Online Collaboration For Newbies (Part 3)

Stagnation of activities can come easily, for example a facebook discussion stops as everyone is waitjng for everyone else to take action or to speak up.

The solution comes in two fold.

First, build momentum by engaging those who speak up. Don't worry about being inclusive during the discussions. What you want to do is bring the conversation to a good frequency, at which point hopefully the quiet ones will join in.

Second, be a "nagger". Always check in with the members. Are they going well with their part of the work? Any difficulties they may be facing? Deadline in six days? Touch base with them in three days. You may be naggy, but you are engaging.

Online Collaboration For Newbies (Part 2)

If task allocation is an issue during your online collaboration, then there are two factors you need to look out for.

One, ensure everyone is on track towards the team's goals. You want to ensure everyone is productive towards the same goal.

Two, clear and defined milestones/tasks for each member. "Everyone try to do XXX," will only result in nobody is doing! While you might not be able to play to each person's strength as you do not know them well enough yet, the show must go on, and get everyone to deliver.

Online Collaboration For Newbies (Part 1)

Online collaboration is not as easy for some teams. If you have recently formed a new team through an online platform, you may face some problems.

Some of the problems may include the alignment of the goals of various members, task allocation and responsibility sharing, and stagnation of activities from online discussions (I will just talk about these three across three posts).

Alignment of the goals of various members. It's difficult to get a sense of other members' alignments because honestly, you are not meeting them face-to-face. It's like agreeing on a contract with a stranger, but he isn't going to shake hands with you on it. Just doesn't feel right, does it?

That is not to say that they are not trustworthy! Everyone believes what they are saying. Though some new collaborators may not know to check each others' alignment with the team's goal, or some members may say what they think the team wants to hear.

The way to overcome this is to be sure about each others' goals. Be open about it, video chat if you need to. This will show the earnest need and your sincerity towards the rest of the team. It's useful to return to this too, especially when the team starts to be in danger of losing sight of what it is trying to achieve.

The Invisible War on Work

Mentioned my previous blog, Mike Rowe reminds us that we have declared a war on work.

While we have declared war on work from various fronts, the particular one that bothers me the most is the mindset we have of manual/menial/dangerous work.

For example, the iPhone is a wonderful modern tool that connects us, and is brought to us by these innovative and aspiring companies.

But we do not recognise, or even choose to ignore, the traditional factories that produces the pieces of the iPhone, and the hands of the workers that piece them together. 

Like Rowe says, we must not forget that innovation without imitation doesn't work. The obsession for innovation should not blind us to the these networks of manual labour that give us these automated technology. These are the sides of the same coin.

It's Difficult to Tell People that Time Doesn't Exist

I do believe that there is a flow of time, but that the concept of time implemented by humans is an illusion.

Often people rant about "Monday Blues" and "Thank God It's Friday". They have love for weekends, and just dread weekdays.

But a day is just a day.

The common assumption is that work is unpleasant. Thus humans tend to try to avoid pain (work), and seek pleasure (play). (That assumption is wrong. Why should work be unpleasant? Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs challenges this assumption well, but that is another story for another time.)

Time is neither good or bad, nor better than any other time. The "quality of time" is determined only in our mind, when we give meaning to it.

Time is however ever flowing, so there is a past, and there is a future. No matter what you choose to use that moment, it disappears in a blink.

It's difficult to explain to others that the time that exist in their mind does not exist. Monday and Sunday are no different, both have 24 hours, both will pass us no matter what we choose to do in those 24 hours.

If we are going to give meaning to time, don't give it to fleeting likes or dislikes.

Give it to each passing moment, treasuring what can never be again.

Customers Are NOT Always Right

A phrase I haven't heard in a long time, brought up by someone the other day, "The customer is always right."

No, the customer is NOT always right. You don't hear tech support saying, "Yes sir, that CD tray on your PC doubles as a coffee cup holder."

It's easy to accept it literally, while forgetting to the true meaning behind it, which is the spirit of customer service.

Behind each business transaction is a customer want. An unhappy customer is one with an unmet need. 

To say "the customer is always right" is to have the will to try to find out what that need is, and wanting to help the customer achieve it. 

"I'm glad you think our CD tray can be used as a coffee cup holder, but it is not. If you use it as a coffee cup holder, you will damage the CD tray, resulting in you being unable to use it to its full potential! Your CD tray can play your favourite track from your music CDs. 

I read from your case file that it's a rewritable. What this means is that you can use it to create your own customised CD playlist! You bought a great choice of PC. Would you like me to run you through how to use it?

By the way, I know a great contact for great coffee holders. Would you like me to share it?"

Imagine the potential of "The Customer is Always Right". When shared correctly, of course.

Gamers Can Change The World (Part 3)

Gamification is a strategy that businesses are taking notice of, taking elements of games and applying them in the workplace. Gamification may be a recently coined term, but businesses have been using game-elements for their own purposes for a long time.

There is no doubt why businesses will do that - gamification encourages tackling of difficulty and/or mundane work, motivates staff to pursue mastery in their own work, and can even be used for external clients. 

These offer one more promise of solving the bigger issues that plague our world.

Quotes 6

"To know life in every breath, in every cup of tea, in every life we take."

- Katsumoto

"Things" Are So Insignificant

I was revisiting The Last Lecture, and I am reminded of one of the frailties of the human race - the obsession with things, the obsession with the immaterial.

These obsessors believe that having things will make them happy, only to realise too late otherwise.

These obsessors get worked up about personal possessions, only to realise that in truth, it is inconsequential.

The materialistic nature of a person blinds him/her to the its spiritual growth, and more importantly, the chance to find true happiness.