Month: May 2011

4 Reasons Why the New Workstyle is Mobile

/ Robert Pease / Leave a comment

I just posted this on the Gist blog and thought I'd share here as well:

We put forth the concept of the New Workstyle at the beginning of the year and theten characteristics we described created quite a bit of debate and discussion.  We fundamentally believe that the way we work is transforming and that high performance organizations will embrace these changes to further empower employees, realize the benefits of new innovation, and outpace their competition.

The first characteristic we included was being “mobile” and that this meant “always on and aware.”  This does not mean being a workaholic and failing at balance in your life as some of the comments reflected.  It’s quite the contrary actually.  Being mobile and being enabled with tools to share, communicate, and collaborate regardless of location unlocks new approaches to work and life.

We see four things driving this mobile workstyle:

1.  App marketplaces – where people can search, download, and run applications on their own without the need for IT support or training.  The applications available span work related tasks like time reporting, sales pipelines, and project management to non-work ones like games and photo sharing.  The line between these two categories continues to blur as apps thought of for fun translate into new and innovative ways to market, sell and support.  Most importantly, the technical aptitude of anyone who uses a smartphone and makes app choices goes up with each new app and each new experience.

2.  ”Screening” – interacting with information through various devices be that a phone, tablet, or laptop connected to a wireless network and accessing a multitude of cloud-based applications and content regardless of location or device. You can easily create a document with Google Apps on one device, share it with others, and then access and edit it on any device connected to the Internet all with proper versioning and access controls built in.

3.  Multiple communication channels – seamlessly switching between an email, a phone call, a text message, and a Facebook wall post creates a new dynamic in communication and the ability to share and reach people in your network.  The choice between both synchronous and asynchronous channels depending on the need and urgency opens up a new and more efficient approach to communication.

4.  A true on/off switch – while it may seem counter-intuitive and requires an explicit choice on the part of the individual, being mobile and fully enabled creates more freedom to work when and where you need to most.  News, information, updates, and content are always there and available so having the discipline to structure when and how you use them is essential.

What do you think?  Are there other drivers of the mobile workstyle?  How has your work evolved as you have become more mobile?

[Cross posted from the Gist blog]

Why don’t app marketplaces allow vendor responses to the reviews?

/ Robert Pease / 1 Comment

This seems so simple yet I have not seen it after launching products on the Google Apps Marketplace, Chrome Web Store, iTunes App Store, Android Market, and BlackBerry App World over the past couple years.

Travel review site TripAdvisor does a nice job of allowing the property to comment back when a review is given (positive or negative) with additional details, an explanation, or just an update that an issue was resolved.

There is no such capability in these app marketplaces and it would be a really nice both for marketing efforts and, more importantly, customer support.  In fact, in several cases we've commented back to a review by creating a review.  This is all very clumsy and doesn't really solve the problem.

Anybody working on this or adding this capability soon?  If you have an app marketplace, you should be. 

Get outside your bubble

/ Robert Pease / Leave a comment

Bubblegirl

I was (mostly) off line for the past week while visiting my Dad and brother in Franklin, TN (just south of Nashville where I grew up). I did not totally unplug as I kept an eye on personal email and the news feed that comes to me via my varied updates from those who I follow on Twitter.  However, I did stop on-line engagement and focused on my family, people around me, and real experiences.

I took several long runs through historic downtown Franklin, ate a bit of BBQ, had a great startup brainstorming breakfast at Noshville with friend Darren Crawford, cooked, laughed, and even played a suprisingly good round of golf with my Dad and brother (last round was 3 years ago).

I was originally going to title this post "Offline and in the Real World" but I think that is too harsh.  We can (and must) balance the deluge of information, ease of access via mobile devices, and what appear to be pressing needs to engage on-line with off-line and real life engagement and interactions. 

I have created a vast network of people that I am truly grateful to have through various on-line connections but I find it increasingly diluted based on its size.  The race to accumulate friends, fans, followers, and influence that I have been part of over the past few years seems a bit ridiculous when you spend time with extremely successful business owners who simply make their customers their priority and run their businesses with integrity.

These on-line and off-line worlds are not incompatible and can definitely benefit each other.  I firmly believe that successfully integrating the two can lead to a more successful business and more personal impact on the world.

So, please take a moment to look around (not at your phone), get together in person for coffee or a beer with a friend, and remember that technology can enable your pursuits in amazing and innovative ways but is no substitute for real life.