Author:David Mould of Techdirt
Quality, Quantity and Happiness
by David Mould of Techdirt / Dec 26
Nomad Centric:
A happy nomad is a productive nomad. Happiness is measured on three dimensions:
1. The right tools
2. The right time
3. The right place
The right tools are self evident, in order to do a good job the nomad must be armed with both the right tool, be it email, connectivity or development tools. Equally important is an actionable IT policy and local administration rights that allow the nomad to install any additional tactical tools that they need to be productive. Typically nomads are your more experiened staff with a proven worth and allowing them to roam is a decision taken to retain them. However out of sight, out of mind is all too easy for managers who manage through proximity. Don’t forget that what makes your nomad useful is their skill, they do need to be able to keep their skills up to date and aligned to the business and re-skill when required.
The right time is the second dimension that keeps nomads productive. In the age of the knowledge worker and the global business there are as many personal reasons for a nomadic lifestyle being attarctive as there are business models. Long commutes, distances from the head office, satellite operations and a global customer base all create influences on staff that make remote working compelling. Family is a key facet that makes people consider becoming a nomad. Being able to work first thing in the morning, then have breakfast with the kids before walking them to school. Coming back to work and then sharing dinner with the family before finishing up for the day. This kind of flexibility cannot typically be offered by an office based business model but giving a worker this opportunity could be the differetiator for retention. When a worker wants to work is when they will their most productive.
The right place will vary depending on role but it main idea is it is what the nomad sees as right and not what is dictated by a cookie cutter approach to office design. Where many companies could benefit is by bringing some of the place thinking inside the company environment. The move to hotdesking and roaming has led to an inpersonal, sterile work place that does not lend itself to productivity. For some it’s music, others photos whatever it is that makes the worker feel comfortable should be considered.
Manager Centric:
For many managers what you can’t see you can’t control. This makes nomads an unknown entity that many managers don’t or can’t trust. The reality is that the benefits a nomad gets from being remote, their happiness, usually means they actually work harder than their office bound colleagues. It is just as easy to dodge work sitting at a desk in the office but proximity is still king.
Nomads can be found in the office place, they face the same challenges as “real nomads” but you might not see them. The worker that comes in early to bypass the traffic gets more work done in the first two hours of the day before the rest of the staff arrive. They often work without the standard support structures (IT, HR, admin staff). How many of these workers aren’t treated the same as their colleagues because they are seen leaving the office at 4pm?
The other nomads amongst us are those that have managers working in a different office (often in a different country). Even though they are in the office they still have to sell trust to their distant manager that they are working and pulling their weight. These semi-nomads are accepted so why shouldn’t we learn from their examples and apply to full-nomads?
Many managers still want to know for sure that the nomad is working. This is a problem that has been solved by at home call centre providers and freelance for hire type businesses. Arise provides call centre agents that work from home. Freelance sources oDesk offers coders and writers for hire from their home (or working location). The trust is given by the buyer (read manager) being able to track how the worker is working. Measuring key strokes and taking hourly screenshots provides evidence that the nomad is being productive. In the case of oDesk this information is used to form the basis of the billable charges.
Such technology could be used to check up on your nomads. However many would reject it as too big brother. A good compromise could be to use it as part of a probation period to help the nomad sell the proof that they can be productive when away.
Building Virtual Proximity is the Key
by David Mould of Techdirt / Dec 24
Distance might make the heart grow fonder but it does nothing to help people work together. How many times do you find yourself sitting on the edge of the desk of your colleague discussing a problem or opportunity? what about the opportunistic discussion in the kitchen? the natural separation of digital nomads is the greatest obstacle to good team work.
This is the challenge facing todays mobile work force, so how do we enable an equivalent environment?
Many would say that the internet becomes the office, IM becomes the water cooler/kitchen or the quick discussion with a colleague, wikis become the filing cabinet or network drive. These all work with varying degrees of success but some of the key elements for me are missing.
Where is the whiteboard where you can scratch out some ideas? how do we enable small team theory to work, how/when do we form –> storm –> norm –> perform?
There are lots of IM’s that enable many-to-many conversations (Yahoo, Skype IM, MSN). For teams that are not yet standadrised Meebo is a valuable alterntaive that creates a bridge between the common IM’s (both SIP and Jabber based). IM’s give one significant advantage, that of presence, that allows team to work more effectively by minimizing interruptions. However they do not meet the basic requirement of personal discovery; the forming stage of team development.
Large group discussions are the foundation of good teams, an environment where the team gets to know each other on the individual level. This is best done face-to-face but where geography doesn’t allow video conferences are the next best option. A free service that allows multi-party video conferencing seems like a good solution. The value of such a service is multiplied when this can be enabled from inside MSN and Skype combining a close facsimile to face-to-face with the bnefits of presence.
Forming is further aided by the use of LinkedIn. This niche social networking site allows for a business profile of the team members that acts as a yellow pages of team members. So often it’s not what the member knows but who that is the biggest asset to the distributed team. This is the value add of LinkedIn as the three degrees of separation that the tool shows provides some sound insight on stakeholders.
The storming stage needs to be facilitated through organic growth and discussion. Wiki sites and collaborative tools like Sharepoint are natural resources for this task. The structure of these tools allows for a framework for discussion but can become an overhead to manage. More versatile, disposable aggregators can be much more applicable to these early stages. Idea generation needs to be an organic process where new branches can be added and the “bunny trails” closed down quickly. Jeteye allows weblinks, video and IM messages (from Meebo) to be grouped into a shareable repository. These are accessiblle from the cloud as no client tools are required, just an internet connection will suffice. These Jetpacks can be public or controlled access, which ever best suits the teams. The ability to easily make them available to a client is a real bonus.
Norming is wher the team starts to use common standards, best made tangible through templates and document standards. The virtual filing cabinet both supports a common documentation set and collaborative review and editing features. Online services such as GoogleDocs or Zoho are more preferable than Wikis as the output is more easily consumed by the client.
With the foundation in place performing should now be possible. It is also good to know who is doing what and when so a shared calendar forms the core of the technology. Again Google is a good fit as the price means that nomadic teams can quickly and cheaply form, collaborate and disperse with minimal transitional effort. Other online services such as Basecamp and Lighthouse offer the same functionality but with more cost in terms of setup and portability.
Where does all of this converge into one virtual office. Most of the tools mentioned thus far are competing and do not easily fit together into one platform. With the rollout of LinkedIn applications Huddle seems to fill the platform gap in many ways. The basic toolset includes calendar management, presence, file sharing, online whiteboards and member biographies. The integration with LinkedIn gives you access to the team’s network. One of the links on the member’s profile could also be the MeBeam video conference room.
Tools mentioned:
Building A Team
by David Mould of Techdirt / Nov 29
Getting to know the other members of the team can be tough. Using videoconference technology helps break down some of the barriers. Applications like Skype that combine voice and video have proven to be very effective. A more costly approach would be a full telepresence solution, something to do maybe monthly or quarterly.
Letting a team or project have team page, Sharepoint or other collaboration suite, allows them to express themselves. In the past I have created a “yellow pages†of team members with a small bio, photo, skills, past project and roles. This has gone a long way to helping people connect and find like minded individuals to help them.
Don’t be afraid to create sites on products like Facebook to allow the team to bond in the same way that you would after work.
Collaboration
It is very easy to work in isolation and lose track of progress and goals. There are lots of virtual rooms where teams can meet and share ideas. From full blown solutions like WebEx or HP Rooms down to more simple solutions like Net Meeting or AOL Instant Messenger that allow desktop and application sharing. Being able to walk through a project plan, mind map or document in this way helps individuals buy in to the process.
Voice of the team
It is very easy to work in the silence of email. Having a reservationless conference bridge is a good way to get the team meeting frequently. Be wary of cultural and individual sensitivities, it may prevent people from speaking out in public. Consider using tools like WebEx or Yahoo Messenger to create an environment where people can ask questions to be picked up in the call. These also allow you to publish the chat as a call back channel for easy reference later on.
Forums
Forums or groups offer two vital aspects that are missed in virtual teams:
- Adhoc conversation
- Knowledge management
Most people learn what’s going by talking to colleagues, not be reading the press release type emails preferred by senior management. Instant messengers help keep people connected and most now allow many-to-many chat. IM is becoming the virtual water cooler and like those conversations it is volatile as it is easily lost. Forums provide an outlet for knowledge sharing and idea generation and development. They could be in the form specific software or using a blog approach. Sharepoint offers structured content, discussions and blogs and has the benefit of being able to be deployed as an extranet solution which is key to virtual teams.
Also worth considering are Google Docs and Calendar as a way of actively sharing information, can be constrained by IT security policy. Dabble with platforms like Jeteye that allow users to share bookmarks, if joined with Meebo it also allows conversations to be stored and shared.
The Three Pillars Of Security For Digital Nomads
by David Mould of Techdirt / Oct 28
For the mobile workforce there are three pillars of security:
· Physical security
· Browsing behavior
· Data security
Physical security
From the way the worker carries the laptop through to where and how they leave it there are considerations to be made. Laptop bags are frequently targeted at airports and hotel lobbies. Don’t make yourself a target, use a less conspicuous bag. Get in the habit of locking your laptop to something solid. Even in the office laptops are frequently lifted so if possible lock it down with your docking station. On the road I always use a Kensington lock. Make security habitual, not just when you plan to be away from your machine. If you are on a park bench lock your laptop to it!
Access to the machine itself: Many laptops are now fitted with biometric security devices, typically fingerprint readers. I’m not convinced of the accuracy having used a fingerprint reader for office door access and become frustrated with the making sure your finger is in the same point every time. If you want people to use it the solution must be easy.
By far the simplest layer is a BIOS password. At this level the solution is to delay and trying to prevent opportunistic theft.
Also consider where you are using your laptop. How many times have you been working in an airport lounge or a hotel when you become aware of an interesting conversation by one of your competitors? How many times do you think that person has passed by your machine while you’ve been working? Privacy screens are a simple but effective way of limiting the view of the walk-by browser.
Browsing behavior
Once on the road WiFi defaults as the normal mode of access. Workers must be aware of the threats imposed by public WiFi. As a minimum the mobile workforce should be armed with VPN solutions. This could be a hard token or a software token and they should be educated on when to use it.This is not so straightforward when working in the client site as frequently the ports used by VPN tunnels are blocked.
The VPN solutions do tend to slow down traffic due to the encryption and tunneling bottlenecks. Using some form of protected browsing is a god substitute. Products like IronKey form part of that solution.
Workers should be selective about which WiFi nodes they connect to. At all times avoid ad-hoc networks, turn off Bluetooth, infrared and WiFi when not using them to prevent exposure. In general assume that anything transmitted on public WiFi is in the public domain.
This is where IT policy becomes useful in giving guidance on when to use VPN versus less secure access. The Australian Defence Force studied the typical traffic sent over email. Around 80% of it was “noise†where workers were using email as a form of informal communication to arrange meetings, coffee drinking and networking.They decided that a public solution would suffice opposed to encrypting it all. In the end they opted for Google Enterprise solutions.
The message is clear, if it’s sensitive, contains IP or financial information use a VPN to secure it other than that use your brain.
Data security
The files on the machine form the real identity of the laptop, user and company. This is where the security effort needs to be. Most MS Office files can be password protected to stop casual browsing, not impossible to crack but a simple prevention measure.
Encrypted file systems are the next logical layer of security. However you need to consider what happens if the key is separated from the files, how do you get the data back?
Physical separation of file from operating system by placing them on an external drive works as long as the worker carries the laptop and the drive in separate bags.
Virtual machine options like LogMeIn are one option that allows the worker to access files remotely over a secured connection. Might not be suitable for all users in all environments but can be used quite effectively.
Working From Home No Longer About Slacking Off
by David Mould of Techdirt / Oct 13
Gone are the days when “working from home†was a euphemism for skiving off or playing golf. With the increasing use of international teams and conference calls happening at unusual hours you have to trust your employees that they are working even when you can’t see them.
Most people want to do a good job and work the hours required to do so. In the same way that workload ebbs and flows respect the employee for making good decisions on how they spend their time.
With more and more workers away from the home base people rely on instant messengers and cell phones to communicate. The key feature of IM applications is instant, always on communication. To help control access and disruption set your presence accordingly. Most IM applications allow you to create your own presence message. This will help employers, employees and colleagues to see where you are and what you’re doing. Above all respect their presence setting, if it says busy then they are busy so don’t disturb them.
For Blackberry users consider using tools like Iotum’s Talk-Now that extends presence on to mobile handsets.
Employees should remember that cell phones and laptops can always be switched off. Set out the ground rules that allow you to control how and when people can access you, accept that you and your knowledge are assets that your company want to use but ensure that you are clear that it is a partnership and you have the right to a life. Use some of the tools here to create a balance that works for you.
Don’t Rely On Your IT Staff To Understand Digital Nomads
by David Mould of Techdirt / Aug 26
Most of the challenges faced by the consultant on the road generally have to be solved by the consultant. In my experience IT staff are geared up to office based workers as they typically don’t travel themselves.
One of the largest concerns has been the weight of a typical laptop. Most of the executives and sales team have small lightweight machines but barely use the features. The delivery team usually receives larger laptops that have the power but compromise on weight and portability. A good sized laptop with good computing power at a decent price point would go a long way to solving my travel needs.
The second significant concern for the average “Road Warrior†should be ergonomics. I have played with carrying a fold out Bluetooth keyboard, normally used with PDA’s and Smartphones. This gives me the ability to lift up the laptop onto the usual set of telephone directories found in the room and still be able to use the keyboard. Combine this with the now standard wireless mouse and I have a reasonable analogue to the home office setup.
If it was possible to separate the laptop screen from the laptop body and setup on an optional stand thus allowing me to create a monitor like layout, this would make those hours on the laptop easier on the back and shoulders. The other option would be to incorporate a micro projector that would allow the display to be projected onto a suitable surface.
The simplest consideration and one that I feel I have solved is the use of a USB drive and a U3 drive.
Being away from the office and outside of the corporate network severs the ties to the knowledge network most consultants rely on at some time. I could not now do without my USB drive, so much so I have moved from my initial 40Gb through 80Gb and now use a 120Gb as standard.
This allows me to carry all of the files that I need:
· Documentation
· White papers and case studies
· Code snippets
· Email archives
Also with the addition of VMware I also have a proof of concept / development / testing / demonstration environment in the palm of my hand. No need to have connectivity.
The second drive is the U3 drive that allows me to extend any machine I have access to so I can use applications like Skype and have PIM software in my pocket.
Where possible I try to use Google applications to take the burden off of network needs. If I can get an internet connection then I can work. It is worth noting that the Australian Defence Force allow gmail for almost 80% of their traffic when the realization was that only 20% of email traffic was sensitive enough to be encrypted. Combine this with office like applications and calendars and there are enough links back to the office water cooler to at least allow simple communication to agree a time to discuss in a more secure environment.
The natural extension to gmail that has been very useful is the use a Symbian based email application, I use Flurry. The biggest benefit to the company is that all of these services are free. This more than makes up for any perceived lack of function when compared to more costly SaaS offerings and services like Blackberry.
The Five P’s of the Digital Nomad Ethos.
by David Mould of Techdirt / Aug 13
Power
Carry a plug adapter. My personal choice is one where I can change the plate to fit the socket of my destination. If you have the room, and the need, carry a multi-plug power strip to make sure you have enough sockets for phone, laptop etc. I often travel to many countries on the same trip so only having to carry the single body and the relevant face plates saves me space. The traditional power adapters are too bulky for both carrying and easily fitting in to wall sockets and extension cables in most of the shared office spaces I work in.
Portability
The fine balance between functionality (memory, disk, screen size) and physical size is a difficult one to get right. Making the laptop plus all of the peripherals portable enough takes time and experience. Generally keep to the basics. Use a USB drive to carry the bulk of your storage supply. This will mean the laptop will generally be smaller. The added benefit is that you can plug this into any machine, doesn’t have to be yours could be a client’s machine. I find that my laptop is becoming more of a portal, a means to access data stored on my USB drive or on the extranet.
In addition I carry a U3 drive that allows me to carry a lot of the useful applications and run them on any machine. It is possible to not carry your laptop at all if you plan carefully.
Paper
Get rid of it! More than anything else you carry in your bag paper gets the heaviest and is the easiest to get rid of. Where possible create a soft version of your notes. For initial capture use the small, typically A5, notes books most hotel rooms supply (and their pen). As soon as is practicable enter this into your tool of choice on your laptop. Use a flexible tool that can be used for many purposes. I find Mindjet’s MindManager to be by far the best as I can use it for brainstorming, note taking, project planning and progress and the integration with Microsoft Office means I can output the content easily. Substitute paper based systems with soft versions (David Seah’s emergent task planner, Manager Tools One-on-Ones).
Packing
Get the right sized bag. The problem with the average laptop bag is that they are too big. It is too easy to accumulate junk that adds unnecessary weight (like paper). Choose a bag that allows for organization and ideally allows for you to carry at least one change of clothes in it. This will then become your carry on baggage for those airlines that only allow one piece.
Pipe
Connectivity is king. Mobile based modems (GPRS and EV-DO) are useful but price plans can make them prohibitive. Most major cities have some form of WiFi access from hotspots in coffee shops to MuniNets. Make use of them where you can. If travelling for a week or more consider taking a travel router with you to release yourself from the confines of what the hotel considers to be your optimum working area.
Join the conversation…
Collaborate with some of the leading minds in technology and define what it means to be a digital nomad. The community will collaborate to answer questions about:
- Security challenges of a mobile workforce
- Connectivity and access for nomad employees everywhere
- Ensuring productivity when employees are on the go
