization will also help you to gain perspective on your work preference. If you find that it is getting more and more difficult to meet production goals, then it may be that you are attempting to do work that is no longer your preference, and that the prioritization process needs to be focused around finding work that is fulfilling and more able to integrate into your life. This blog speaks more to “Refreshing work”.

Being in the flow (where it feels easy to work) is the best place to be, though this does not always happen, even if you are working on something that interests you during a time when you work best. When an author is moved to write, it may feel like the pages just pour out. There are other times however, when the blank page is a formidable foe. All types of work have these two extremes. Authors often overcome writers block by going out to be inspired, but sometimes it simply means just putting the time in. So, while in this post I encourage taking the time to find what to work on and when, creating structure around work is also important. More on structure to come.

Space matters

2011-11-28T12:05:00.001-08:00

There are many things that should go into the decision of working remote. Largely it is dependent on personality, as I mentioned in this post, but many other factors play a part. Another primary factor is space. After the question of who, it is where and when people work. It is important to find an appropriate space for each type of worker.

Remember too, working remote does NOT mean work from home. Remote also means virtual and can be applied to team members working in other locations, countries or time zones. Each situation denotes remote engagement, and needs to be managed accordingly.

Space matters when considering an employee or a team to be remote. This situation may refer to outsourcing a department or team to another country. Think about the infrastructure involved in running a business abroad, and so from a remote location. Think about the time zone differences, and cultural barriers that may come up while doing business together. Either in sending employees to another country or hiring in a foreign country, it is remote, and needs to be assessed appropriately.

Same applies to a home -office. Not every employee has a living space that would allow them to work effectively from home. Again, the first considerations should be focused around personality type and job function. Then it comes to finding the correct space. There is a lot of office space available for rent. Regus is one of the largest and well-known providers of Business Centers-- a way to enable employees to work however, wherever, and whenever they need to. This is a growing trend and it is becoming increasingly easy to find other local, smaller providers of a similar services.

Another great thing that can come from dropping into flexible work locations is cross-pollination. In traditional office buildings, departments are often siloed in their own quadrant of the building. Not only is it difficult to access colleagues in other departments, but there is never any connection to people in other fields or disciplines. Collaboration with an existing work group can happen in a virtual space (as I mentioned in this post), but the types of connections available to remote employees are not available in traditional office space.

So although remote is good for many reasons, home-based offices are often not. There are many options for remote employees, and remote means many different things. So, when considering remote, space is a primary variable.

How work is viewed

2011-11-25T08:58:00.001-08:00

A large portion of being able to shift to a successful remote environment is centered around how work is defined within the organization. Many companies still operate in an outdated fashion- employees that are present in the office from 9-5 are productive. If managers are able to see employees, they assume that is enough. It’s not.

Work should be focused on product, not presence. Every individual has an optimal time and preference of production. If all employees are asked to occupy the same time and space in order to produce, then the majority of productivity is lost. Productivity is no longer based on a Fordist concept of parts per hour, so there is a need to redefine what product looks like. Product should be defined per industry, organization and individual, not to be confused with physical presence.

Collaboration is an important factor in any organization. With the virtual collaboration tools that are available however, physical presence is not as important as shifting an organizations understanding about how collaboration happens. Face time is important in team building, as I mentioned in this post, but day to day collaboration can still exist in the virtual realm.

Being able to clearly define work based on product, and to clearly define the collaboration process is pivotal to engaging successfully in a remote environment.

Social connections

2011-11-18T12:48:00.001-08:00

It’s always been a big question- how to maintain social connections in a remote environment? Not only social, but how does a team stay involved in a way that will continue to foster creativity, collaboration, and work to further solidify the team? All is not lost. Much of this relies on the tools and technologies used to foster engagement, but even more so on shifting the groups mentality to understand how to engage in a virtual environment. Remote does not mean detached.

There are a lot of time-tracking tools out there with the intent of tracking just how employees spend their time during the day. How do you track those connections that happen in passing though, those conversations that start in the hall on a whim and lead to the next big breakthrough in a project? Not every hallway conversation is the next big breakthrough, but they still serve to build a stronger team-bond. The social side of anything has always been more difficult to track, such as- how to track the social impacts of a company? Well, just as metrics and measurements are emerging to answer that question, it is time to better understand how social connections aid productivity and serve as inspiration in creativity and innovation.

I was recently writing on self-sufficiency (visit the Prezi overview of the paper), where again the question of community came up. Humans are social creatures. So, in all aspects of life it just comes down to accounting for this, and even tapping into the potential that socializing brings to the creative process. Think of writers block. All that situation may need is a muse- some social connection and interaction. Most great works of art are not produced by a group, but they are almost always inspired by others. Although there is not yet a great way track the inspiration provided by a social setting, it is important to find ways to recreate this for a remote working environment.

Social connection is still the most difficult thing to track in a standard office environment, and is the most difficult thing to provide in a remote setting. While the former may never be solved, at least the latter is getting a lot easier as more and more social media tools enter the professional arena. Can this replace face to face contact, those conversations that happen in passing, personal connection?

Here is an interesting post I came across on this topic. The blogger works for Blackboard, which creates virtual education platforms. The same question of social connections comes up in the virtual learning realm just as it does in professional work. The Blogger mentioned how those in person engagements are still very important to building work relationships.

I see two sides to this:

1- You do not need to be in person at all times to meet this need. Quarterly or even annual gatherings are always a good idea.

2- Taking the social pressure off of your work environment creates social opportunities in other areas of your life.

Yes face time is important, but daily face time, not so much. If anything daily face time often becomes more of a distraction and a hindrance. Those hallway inspirations can move to the virtual realm once an in-person bond is formed, and then the need to find a way to track those hallway chats becomes less.

Friendships may be formed at work, but for the most part, colleagues are not a preferred social group. Working remote does create more of a need to get out and socialize, but it also allows the time and space for this to be by choice, instead of a situation of forced socialization with those in your immediate daily work space. If you spend a day working remote, when it is quitting time you are more likely to seek out friends, family and social engagements of choice.

Obviously there is a lot to be said about this! Social connects are important for humans. Working remote does not mean less social though, it can actually mean more of a social choice, and more effective and efficient work.

Personality matters when working remote

2011-11-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

Working remote is not for everyone. Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicators, Gallup strength finders, Enneagram, even your horoscope will all tell you a bit about yourself, but no single one will fully describe you. All self-assessments hold some value, but ultimately it is best to constantly reassess your situation to find your ideal working conditions. Your ability to work remote will also most likely change over time. The option to work anywhere will seem attractive (or not) to different people for different reasons. Sorry, as in most things, there is no one size that fits all AND fits well. That just doesn’t happen. Some people are pre-disposed to a remote working situation, but that does not mean it is the best for them. It is more likely that certain positions are better able to be performed in a remote setting, but that does not mean the same for those individuals performing them. Many things should go into making the decision of where and how to work. No one thing can be the one and only reason, because that could also result in loss of productivity.

There is not (that I know of to date) a great assessment tool that is able to profile the ultimate remote employee. Even if there were, I doubt I would recommend it. What is important is to try out new things, up to the point that they are not too disruptive, and then to constantly reassess the situation. Really, people should be reassessing things more often in general anyway- do you still want to be doing a certain type of work can be much more important than where or how you do it!

The biggest thing I could recommend is to try it out. Give it some time though, as things will settle down and work out only over time. The most important thing is to have flexibility. If you are too rigid about being in a certain place, at a certain time, you are already likely to be losing productivity. Without any clear structure though, the same thing will happen. It’s a balance, and it is different for everyone.

Things other than personality that make a difference is work type. As I said, it will be easier to assess whether or not a certain position is a good fit for remote conditions. Two main things that play a part in assessing positions: the industry, and social factors/teamwork/creativity (you know, all those things centered around people and how they engage with one another). More on these to come.

Why Remote

2011-10-27T18:33:00.001-07:00

Office buildings are expensive, very, very expensive. The average annual per seat cost in the U.S. is around $15,000 (this varies per study/industry, but not by much). Now multiply that by the number of employees in your company, and you get my point. On top of the financial implications the environmental impacts are huge. Depending on the physical footprint of an office building, the carbon footprint of operating it increases the expense many times over. Unfortunately, those expenses are not always accounted for. Throw in the cost of commuting, and maintaining homes that remain empty all day, and the expenses just keep building up.

Why? Because this is “how it’s done”?

Well, the way work is done has shifted. Technology allows people to connect, communicate, engage, and work from anywhere. Even professions that seem absolutely tied to physical space, or are based on human interactions are able to become increasingly virtual.

This is not a bad thing!

Virtual does not mean less; it actually can mean a lot more. Technology creates efficiencies. Reducing travel increases available time and energy. The virtual space also lets information flow more freely, reaching more people in a shorter amount of time. This brings up the collective intelligence and lets things advance more quickly.

Well, really this all barley touches on the Why. There is a lot of information out there. Most of it is put out by someone trying to sell the idea, or products around this idea. Not me though. I am just offering up a perspective. If you want to read more studies though, here are a few suggestions:

Deloitte is a consulting firm, and in 2009 put together this study.

Here is a different study from 2010 by Peter Mscowich.

Cisco offers a lot of products to enable and enhance mobility.

Ok, more to come.

Work and eat when, where, and what you want! #bad11

2011-10-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about being able to work from home is the food. The ability to choose where your food comes from, how it is prepared, and when you eat it. Even if there are restaurants around your office, or a cafe available onsite, there is nothing that beats the quality and cost of a meal prepared at home.

This is a special blog post in honor of blog action day 2011 (October 16); you can find out more here.

Introducing new ways to work

2011-10-16T12:03:00.001-07:00

This is a central space to discuss all the ways to work in this technologically advanced time, and in this globally-interconnected world. It is rarely relevant anymore (no, really) where or how people work. Work content (end product) matters more than the context (physical setting). Things that matter most in creating a workforce are: personality type, management style, ability to engage and interact virtually, and clear communication and goals.

People are so very diverse, yet the majority of the world population is constrained and constricted to a work setting and to work hours that do not allow them to be their most productive. A more flexible approach to work allows people to work where and when they are most productive.

More to come on the where’s, why’s, and how’s!