Saving Money With Virtual Teams and Working at a Distance Without Travel

In this article, I will identify some of the tools we have used to bring together contractors, writers, and clients for our projects. Often, to determine a tool’s value, I will use a trial version. Some tools are very valuable but cost more, while others are functional and free. Although I cannot recommend which tools are best for your organization, I do recommend trying those tools that might fit your needs.

Stuhlemmer, Barbara. TechCom Manager (2009). Careers>Collaboration>Telecommuting>Teleconferencing

Putting it All Together

If I were bringing in new people to an already existing group, I would begin by studying everything I could find about the strength, weaknesses, personalities, and interests of all the people who would be working together. One thing I know from putting together teams of students is that managers (whether in the classroom or in business) need to base teaming on the strengths of the participants and not on the weaknesses.

Grabill, Pat. TechCom Manager (2009). Careers>Management>Collaboration

Managing Documentation Teams with Varied Schedules and Locations

To make alternative work arrangements operate at maximum efficiency, you might need to fine-tune your team’s schedule. As a result, this could be one of the most useful activities for retaining key people and keeping morale high. In my experience, nearly everyone who has an alternative work arrangement realizes the value it brings to their work and personal lives, and will go to almost any length to maintain it. For one thing, when it comes to driving fewer days to an office in this age of soaring gas prices, it’s like giving employees a raise.

Peruzzi, Brett. TechCom Manager (2008). Careers>Collaboration>Documentation>Teleconferencing

The New Workforce: Generation Next (Generation Y) in your Organization

Members of Generation X are now at the midpoint of their careers and are increasingly being placed in management and supervisory positions. Xers are realizing that today's newly hired employees are no longer members of their generation but of a different and younger generation. This new generation of employees entering the workforce has been given such labels as Generation Next, Generation Y, Echo Boomers, and Digital Natives. Members of Generation X who not long ago were shaking their heads at the attitudes and viewpoints of the older employees are now finding their own perspectives being questioned by a new and younger generation, Generation Next. Nexters and Xers, like previous generations before them, are finding at times difficulty to work side by side because their experiences, goals, and expectations differ.

Ruby, Bryan E. CMS Report (2007). Careers>Management>Collaboration

The Co-Working Revolution: Your Office Away From Home

I’ve been fascinated by businesses popping up around major metropolitan areas that create a shared workspace for independent workers. Imran Ali wrote about the trend of co-working spaces back in April, and I’ll be exploring the trend further as I look to set up a co-working space in my town.

Sherman, Aliza. Web Worker Daily (2008). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration>Coworking

Coworking Evolved

It’s interesting to see coworking snowballing as a phenomenon, but like many trends originating in dotcom culture, what’ll be most interesting is how these shifts begin to affect larger companies and more traditional employers.

Ali, Imran. Web Worker Daily (2008). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration>Coworking

Design Patterns for Coworking

Recently a member of the global coworking mailing list, Joseph Holsten) recently created what’s essentially a recipe book of ‘how to’ guides for those seeking to setup a coworking community, coworking space or simply better operate the communities and spaces they’re already running.

Ali, Imran. Web Worker Daily (2008). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration>Coworking

How To Get Fired

Much of today's news is bad, so much of it can adversely affect your career, and so much of it is maddeningly beyond your control. But there are things you can control, starting with your own behavior. Now more than ever, it's essential to ensure that idiosyncrasies and personal peccadillos don't undermine your career. Here are five cautionary tales of real CIOs whose tragic flaws did them in.

Pratt, Mary K. Computerworld (2009). Careers>Management>Workplace>Collaboration

Does Your Network Work for You?

Here are some suggestions to make better use of LinkedIn so that your professional network works for you.

Roux, Tom. Business Insider, The (2009). Careers>Collaboration>Professionalism>Social Networking

Integrate Yourself!    

Looking for a way to demonstrate your value to management? Pao’s advice is to become as involved in your organization as possible by volunteering for assignments and being proactive in project planning.

Pao, Cynthia. Intercom (2009). Careers>Collaboration>Workplace>Planning

Virtual Insanity: Why Telecommuting is Tough for Small Companies

Years of experience with far-flung organizations have taught me more about the limits of telecommuting than about its advantages. I firmly believe that you should expect employees to show up for work, whenever possible, no matter what kind of company. The reasons for this have nothing to do with checking that people are actually working. It's about efficient communications, building company culture and camaraderie, and sharing the daily bits of work and personal experiences that create a shared sense of purpose.

Weber, Jonathan. Big Money, The (2009). Careers>Telecommuting>Business Communication>Collaboration

Exit, Voice, and Sensemaking Following Psychological Contract Violations: Women's Responses to Career Advancement Barriers    

Much of the theory guiding career development research is grounded in studies of men's careers in professional positions. In addition to largely ignoring the career experiences of women, the career literature pays little attention to overcoming barriers to career advancement in organizations—a challenge many women and men both face over the course of their career development. Using survey data, analyses of in-depth interviews, and a focus group discussion with female executives in the high-tech industry, this study finds variations of three responses: exit, voice, and rationalizing to remain are used by women in response to career barriers. These responses form the foundation of a career barrier sensemaking and response framework presented in the study. Findings indicate that perceived organizational sanctioning of career barriers and the organization's commitment to the career advancement of other women also influence participants' responses to barriers and their strategies for sensemaking, respectively.

Hamel, Stephanie A. JBC (2009). Careers>Business Communication>Collaboration>Gender

Networking: a Key To Career Communication and Management Consulting Success    

Now that job security with one organization is a relic of the past and companies are outsourcing training and other 'nonessential' functions, I suggest in my career communication classes that students develop the same inventive strategies to plan their employ- ment futures that management consultants use to market themselves in the 21st century. The most important of these skills is networking: the use of person-to-person, print, and electronic communication tools to alert potential employers that, as candidates, they are the confident, cooperative, uniquely qualified experts that companies seek.

Clark, Thomas. Business Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration

Rethinking Job References: a Networking Challenge    

Can job references play an active role in shaping your career plans? Would you consider your references as part of your personal and professional network? Although most professionals may respond with a resounding 'Yes, of course!' to these questions, I realized that many of my students were skeptical about job references. To counter this, and to help improve their chances in the job market, I designed a multistep assignment that expanded students' understanding of job references and required them to identify persons who were potential job references and members of their career network. This article provides the details for the assignment.

Muir, Clive. Business Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Resumes>Collaboration>Education

Getting to No

A bad client relationship is like a bad marriage without the benefits. To avoid such relationships, or to fix the one you're in, learn the five classic signs of trouble. Recognizing the never-ending contract revisionist, the giant project team, the vanishing boss and other warning signs can help you run successful, angst-free projects.

Hoy, Greg. List Apart, A (2009). Careers>Consulting>Collaboration

How To Identify and Deal With Different Types Of Clients

In business, being able to read people and quickly get a sense of who you’re dealing with is an invaluable skill. It turns your encounter with a client into an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the upcoming project and how it will need to be handled. It is one of the building blocks of a professional relationship. In today’s digital age, the arena has shifted to the Web, and the online office space that most freelancers inhabit limits personal interaction. Though sussing out a client’s personality via online communication is difficult, it still remains an invaluable tool in your arsenal.

Bowen, Robert. Smashing (2009). Careers>Consulting>Correspondence>Collaboration

When Statecraft Fails: Tips on Surviving the Great Game    

Following up on his article in the September/October issue, Hart explores how to avoid “rats” in office politics and offers advice on combating coworkers who might not have your best interests in mind.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2009). Careers>Collaboration>Workplace

International Team Management 

The last half century has seen enormous change impacting the way we work. The world is shrinking with advances in information technology playing a crucial role in facilitating the global expansion of organizations. International teams are now a common phenomenon with many large organizations structuring their workforce according to function rather than geography. Successful organizations do not hesitate to move their talents around the world to ensure that they have the right skills and knowledge in the right location when necessary. But what does it take to manage such a culturally diversified and geographically dispersed team?

Wellings, Cathy. TC World (2009). Careers>Management>Collaboration>International