Working Digitally

High-touch & High-tech

Rebecca Jones

rebecca@dysartjones.com

905.731.5836

the digital environment

• work is no longer where we go; it is what we do

• walls & doors are replaced by blurred boundaries

• this environment is organized more by thoughts and strategies than by proximity

• Impact on work• Technology solutions• Tips & considerations

the work environment

Basic structure of the workplace is relationships. Work gets done through relationships.

Adapted from M. Schrage, No More Teams

• Changed workflows

• Changed relationships

• Demands rethinking, reshaping & balancing the dynamics of working relationships

Communication

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

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 Terrency Gargiulo, www.makingstories.net

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

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’s Grown 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

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

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”

http://www.jingproject.com/

http://awurl.com/V5viXkTJC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Experience teaches us the members:

•Self-disciplined

•Strong communicators

•Good collaborators

•Organized– Document work well Are you ready to

work virtually?

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 WANTto??