Posts Tagged ‘virtual offices’
MENLO PARK, CA—Is it good to LOL at work? Let’s take it a step further … how about a good hearty ROTFL? In other words, how important is it to incorporate humor into the corporate culture?
According to a new survey from Accountemps, it seems pretty important. And I might add maybe even more so in a down economy and even more so when you work from virtual offices where your colleagues may not get a chance to know you as well through the less frequent contact.
The survey reveals that 79 percent of Chief Financial Officers said an employee’s sense of humor is important for fitting into the company’s corporate culture. CFOs were asked, “How important is an employee’s sense of humor in him or her fitting into your company’s corporate culture?” Their responses:
- Very important: 22%
- Somewhat important: 57%
- Not at all important: 20%
- Don’t know/no answer: 1%
“Sometimes, a little levity goes a long way toward building rapport among colleagues and diffusing workplace tension. All work and no play can erode employee morale,” says Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Managing Your Career For Dummies.
“Job candidates should let their personality shine when meeting prospective employers. The interview is no place for a standup comedy routine, but it is the right time to show hiring managers you are approachable and will be easy to work with.”
OK, so humor is important in the workplace. And that goes for the virtual office worker too. In a world of e-mails, instant messages and Skype calls, showing your lighter side can help people to get to know the real you. A good laugh from your respective virtual offices can help the “bonding” process, as it were.
So whether you from a coworking facility or a virtual office space, lighten up now and again. Have a laugh—all in good taste, of course.
NEW YORK—New research predicts continued focus on wellbeing of human capital—and a virtual workforce (which means working from a virtual office space) is among them.
The 2012 Workplace Trends Report from Sodexo reveals employees are looking to organizations for tools and resources to help them simplify their lives, stay healthy and balanced, and bring their “whole self” to work as these continue to be top drivers of engagement. Employee engagement, productivity, brand image and loyalty continue to be relevant measures of success.
So what are these trends, exactly? There are 10 in the 2012 report, including inclusive workplaces, workplaces that promote sustainability, rewards and recognition, flexible workplaces and virtual workforces.
“We studied research over the last year to understand what issues are top of mind for our clients and what are the benchmarks in the overall market,” says Rachel Permuth-Levine PhD, MSPH, senior director, outcomes-based research and solutions for Sodexo’s toLive workplace strategies. “Our team predicts these trends are the direct link to designing environments that enhance individual performance, foster collaboration, and contribute to the well-being of employees—it’s the workplace of the future.”
The workplace of the future is definitely more flexible—and in many cases more virtual. With the rise of telecommuting, virtual offices are at the fore. Virtual office space is one of the enablers of a new way to work in the new world of work. What’s more, virtual offices contribute pave the way for employees to realize some of the other workplace trends they crave, such as sustainability and flexibility.
NEW YORK—5.2 million. That’s the current number of telecommuters in America, according to the National Resources Defense Council. And that number is only growing. By 2016, the number of people working from home is expected to rise by 69 percent.
More employers—even those who resisted the trend until recently—are setting up offices in employees’ homes and realizing the cost savings of allowing them to telecommute from a virtual office, at least part time. Indeed, virtual offices are a concept whose time has come.
If you are looking for time management and productivity tips for your virtual office, turn to Laura Stack. Stack says that whenever an individual makes the change to working from home, the key to success is creating a productive home office environment.
“The first mistake new telecommuters make is setting up shop in one of their home’s cozy, comfortable spots, tossing aside everything learned about ergonomics in the office. After a week of unnatural posturing at the breakfast nook, the back starts to ache, hands and feet go numb, and productivity plummets,” Stack says.
“Bite the bullet and buy good, solid office furniture of the appropriate types. Use a wrist pad to keep your typing and mousing hands straight, so you don’t fall prey to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; make sure you have sufficient lighting coming from above; and supply all cordage with surge protectors just in case.”
Stack says that some organizations have written policies requiring specific types of ergonomic furniture in the virtual office, as well as specifics on where and how it should be set up. Stack recommends setting up in a clean, spacious, well-defined and distraction-free workspace that offers good ventilation for your virtual office space.
“If space is a problem, at least ensure you have a door you can close to place a boundary between work life and home life,” she says. “Don’t set up in the kitchen, your living room, or the master bedroom, though an unused spare bedroom or dining room can work well.”
Stack also recommends having plenty of room for all furniture, electronics, files, and supplies, so there is no need to run back and forth to find work-related items in your virtual office space.
“You want to make your home office as comfortable and convenient as possible, so you can more easily maximize your personal productivity,” Stack says. “Just be sure to define your work space and don’t give in to the temptation to carry your laptop from room to room. Going to an established home office should be a reminder that you’re there to work, just as the drive to your old office used to be.”
NEW YORK—Is one of your New Year’s resolutions finding greater work-life balance? If so, you are not alone. Whether you are an entrepreneur with a virtual workforce or a telecommuter or somewhere in between, you can resolve to create healthier work environments for employees in 2012.
David Grossman, founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, is suggesting what he calls the Workplace Diet. This works just as well for the virtual office space user as it does for the brick-and-mortar office space user.
“The Workplace Diet is designed to help leaders conquer employee confusion, apathy, lack of motivation, and the increasing cost of ineffective communication,” says Grossman. “There’s no celebrity spokesperson or meals to buy. No magic pills to take. Just some simple yet powerful actions that will help leaders eliminate bad habits, as well as shed unproductive time and wasted resources to lead better in 2012.”
Here are some of the ingredients of the Grossman Group 2012 Workplace Diet. As you read the list, it becomes clear that this might be even more important to a distributed workforce working from virtual offices. That’s why I’ve adapted these tips for the virtual office worker.
Share expectations: People rise to the expectations set for them. Leaders need to create a list of expectations and share them with virtual office staff. Be as specific as possible to enable employee understanding. When expectations are met, reinforce the positive behavior. Otherwise, give feedback and suggest alternative behaviors.
Plan communications: Planned communication strategies are more purposeful and measurably more effective.
Ask for input and feedback: Ask open-ended questions, such as: “Help me understand how you are thinking about this?” or “What ideas do you have to resolve this?”
Listen more: Stop talking so much. Listen to what employees have to say and act on their recommendations. Try to reduce the amount you talk by at least 25 percent.
Take action on employee suggestions: Act on the input you get. Whether you implement a suggestion or not, close the loop with virtual office employees so they know their input was valued. They’ll be more likely to share their thoughts with you in the future.
Show you care: Find out what’s important to employees on a personal level and remember that information. This makes virtual office work more personal and relationships stronger.
Empathize (more): Learn how to make a reflective statement, which validates someone else’s feelings and shows thoughtfulness.
Share recognition and appreciation: Say “thank you” for a job well done with specific details about the positive performance. Reinforce good behaviors.
Ensure employees can articulate how they fit in: All virtual office employees want to know that they’re contributing to something larger than themselves. Talk with employees to ensure they can articulate how they specifically contribute to the overall goals of the organization.
Measure efforts: Use in-house tools such as a 360-degree or employee engagement surveys to get data on what’s working and what’s not. Alternatively, leaders should ask staff: “What two to three things can I do this year to make me more effective in how I communicate with you?”
NEW YORK-If you’ve been looking for a New Year’s special on virtual office solutions, look no further. Davinci Virtual Office Solutions is giving you one–and an attractive one at that.
Davinci Virtual is offering our popular Live Web Chat absolutely free for 90 days when you purchase any Davinci Virtual Live Receptionist package. This is quite the bargain at a more than a $150 value.
Here’s what you get as part of this virtual office communications promotion:
• Proactive live Web chat
• U.S.-based agents
• Power to convert Web traffic to leads
• Improved Web site effectiveness
• Ability to engage more Web traffic
• After hours messages
• Real-time messages to e-mail
• Real-time messages to text
• Trained experts on your products/services
• Full reporting of chat transcripts
• Up to 25 total live Web Chats
Whether you are in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami or somewhere else, you can get a little closer to your customers with this Live Web Chat promotion. Oh, of course we have virtual offices, too. In fact, we have a whole suite of virtual office solutions, including virtual assistants and web conferencing, to help your small business get off to a fast start in 2012.
NEW YORK—In 2012, the market for online contingent work is set to double as more businesses across the globe hire and manage workers online for the first time. So says the Elance 2011 Online Employment Review.
Elance is offering up its take on trends that will shape the world of work in 2012. I’m sharing a couple below, along with my thoughts on how this impacts virtual office users.
The rise of the global, virtual workplace. Elance predicts companies will increasingly tap into the online workforce across geographic boundaries to support key business initiatives. More professionals will build independent careers by working with multiple clients all over the world.
Further, online contractors will collaborate with each other remotely, across geographies and time zones. Technological advancements enabling better online collaboration, telepresence, skills assessment and identity verification, will make significant contributions to the new virtual workplace.
I wholeheartedly agree with this prediction. We’re already seeing it, so if anything it’s just going to escalate. And where there are virtual workplaces there are virtual offices. Virtual office technologies are part of the rise of the global virtual workplace as individuals work from home with virtual office technologies, live receptionists, virtual assistants and other aids.
Promising online careers for 2012. Online hiring for specialized skills will continue to expand in 2012. Promising online careers for 2012 include:
- Software Developer
- Visual Designer
- User Experience Designer
- Digital Marketer
- Technical Writer
- Web Researcher
- Data Analyst
- Content Moderator
- Accountant
- Distributed Workforce Manager
These are all jobs—among many others—that can be accomplished in a virtual office. Whether you are in Beijing or New York, you can set up a virtual office and do business with clients anywhere in the world. So, virtual office users, get ready for new opportunities in 2012!
NEW YORK-So you work in a virtual office … so how do you attend office parties? That’s what CNBC.com staff writer Cindy Perman wants to know—and she got me a little curious, too.
Perman asks the pointed question, “The Virtual Office Holiday Party—How Does That Work, Exactly?” She looks at the trend toward companies taking their office holiday party online, whether for financial or geographic reasons—or simply out of convenience.
In her article, Perman offers some answers: “First, you have to pick a time and date and invite a list of guests, just as you would for a regular party. And, while parties can and do take on a life of their own, it’s important for the organizers to have some sort of itinerary to keep the festivities moving.”
The article goes on to offer examples of gift exchanges that were planned in advance, a virtual whiteboard where folks share their holiday traditions along with live chat with explanations, cash gifts instead of food and drinks, and so on. Be sure to read Perman’s article for more ideas.
But you may have some ideas of your own. If your company has implemented alternative workplace strategies, if you have a distributed workforce with mobile workers and telecommuters who work from virtual offices, there’s no doubt that you’ve faced this issue of the virtual office party.
Sure, if your employees all live in the same city, you could go to a restaurant or rent a meeting room. But then the virtual office party is no longer virtual, is it. So, tell me … have you organized or attended a virtual office party? How did that work for you?
ATLANTA-Commercial real estate strategies are shifting. Alternative workplace strategies are the buzzwords moving forward. Telecommuting, virtual offices, workshifting, the mobile workforce. All of these elements are colliding in a perfect storm—and it’s changing the ways corporations use commercial real estate.
“Companies are focusing on two things: employee satisfaction, and productivity and teaming. They are increasingly looking at their office space to help them attract and retain the best talent,” Co-Star reports James B. King, principal of AREA Advisor, as saying.
King also pointed to salesforce.com as a futuristic company, calling it one of the most successful cloud-based computing firms today. He also used Microsoft, one of the largest companies in the world, and Google, one of the most innovative companies in the world, as examples.
“It’s all about empowering sales people to connect with customers digitally, but it wants its employees in the office at least two days a week, because it’s a new company and it’s still building its culture,” King says.
“Microsoft’s policy to get the best talent wherever they may be around the world. They have no problem with people working remotely, even teleworking from different countries. Google has a very different philosophy. It believes you never can tell when that next spark of genius will occur, that’s why they want you there with your colleagues in the Googleplex, even riding on their buses there and back.”
What is your company’s philosophy? Do you believe in flex time? Telecommuting from virtual offices? Working remotely from coworking facilities? Alternative workplace strategies come in all shapes and sizes. Davinci Virtual Office Solutions can help you tailor virtual office solutions for the specific needs of your entrepreneurial organization.
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