Video conferencing has changed.  What was once a very costly technology only used by large enterprise type organizations with dedicated IT departments is now easier to use and more cost effective. There are a variety of solutions to fit almost any budget.

This was the topic of discussion a few weeks ago when I joined Bloomberg Businessweek in their New York Studios for a live Video Webcast called “Video Breaks Out of the Boardroom”.  The show was hosted by Jim Ellis, Assistant Managing Editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, and I was delighted that they invited me to join Marc  Beattie from Wainhouse Research to be part of this episode.  Here is a photo from our broadcast:

The Bloomberg building was amazing and everyone I met there was extremely friendly and helpful.  We had a wonderful discussion and looked at what’s involved with implementing video conferencing including how much technical know-how it takes, how and why companies using it, what it costs, and what are some of the stumbling blocks. We also took some great questions from those that were viewing the live broadcast.

In case you missed it you can now view the entire Video Webcast live.  Just register here and you can watch the whole show.  We discussed the topic for about 20 minutes and then had about 10 minutes of Q&A.  If you’re currently using video conferencing, or thinking about it, you definitely want to catch this.

A big thanks to everyone at Bloomberg Businessweek for having me be a part of this event. I hope to join them again for future shows!

Please post a comment below and let me know what you thought of the webcast and feel free to ask me any questions you might have about using video to connect with your virtual teams and remote workers.

I’ve been invited by Bloomberg BusinessWeek to be a panelist on a free live video webcast this Thursday (June 10th) all about video conferencing -  I hope you can tune in! Here is the description:

Video Breaks Out of the Boardroom
Thursday, June 10 at
10am PT | 1pm ET | 6pm GMT

Video is changing how companies interact with employees, suppliers, partners and customers. It’s an important area for growth and an essential tool for global businesses.

Join us as we speak to executives and thought leaders in the video collaboration space about emerging technologies and how these tools offer so much promise for business.

• Build & sustain business relationships
• Broaden the scope of your markets
• Strengthen customer relations and loyalty

Our expert panel, moderated by Jim Ellis of Bloomberg Businessweek, includes Marc Beattie, co-founder, Managing Partner, and Co-Manager ofUnified Collaboration Practice at Wainhouse Research and a recognized expert on the collaboration services market and Phil Montero, CEO of Montero Consulting, Founder of YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com, and the spearhead of the remote work movement for more than a decade.

You will be able to participate in this live discussion through interactive questions and answers with our industry experts – all from the comfort of your desktop.

Click here to register today!

I’m looking forward to a great discussion. I’m also excited to see what the Bloomberg news studio looks like – it should be lots of fun! I hope you’ll join us and be sure to submit some questions.

If you can’t catch it live I will be posting the video here at The Anywhere Office after the event.

In consulting with companies off all different sizes in a variety of industries I’ve found one of the biggest challenges they need to overcome in order to embrace flexible work is management resistance.

Despite the long list of benefits to virtual work or telecommuting many managers are simply uncomfortable with the thought of managing remote employees.  That’s why a recent article by Fast Company really caught my eye. It describes 3 recent scenarios where managers didn’t want to provide workplace flexibility and the unfortunate results:

Managers, sticking your fingers in your ears, closing your eyes and saying “La, la, la, la” when a valuable, competent current or prospective employee presents a plan for flexibility doesn’t make it go away.

via Dont Let “Flexibility Just Doesnt Work for Me”=”I Dont Care If You Leave”…Because It Will | Fast Company.

The article shares some excellent suggestion for what managers can do when approached by employees proposing a flexible work agreement and also what employees can do if a managers shrugs off the request with the “that doesn’t work for me” rebuttal.

Managing virtual teams and offsite employees is not really a choice – it’s a reality in most business (or soon will be).  So the question isn’t will you do it – but will you do it well . . . or will you do it poorly?

I strongly urge managers struggling with this is to get some training on strategies and best practices for managing virtual teams. We’ve seen a sharp increase in the desire for this type of training which is why our workshop The Art of Virtual Leadership is now available on-demand. So no more excuses . . . learn how to lead your remote employees so you can hire and retain the best talent for your organization despite their location!

What are your thoughts?  Share your story or experience in the comments below!

Work happens everywhere – virtual offices, client sites, home offices, coffee shops, airports, hotels, and any number of remote workplaces.  However, despite all the advantages of flexible work – most companies struggle when making this shift.

The biggest problem is that most organizations take an ad-hoc approach to workshifing, which has been thrust upon them. The business landscape began to change; they increasingly found themselves working across time and distance with team mates, remote offices, clients, vendors, and other outsourced professionals. And they mostly left individual employees, project teams, and offices to decide for themselves how best to conduct business. Virtual teamwork was not deliberate, and not undertaken with any real strategy.

If you’re in this boat – what are you to do? You can’t just stop the flow of business and start over with a brand new plan. But you also can’t just lumber forward and say to your people, ‘Work virtually better.’ What you CAN do is take a step back to get a perspective on your process and workflow in order to isolate and highlight areas for improvement and adjustment. One way to accomplish this is by conducting  my ICC Workflow Audit™ which helps you take a look at your needs for Information, Communication, and Collaboration in order to guide you in choosing and throughtfully apply the right technology and guidelines for your organization or team.

I recently partnered with Citrix Online to discuss this topic in a free webinar – Work Unchained: The Competitive Edge of the Anywhere Office®. We had a great turnout for the event and some interesting discussions.  If you missed it you can watch it on-demand.

For more information on how to implement the ICC Workflow Audit™, read my white paper or my guest post on their blog Workshifting.com

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you or your organization have adopted to virtual teamwork.  Please post a comment below and share your stories and feedback!

It’s no surprise that telecommuting, workshifting, or virtual work - whatever you choose to call it - not only makes smart business sense but can also help you run a more environmentally friendly business.

Whether you are a large corporation, small business, or solo professional there is a lot you can do to lighten your ecological footprint. When you reduce the need to travel and take advantage of technology to collaborate from anywhere you keep tons of carbon emissions from polluting the world.  A shift to printing less and using more digital documents saves untold numbers of trees.

By taking The Anywhere Office® approach you’ll save money, be more productive, and be more green. So this Earth Day make a commitment to make even a small adjustment to the way you work to do your part.

You can start by downloading The Anywhere Office Toolbox – our free eBook contains information and links to technology, services, and other resources we find of benefit to mobile workers, virtual teams and supporting virtual offices and distributed work.

You’ll find tools for gaining remote access to your documents or computer, holding web meetings and conferences, sending and receiving digital faxes, sending video email and holding video conferences, dealing with time-zones, and marketing your business online.

These are all free or affordable solutions with free trials – so there is no excuse!  Incorporate some of these tools today and make your business more green.

Unchain yourself from the office; work where and when you want.

If you have employees working remotely or are just getting started with telecommuting, virtual teams, or workshifting you won’t want to miss the free webinar I’m delivering next Thursday, April 29th:

Work Unchained: The Competitive Edge
of the Anywhere Office®
Thursday, April 29 at 11 AM (PDT) / 2 PM (EDT)

Business as usual no longer involves working in a traditional workplace at set hours. Today’s workforce is more mobile than ever, and every day more people are working from virtual offices, client sites, home offices, coffee shops, airports, hotels, and any number of remote workplaces. Companies that take an ad-hoc approach to this work-style struggle, while those with a strategic, planned approach reap the benefit and flexibility of distributed work.

I partnered with Citrix (makers of GoToMyPC) to deliver this free Webinar. Learn how to evaluate your own organization’s workflow to strategically turn your ordinary office into The Anywhere Office®.

Attend to learn:

• Why workshifting provides a critical competitive edge
• Common mistakes to avoid when enabling a mobile workforce
• Best practices for evaluating your organization before implementing a workshifting strategy
• And more…

Click here to reserve your complimentary seat

I’m looking forward to the presentation and I hope you’ll join us!

Welcome to Part 13 – the final part of our 13 part audio series on Flexible Work and Telecommuting -  Telecommuting in the 21st Century: How to Implement or Improve Virtual Teams and Flexible Work in Your Organization“.

Today, in part 13 (the final part) of our telework podcast series our panel of experts answer any remaining questions from those who attended the teleseminar on how to start an effective telework program.

So listen in to Part 13: Q&A

Armed with the ideas, tips, and best practices we shared over the 13 sessions you can develop a telework plan that will dynamically change where and how you and your people work. We wish you the utmost success in embracing telework in your organization and enjoying all the benefits it has to offer!

.

OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS:

Jeff Zbar : Founder of ChiefHomeOfficer.com (and faciliator for our discussion on telecommuting).

Rachel Hastings: Vice President of WFC Resources Inc.

Phil Montero: CEO of Montero Consulting and Founder of YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com and TheAnywhereOffice.com.

Want the whole story?
Listen to all 13 parts of Telecommuting in the 21st Century.

We hope you find this audio series useful – please take a moment to post a comment and share your thoughts and feedback with us below!

Subscribe (in the right hand column) to be sure you don’t miss anything!

Welcome to Part 12 of our 13 part audio series on Flexible Work and Telecommuting -  Telecommuting in the 21st Century: How to Implement or Improve Virtual Teams and Flexible Work in Your Organization“.

After discussing some of the various issues over the past 12 parts of this podcast today we will be discussing how to take the important “next steps” to get the ball rolling and implement telecommuting in your organization.

In part 12 of our podcast we look at the “next steps” to moving forward with you telework plan.

So listen in to Part 12: Next Steps

.

OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS:

Jeff Zbar : Founder of ChiefHomeOfficer.com (and faciliator for our discussion on telecommuting).

Rachel Hastings: Vice President of WFC Resources Inc.

Phil Montero: CEO of Montero Consulting and Founder of YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com and TheAnywhereOffice.com.

Want the whole story?
Listen to all 13 parts of Telecommuting in the 21st Century.

We hope you find this audio series useful – please take a moment to post a comment and share your thoughts and feedback with us below!

Subscribe (in the right hand column) to be sure you don’t miss anything!

Welcome to Part 11 of our 13 part audio series on Flexible Work and Telecommuting -  Telecommuting in the 21st Century: How to Implement or Improve Virtual Teams and Flexible Work in Your Organization“.

When approaching telework it’s important to look at some of the key business issues and consult the right professionals before jumping in. Today we will be discussing some of the Legal, HR, and Tax implication regarding telework.

In part 11 of our podcast we look at some of the considerations and planning involved for the business side of telecommuting.

So listen in to Part 11: Legal, HR, and Tax Issues

.

OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS:

Jeff Zbar : Founder of ChiefHomeOfficer.com (and faciliator for our discussion on telecommuting).

Rachel Hastings: Vice President of WFC Resources Inc.

Phil Montero: CEO of Montero Consulting and Founder of YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com and TheAnywhereOffice.com.

Want the whole story?
Listen to all 13 parts of Telecommuting in the 21st Century.

We hope you find this audio series useful – please take a moment to post a comment and share your thoughts and feedback with us below!

Subscribe (in the right hand column) to be sure you don’t miss anything!

Hello Folks  – I am going to be a panelist on a virtual event next Monday (the event described below) and the hosts have provided me with 2 free tickets to give away. So if you are interested in attending the Building and Managing Effective Virtual Teams vpanel, put your name into the hat to win a free ticket by using the comments section below this post to contribute a favorite or poignant quotation about any aspect of virtual work. It can be a famous quote, or something you heard, or a quote of your own.

You only have a couple of days, on Friday afternoon I will select 2 names at random from the contributors to each receive a free pass. I will not choose based on the ‘best’ quotes, and you only have 2 days, so don’t be shy. Just a fun way to get some food for thought and give away the tickets.

To get the wheel turning I am going to offer a great quote that I believe relates to virtual teams, and in managing virtual workers in particular:

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

and Jason wants to share one of his favorites and a classic mobile work/telework quote:

“Work is something you do, not some place you go.” ~ Unknown

Now it’s your turn. Learn more about the vpanel below and contribute a quote in the comments section of this post.

Here is some info about the event:

Building and Managing Effective Virtual Teams

Monday, March 22, 2010 – 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 Pm PT

Virtual company. Mobile workforce. Home-based business.

Whatever you call it, more managers are leading employees outside of the traditional office setting. In fact, by 2013, 75.5% of the U.S. workforce will be made up of mobile workers, according to IDC.

Today’s technology makes it easier for businesses regardless of size and across all services and industries, to benefit from being virtual. But how do you know if you’re recruiting the right people for a virtual environment? And how do you keep those people engaged and productive when your team is geographically dispersed?

If you manage or recruit employees for a virtual company, or are a remote worker yourself, please join me and other expert panelists to learn how today’s effective virtual companies are building cohesive teams and becoming more profitable during Shift Worldwide’s interactive, 90-minute March 22 vPanel on Building and Managing Effective Virtual Teams.

http://www.shiftworldwide.com/vpanels/virtualteams.htm

Now just enter your favorite quote about any aspect of virtual work in the comment section below for a chance to win!