Three years ago, I asked a couple of questions in this space about communications: Ask yourself this question. How many times during a given week do you ignore a phone call coming into your mobile device even though you know exactly who is calling with your fancy photo-generated call display. How many times during the week do you simply collect voicemails and then decide how to respond? (ie. treating voicemails like email, often responding with a text or email itself) Ask yourself this next question. How often do you utilize texting, email, direct messages in Facebook and Twitter or posts to public or private collaboration sites to reach your intended audience, be it one-to-one or one-to-many? During the second night of Jimmy Fallon hosting The Tonight Show from New York City, Jerry Seinfeld lampoons — and sheds light — on what I was getting at in a hilarious five minutes of entertainment. Enjoy. Dan's Related Posts:Do We Need Textpectations?I’m Not Scared of Email; I Developed a System called DADDIOAre We Addicted to the Notification of Notifications?Five Essential Tips to Effectively Work from HomeI Have Never Worn a Watch

How many you ask? It’s over one billion. When you put the word ’team’ into a Google search box, you’re presented with over one billion results. I ventured over to Bing and repeated the exercise. Over 600 million results this time. I’ve no idea why there is a gap of 400 million search terms between Google and Microsoft, but either way there are a lot of opinions and there is a lot of content out there related to the term ’team’. Oxford Dictionaries defines the word team as "two or more people working together." It’s succinct and I love it. But when you think about it — when you really think about it — the word team itself is both interesting and loaded. You can use it as a verb (eg. I teamed up with Denise to buy a new car) or you can use it as a noun. (eg. The team I support is Manchester United - please don’t judge me.) Inside an organization we’re constantly striving to find ways in which to improve a team. The holy grail of such improvement is when a team becomes what Tavistock Institute coined in the 1950’s a "high performing team." We’re continuously ranked, evaluated, prodded and quizzed on our level of team engagement, team satisfaction, and team morale. There are ad infinitum learning programs and options to help us become better team members, team leaders, and team contributors. You might say we’re teeming with team development. C’mon, you had that one coming. What types of teams are we trying to improve? There are project teams, emergency teams, process teams, learning teams, business unit teams, customer teams, executive teams, partner teams, community teams and even teams of teams. Quite frankly, the term ‘team’ is omnipresent. It’s everywhere. And for the vegetarians out there, it’s an anagram for meat. I’ve been mulling over the term for years. Why do some teams fail whilst others knock it out of the park right away? Why can you feel completely connected on one team and that very same day — in another team that you are a part of — you feel disengaged and apathetic? Why are some teams more rigid than others? Why do some teams feel they can’t accomplish anything whereas others instantly have the rapport to come up with a new way in which to slice bread by the end of the first meeting? I don’t really know. I don’t think anyone has the definitive answer. But when you think about the word team, it might help to use it as an acronym to then define key traits and behaviors that could make up a high performing team: Thoughtful We all have bad days. We all have families. We all have interests. We all despise Brussel Sprouts. (ok, maybe that’s just me) To be thoughtful is to take interest in the other members of your team, whatever the team situation may be. Take account of those precious anecdotes that others may serve up. Better yet, why not be thoughtful and ask how things are going. Educating Instead of hoarding information, why not consider sharing it with team members? Sharing is a form of educating. It’s incumbent upon every team member — regardless of title or rank — to share, give back and to educate others within the team. By doing so, you not only are connecting one another to each other’s knowledge, information and data, you’re also building relationships within the team that will help serve your overarching goals. Aligned No one likes a rogue team member. Nobody wants to encounter duplicate actions or objectives. If everyone is proactive and team members are completely in the loop on all individual AND team goals, the team is aligned and can more easily operate as a high performing and collaborative group. If the team adopts a method in which to always connect and consider options with one another before creating the end result, it becomes an aligned team from the onset. (I call it the CLAM - Collaborative Leader Action Model) Measured For a team to be high performing it should set its sights on a series of measurements that map back to the aligned (and thoughtful) goals and actions of the team itself. No one wants to be on a team that is unclear when objectives are due or to what level of quality or quota. By establishing measured goals and actions, the chances of developing a high performing team increases substantially. If a team is thoughtful, educating, aligned and measured (ie. TEAM) it stands a far better chance of being successful than blindly hoping some form of magic will surface. After all, shouldn’t we want to ‘take one for the TEAM’? Dan's Related Posts:Do You Surround Yourself With No?Maybe We Should Be More Like a Fridge at Workthe FLAT ARMY cheat sheetHas the Economic Meltdown & 9/11 Impacted our Definition of Teams?The Simple Act of Trusting

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Today I wear pink. In British Columbia where I have the fortune of living, it’s Pink Shirt Day. The CKNW Orphans’ Fund has been sponsoring and promoting Pink Shirt Day for a few years now. On their website, they state: "Bullying is a major problem in our schools, workplaces, homes, and over the Internet." I couldn’t agree more. If I turn my attention squarely on ‘workplace bullying‘, to me it rests on a couple of factors: Incivility in the workplace — employees simply being rude to one another can lead to forms of bullying Title power trips — bosses/managers abusing their title to force others into action is definitive bullying Employee ignorance — purposely forgetting about someone and not including them in team action is another form of bullying I would argue that workplace bullying has a direct effect on levels of employee engagement as well. Today I wear pink. You don’t have to actually wear pink, but I ask that you think about how you might ‘act pink’ and prevent bullying from occurring in your place of work. PS. Kudos to my friend Jen Schaeffers for continually leading the charge against all forms of bullying. Dan's Related Posts:Puppetry of the MeanestIt’s About Leadership: Ryder Hesjedal & the Giro d’Italia WinSelling Yourself & Your Ideas is the New 20 Percent TimeI Have Never Worn a WatchFive Essential Tips to Effectively Work from Home

If I ever have to switch careers, I want to become a full-time writer. I know, on average it pays less than what I currently earn — at least according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics — where the average salary is $55,940 and there is an increase of only 3% more writer roles expected to be posted by 2022. But I don’t care. Why a writer? Well, I love it. I may not be good at it, but I truly love it. Secondly, I love reading. Be it books, articles, poems … and yes, even research reports. When combining all that reading with my true passion for writing, it’s a purpose-match made in heaven. This got me thinking. I hate writing and reading emails. Weird, I know. But I truly hate it. The reasons are plentiful, but I’d like to suggest something for all of us. Why don’t we try for Outbox Zero as opposed to Inbox Zero. Originally suggested by Merlin Mann, Inbox Zero is as it sounds; an empty email inbox. Of Inbox Zero, Mann states: "Clearly, the problem of email overload is taking a toll on all our time, productivity, and sanity, mainly because most of us lack a cohesive system for processing our messages and converting them into appropriate actions as quickly as possible." Yes. Email has a choke hold over our productivity, our days and our sanity. Remember that point above about me loving to read? Each year, I find myself sourcing the latest on email statistics, data and forecasts from The Radicati Group. The report they put together in 2013 was, well … astounding. A few highlights: the majority of email traffic comes from business email, which accounts for over 100 billion emails sent and received per day (egads) business email will account for over 132 billion emails sent and received per day by the end of 2017 (oh joy) total number of worldwide email accounts is expected to increase from nearly 3.9 billion accounts in 2013 to over 4.9 billion accounts by the end of 2017 (good grief) It doesn’t get better. A McKinsey and Company research report suggested 28% of time by all workers/employees is consumed … in the inbox, reading and answering emails. That’s about a day and a half a week. Soul crushing. If I have to become a full-time writer, I promise not to write (and send) unnecessary emails. My target will be one per day. (because I will be writing so many books and articles, how will I have time to write emails?) As I continue, however, in my current career path, I’m going to more consciously think about the number of emails I am actually sending. I am going to try to achieve Outbox Zero. (or as close to it as possible) The quest shouldn’t be Inbox Zero. That’s looking at things the wrong way, backwards even. Inbox Zero is simply pushing water uphill with a pitchfork. The quest should be that each of us — as peers in the digital agora — subscribe to Outbox Zero and lessen the load on each others inbox. Outbox Zero is my next personal challenge. Maybe you can try it too? PS. To help combat the onslaught of email, I did devise a system called DADDIO that may interest you as might a story I wrote called, "Email, A Love Story". Dan's Related Posts:I’m Not Scared of Email; I Developed a System called DADDIOEmail, A Love StoryDo We Need Textpectations?Are We Addicted to the Notification of Notifications?5 Ways to Become Less Collaborative at Work

Last week I took a look at Five Common Mistakes in mLearning. This hour long eSeminar is available on demand here: http://adobe.ly/1MSKwpW The session focused on mobile learning and helping you get started with creating your first courses for mobile devices. For those who like the slide deck either before or in lieu of the […]

Over at TELUS - where my day job as Chief Envisioner of TELUS Transformation Office keeps me equal parts flourishing and busy - I have the luxury of being a mobile worker. Being a mobile worker means I can work from the road, a TELUS office, hotels, the odd coffee shop … and yes even at home. Several years ago TELUS introduced a concept called Work Styles where 70 per cent of its team members will work 100 per cent of the time from home or - like me - will work from various locations, including their home. I’ve been a mobile worker ever since I joined the organization in November of 2008. I don’t have an office at any of the TELUS buildings, a permanent desk or an executive assistant. There is no coffee mug that says "Dan" in any of the TELUS lunchrooms or café’s. I perform my duties wherever the wind takes me but roughly half the time that wind gently breezes through the windows of my home. Harris / Decima conducted a survey entitled "Evaluating Attitudes about Flexible Work" and there were some statistics that really resonated with me as a mobile worker. For example: 81 per cent of respondents agreed that an organization offering a flexible work program positively differentiates one company from another. 67 per cent of those surveyed noted they would be more loyal to companies that provided them with the option of flexible work. 87 per cent of employees who have ever worked remotely responded that they are just as productive, if not more, when working out of the office. 56 per cent said that having a flexible work option would motivate them to work harder. In my books, this is completely true. I believe it is differentiating TELUS, I’m personally more loyal, I get more done (like this post) and I’m motivated to work harder. Unlike recent decisions by Yahoo and Best Buy - who mandated employees back to the office - it seems executives and leaders are in fact beginning to see the benefit of flexible work styles in their workplace. In Ireland, for example, consulting firm Regus polled said executives and leaders finding "nearly three quarters believe flexible working improves staff retention and seven in ten consider flexibility a key measure in attracting new talent." Regus also discovered that 74 per cent of respondents believe flexible work styles makes employees more loyal and that 55 per cent think workers wouldn’t accept a position if the flexibility weren’t offered. I have roughly six years of experience as a mobile worker, including the ability to work from home. I believe society is only at the beginning of such a workplace evolution, and thus I’d like to share five key tips for being as effective as possible when working from home. Establish Personal Norms Be Present with your Presence Wear Shoes Walk Around Spaced Out Establish Personal Norms When will you work? What time of the day will you start and stop working? Do you have some days where you might work a few hours at night, and others where you might watch your daughter’s school play? These - and a hundred other questions - are the types of questions you should be asking yourself, as you define and establish personal norms when you work from home. For example, I make my meetings 45 minutes in length (not 60) so I have 15 minutes to answer emails, phone calls or participate in social spaces. I block off 30 minutes before I take my first meeting of the day and 30 minutes after my last to plan, prepare, catch up, etc. Whatever your norms are, it’s best to align them to a time management plan of some sort … and stick to it. Oh, and DO NOT multitask on conference calls. You will get caught. Be Present with your Presence Ideally, your organization has some form of instant messaging and/or collaboration technology. In the case of IM, turn it on! You’ll be alone 99% of the time when working from home devoid of face-to-face colleagues, thus by ensuring your IM tool is on (and your status is aligned to your calendar) others will know if you’re busy, free, in a meeting, delivering a presentation or itching to chat. If your organization possesses collaboration technologies, either block out time to participate in company chatter or manufacture ways to continue being present with your presence. Send a kudo, comment on a blog, answer a question in a micro-blog or post a video or photo. The water cooler has turned virtual and your job is to remain "present with your presence" despite there being no physical water cooler chatting about last night’s episode of Seinfeld anymore. Wear Shoes It may seem silly, but I wear shoes every day when working from home. In fact, most days I wear dress shoes. Now, I’m not so dogged that I’ll wear dress clothes - like a suit - when working from home, but I definitely advocate wearing shoes. There are a couple of reasons. First of all, when you don’t wear shoes (and are barefoot, in socks or wearing slippers), I believe you slip into a relaxed mindset. Think of working from home like working from the office. Are you barefoot there? Second, when you put on shoes, you’re going to work. When you put on slippers (or as stated, are in socks or barefoot) you aren’t at work. You’re at home. If you wear shoes, you should mentally associate yourself with being at work, even if you are working from home. If you have a "I don’t wear shoes in the house policy", buy a pair of indoor only shoes that you put on when you are working from home. Developing an at home working mindset is key, and shoes will help. Walk Around Business innovator Nilofer Merchant nailed it with her TED Talk, Got a Meeting? Take a Walk. When working from home, I suggest you employ the same tactic only slightly modified. It’s likely you will be on a conference call at some point when working from home. If you’re like me, you’re on multiple conference calls almost the entire day. Whether you have a landline or a mobile phone at home, get yourself a headset. (buy two if you have both types of phones) If you’re on a conference call, try to walk around your home once in a while with the headset. It could be indoors or, if you have a front yard or backyard (or a quiet street), think about going outside. The fresh air will do you good. (learn how to use your mute button effectively too) When you take a break - and you should schedule in multiple breaks to your day - think about walking around again, or exercising at the gym, go for a run, bike ride, or do yoga. Whilst technically not ‘walking around’, the point is to be active and not be sedentary as you might cocoon to a ‘working from home’ mindset. Spaced Out It’s not what you think. To properly ‘space out’ is to ensure you set yourself up for success in the physical spaces where you will actually work from home. I highly suggest you forego placing a desk in your bedroom. If at all possible, avoid this scenario. You will feel as though work is unending. Who wants to wake up in the same place where work is being done? Find somewhere else, anywhere else. I have a dedicated office, but I will also work from other areas on occasion like the dining room table. The temptation to always be on will haunt you like potentially stealing treats from your children’s Halloween bag. In this case, being ‘spaced out’ means you have to instill a personal discipline to separate work from your home life. Whether you’re single, in a relationship or in a marriage with children, you need to effectively space yourself from a 24×7 work mentality when working from home. Guard your white space. Protect your free time. Don’t let work be your only priority. I am a proponent of life-work balance, not work-life balance because I believe life always come first. In Summary I wouldn’t trade a thing with my workplace setup at TELUS. I’m engaged and love the balance it brings. I know there are thousands of other team members who enjoy this sublime perquisite of Flexible Work Styles as well. The aforementioned are my five tips - and I know I could have written for many more paragraphs - but I’d be interested to hear if you have additional tips to help others as well. Dan's Related Posts:Flexible Working WorksI Am A Corporate FloaterGoing Forward to the Past: Management Yahooliganism & No Longer Working From HomeMy Next Role Is …Friday Fun: You Don’t Have an Office?

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I’m a 42 year-old man and every day I wake up and get out of bed - with my infinitely better best mate - I walk into a sporting arena where I am forced to play zone defence. Not in the football or basketball sense, but in the family sense. The goats - that’s what we call our children - outnumber us three to two. Even when we attempt man-to-man defence, our opponent’s offence easily overpowers us. We’re quickly defeated, often wounded. Parental ego shattered. Oprah couch fodder. You know what often saves us though? The fridge. Our refrigerator is an unknowing and invisible ally. The front of the fridge contains photos, artwork, homework sheets, spelling tests - all magnetically affixed to the metal doors - bringing colour, results and goals to the forefront and for all to see. It portrays the culture of our family. Beside those artifacts are two important bits: a weekly calendar and a monthly calendar. The weekly one contains the most important aspects and actions of every day while the monthly one provides a snapshot of events and reminders. This part of the fridge provides order. Inside the fridge is what keeps us going. There is a water tap, milk, eggs, fruits, vegetables … even sweet delights from time to time. (not to mention occasional beers) The food and drink are what fuels the family to reach new heights. The contents of the fridge fuels the hunger to do better; to do more for others. What if we were more like a fridge at work? Not in the literal sense but as a metaphor aligned to my example above. What if we shared photos, ideas, comments, stories and results with one another - be it in person or though collaborative tools - would our organizational culture and employee engagement levels improve? What if we were more organized, were more punctual for meetings, shared calendars, were respectful of each other’s time and planned ahead more often? What if we were more proactive when it came to projects and deadlines? Would our organizational culture and employee engagement levels improve? And what if we took care of one another through better workplace habits, fueling each other’s desire for participation, inclusion and consideration? What if the nutrients of our organization came in the form of civility and humour? What if our teams worked better together - in the same unit - worrying less about who was a vegetable or fruit, but how each played the part of an important nutrient that helps nurture the end result? I was asked to attend a team meeting once where I was the guest. I entered the room early and was the first to arrive. When I sat down in what looked to be a comfortable chair the first team member entered the room. "You can’t sit there," she said with a look of horror careening across her face. "That’s where the boss sits." The ‘boss’ sauntered in ten minutes late - sat in ‘his chair’ that I had vacated - and proceeded to interrupt his colleague who had already started the meeting. Throughout the session I could smell an engagement rat. There was no culture. There clearly was no direction. There was rudeness. There was hierarchy for the sake of hierarchy. And there certainly weren’t any nutrients fueling a high performing team. It’s a situation, I’m afraid, that is played over and over again in organizations and teams across the planet. Maybe it’s time we be more like a fridge. Dan's Related Posts:How to ‘Take One for the Team’Q&A on the Future of Social, Mobile and eLearningYou Will Never Be PromotedAutotelic: The Word of 2013A Review of "How To Be Interesting" While Sitting Beside a Drunk on an…

Last month, during the Learning Solutions 2015 conference, I showcased a location-aware course for Downtown Disney at the LS DemoFest show. With this just-in-time and just-in-place learning app, anyone who visits Downtown Disney can learn and benefit from it. The conference attendees loved this app and voted it as the best mobile solution app! Inquisitive […]