can you see me now?

I became a Mac convert just this past year and have since discovered Skype. It's been wonderful for communicating with family members who live in the U.K., thanks to the Mac's built-in webcam. It's the first time I've made routine use of a webcam. And it's been a blessing to have this with a young daughter who rarely gets to see her extended family, and vice-versa.

So, in a conversation at lunch about virtual offices, it occurred to me that much of the objection to telecommuting seems to exist because managers can't see that you are working if you are working from home. Never mind that they can't see that if you are in your office with the door closed. But what if virtual workers all had webcams installed? Not only would that help telecommuters with the internal relationship building, but it would also provide the capacity to conduct visual conversations with members. You could even put something like this to work for you.

how productive could you be?

Being a mom, I have a whole new understanding of productivity. And a new method of prioritizing my schedule. I'm always looking for tools that allow me to accomplish more in less time.

I was intrigued to listen to a presentation by Erica Driver of Forrester Research this morning. She discussed the seven tenets of the information workplace. One of the statistics she presented was that approximately 40% of organizations are considering evaluating the roles of information workers to determine how their needs differ based on those roles.

I was a little surprised and disappointed by that statistic. With the rapid changes in technology that are changing how we work, it seems like this should be a higher priority for most organizations. The fact is, the integration of productivity enhancers in the work environment can accomplish multiple goals. More work gets done, in less time, expanding the opportunity for innovation. Communication between workers is accelerated, and can happen from just about anywhere - which has its own implications for reducing overhead through telecommuting, making (some) employees happier, reducing the environmental impact of commuting employees. And frankly, if I have the information I need to do my job, or at least what exists, it makes me a happy employee. And I wonder, if we were doing a better job of this, would we be better positioned to maximize our staff's talents?

wikis + strategy = a good idea

I am attending ASAE's Technology Conference today and tomorrow and had the opportunity to hear Anthony Williams, coauthor of Wikinomics. I thought one of the ideas that was presented was particularly interesting - the idea of using a wiki to design corporate strategy.

Think about it... strategic planning is usually left up to senior staff. And that's probably for a few reasonable (though not great) reasons - the time to integrate everyone's opinion can be prohibitive, and in some cases, maybe the senior staff have an insider's view into the industry (and the correlating connections) that enables them to more quickly assess the needs of the organization and industry. You could come up with a host of reasons.

Using a wiki to develop strategy would allow you to engage the minds of staff who are engaged and enthusiastic about the mission of the organization to have a hand in the direction of the organization. Using a wiki would allow you to diversify the voices that are influencing the direction of the organization. Using a wiki... you would never stop - your strategy could continuously evolve.

I love, love, love this idea.

eight things...

My pal Ben tagged me ages ago (in blog years...) with this meme. What don't you know about me? Geez... let's give it a try.

1. I love to bargain shop. Maybe that is clear from my Facebook page, but I even clip coupons occasionally for groceries. I think my husband thinks I'm nuts, but it's like a game to me.
2. I can be very competitive, which seems to surprise people often - I have no clue why! Of course, you, my dear reader, probably figured that out from #1.
3. I was the editor of my high school newspaper. While I'm not perfect, misspellings drive me crazy. I can spot 'em a mile away. My flaw? Commas. I overuse them.
4. I can now make up verses to "Wheels on the Bus" on the fly. I've gone as many as 12 without repeating!
5. I was totally bummed when Bob Barker left The Price Is Right. I always wanted to get on that game show.
6. Some of my early career jobs included working in drug rehab clinics, mental health clinics and hospitals and a hospice. I learned a lot.
7. My favorite wedding gift, besides my amazing husband, was my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I find baking to be therapeutic.
8. I have been kissed by Richard Simmons. Yes, it's true.

growing pains

Well, it seems I'm down to just one post a month. At least it's for good reason. Working on this graduate project is sucking every last bit of extra energy I have. Keeping up with a 15 month old, school, and full-time work leaves about 10 minutes every day to play my new addiction, Scrabulous on Facebook. (And if you're a fan, feel free to start a game with me - I'm always looking for distractions!)

More important, though, I'm discovering, is the opportunity to take what I have learned over the last 4-5 years about organizational development and apply it to a consulting project. I can't disclose the details of the project... yet. I hope to someday. But it is incredibly fascinating to apply OD theory to this project. And to finally have a good reason to read the literature I've wanted to read.

But it is painful. It's painful to take my daughter to daycare while I sit at home on my Mac at the dining room table pecking away at a 30+ page proposal. It's painful to look at the living room strewn with toys. It's painful to refuse opportunities offered to me so that I can finish school. It's painful to have to schedule a date with my husband weeks in advance. It's painful to not spend the afternoon at the park. It's painful not to spend Sunday afternoon cooking dinner, instead picking up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store.

I hope the pain is worth it. I don't know yet that I'm going to do anything specific with this degree - like becoming an OD consultant. I've found the curriculum to be incredibly useful in everyday work. I think I'm becoming a more effective team leader, boss, employee, association executive, with my OD skills. Everything leads to something, that's for sure.

But I sure can't wait for an afternoon at the park, followed by a big homemade lasagna dinner. Soon.