21st Century Work Life

In today's podcast, Pilar talks to the founders of Sketch Together, a real time whiteboard for virtual teams. They talk about how and why they created the product and how they manage to continue working closely together, even though they haven't seen each other for two years!

Pilar clarifies what she means by virtual teams and virtual work.

Join Lisette and Pilar on their next live Blab: https://blab.im/pilar-orti-more-talk-around-virtual-teams

How Sketch Together was born. How Michele and Nick started working together.

"If you have multiple people and everyone can interact at the same time, people contribute more."

What Sketch Together is and how it works.

Their own creative process.

"We're hard-core remote workers."

https://sketchtogether.com/blog/using-your-webcam-to-reduce-isolation-in-remote-teams.html

Push to talk.

https://sketchtogether.com/

In today's episode, Pilar and Lisette talk about the different types of virtual teams you can find.

Update from Lisette and Pilar.

Different types of remote teams. Different teams have different problems and diff solutions.

Full time everyone's remote. eg happy melly, SketchtogetherSococo and push to talk

Some remote-some in the office

Few teams remote from diff locations

Global offices

Freelancers vs part time vs full time

Geographic definitions: near vs far located

In this episode Pilar talks to Michiel Klonhammer from LearningStone, a platform designed for trainers and coaches to use in their blended learning programmes.

The Intro

Remember there is a Blab next week, LIVE, with Lisette 7pm GMT 11am PST The Problem with Virtual Teams... https://blab.im/pilar-orti-the-problem-with-virtual-teams

RSA Reinventing Work Network 1 Dec http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rsa-reinventing-work-network-power-to-the-edge-the-role-of-leadership-in-self-managing-organisations-tickets-19076627707

Virtual not Distant® the course starts again on 15 Feb 2016!

If you want to try out the LearningStone platform and learn about using games to develop your team, get in touch: http://virtualnotdistant.com/contact/

The Chat

A cloud application for coaches, trainers and training agencies.

What is LearningStone and what does it do?

How to use an online space to complement face to face training.

What is Blended Learning?

Synchronous vs asynchronous and how the popularity of social media helps to introduce online learning platforms.

The international nature of corporate training.

Some best practices, ideas and considerations when using an online platform and blended learning.

"Offering blended learning also means dealing with the people in your group, just like you would in the training room."

How blended learning can change the business model of training agencies.

Moving from a trainer-led model to a more participant-led model.

You can sign up to the platform to try it out: www.learningstone.com

If you happen to be in London on 2 December , 6 PM-8PM at the Impact Hub at Kings Cross. https://www.learningstone.com/en/form/fill/114020

For more information on virtual teams, visit www.virtualnotdistant.com

In this episode we look at the different types of people working virtually and why they're going remote.

Pilar talks about the collaboration/competition theme that comes up later. Virtual Buddies.

Pilar has joined Happy Melly One!

First time we talked about doing a Blab - join us for our next one. https://blab.im/pilar-orti-working-in-virtual-teams

When competitors collaborate...

What Pilar is doing for Happy Melly One.

How security and spying concerns are blocking collaboration efforts in corporations.

Lisette recommends the book Team of teams.

When systems squash creativity. What different kinds of remote workers are there?

Telecommuters

Telecommute, why is the word "commute" still there?

Freelancers

"Freedom is a currency."

(Lisette is full of good quotes lately...)

Business Owners

Digital Nomads

The Telecommuter Shopping Assistant (Lisette's dream)

Visit virtualnotdistant.com

Pilar Orti talks to Emily Klein and Jason Morwick about Workshift, how organisations can transition to a flexible way of working.

"Workshift provides a detailed blueprint for organizations transitioning into the virtual workplace where employees are always connected, and work is no longer a destination."

Show Notes

Pilar is taking part of NaNoWriMo again! (She mentions her books Visibility in Virtual Teams, Thriving through Change, The A to Z of Spanish Culture and Your Handy Companion to Devising and Physical Theatre.)

Here's the link to the Blab on 26th November 7pm GMT with Lisette, where we will talk about virtual teams: https://blab.im/pilar-orti-working-in-virtual-teams

Workshift, the book: Who, why

Workshift: The stages.How does an organisation know whether they’ve skipped a stage and are trying to make the change without laying down the foundations?

How Workshift can happen “au naturel” (organic employee driven). (Mobile phones, people working on trains.)

How do we know what to measure to make sure that Workshift is working – at the organisational level, at the team level.

When or why does Workshift fail?When do we know we’ve successfully made the shift?

“Middle manager resistant to telework.” Is this still the case?

Three key scheduling challenges: rigidity, unpredictability, instability.

Challenges for employees: Balance between those in the office and those remote, or those doing both.

Career progression, finding new opportunities: facetime – expected, extracurricular.

How things have changed since 2012 when Workshift was written?

More about Flexwork Global: http://flexworkglobal.com/books/

Getting in touch with Emily: emily [at] flexworkglobal.com @flextimeglobal

Getting in touch with Jason: jason [at] flexworkglobal.com @JasonMorwick

If you want to find out more about Emily, Jason and Workshift, here are two more articles from their website:

Operating within the law: http://flexworkglobal.com/2013/09/home-office-safety/

Writing the book between four people:http://flexworkglobal.com/2013/05/4-ingredients-for-virtual-collaboration-success/

This episode is a bit of a time travel, as we recorded the Virtual Coffee in 10th Sept. But still very relevant of course! And we have a guest talking about an event from last week, so we're not completely catching our breath.

03:20 Pilar speaks to Gerard Beaulieu about the NASAGA conference. You can see a video of Gerard talking to someone at the conference here: https://youtu.be/aUjCp2OT0ao

16:55 Pilar and Lisette talk about whether there is just Too Much Tech.

Lisette's 50th episode! http://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com/50-greatest-hits-tips-and-advice-that-you-need-to-hear/

The Feed Ep 54 http://thefeed.libsyn.com/054-itunes-myths-and-misinformation-for-podcasters-video-vs-audio-podcasts-in-itunes-and-bagpipes

Pilar mentions this article: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/23/reading-writing-on-paper-better-for-brain-concentration

The damage that really hard work at the computer can do.

Lisette mentions her interview with NASA. http://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com/collaboration-space-exploration-nasa-sservi/

We talk about The Circle by Dave Eggers.

Using technology to control employees. How addictive is tech?

(Finally Lisette explains why sometimes she uses knitting as an example when she talks about learning a new skill.)

Can you listen to too many podcasts...???

What happens when you love your work and you have constant access to people and information?

Digital distraction vs digital overload.

Find your own neuroses...

"Quantification motivates me..."

We talk about this article by Tony Schwartz: http://www.15five.com/blog/struggling-disconnect-digital-lives/

Limiting the number of decisions you have to make throughout your day by creating routines.

Have we adapted yet to the rise in tech? Do we know what's really useful?

We recommend (again) this episode from The Future of Work podcast: http://www.thefutureorganization.com/forget-work-life-balance-its-all-about-work-life-integration/

Lisette recommends Flux https://justgetflux.com/

BOSE QC20 Noise-cancelling headphones

Today, Pilar talks to Kevin Koekkoek, maker and designer, who uses 3D printing to help ceramic artists and create jewellery.

This episode covers:

Shapeways and other online platforms where you can order your designs. http://www.shapeways.com/designer/3dkev

How 3D printing is used in ceramics. (You can read more on that here: http://art.cherryjeffs.com/art-blog/3d-printing-exciting-new-opportunities-for-artists-and-designers)

(You can listen to the episode on CreateSpaceLondon here: http://virtualnotdistant.com/createspace-london/)

Desktop 3D printers. What are they like, the 3D printing process.

Using 3D printing to make jewellery.

3D printing is a tool. You need to use the right tool for the right job.

3D printing in nylon.

Limitations with 3D printing and things to watch out for.

Using 3D printing for prototyping in ceramics.

How much is 3D printing evolving?

Traditional 2D printing companies (e.g. HP, Canon) are breaking into the 3D printing market.

(Pilar mentions the community 3D Hubs, which we talk about in Episode 32 http://virtualnotdistant.com/cinter/)

FabLabLondon http://fablablondon.org/

Make : Shift : Do http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/makeshiftdo/

CreateSpaceLondon Winter Fair 12 & 13 December http://createspacelondon.org/

We recommend Orange is the New Black!

Kevin's details: www.3dkev.com and https://twitter.com/3dkev

visit www.virtualnotdistant.com/world-of-virtual-teams/

Here's the first time Lisette and Pilar met: http://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com/humanizing-remote-work-pilar-orti/ Updates.

We mention the podcast with Andrea and Ryan: http://virtualnotdistant.com/meetups/

Lisette went to the Happy Startup Camp. http://www.happystartupsummer.camp/

What is "happiness at work"?

Lisette bought some noise-cancellation earphones.

Pilar talked to lost of people, in different parts of the world.

We decide to do a live Virtual Coffee with Lisette - join us https://blab.im/pilar-orti-virtual-teams-part-of-21st-cent-wl-podcast

How has our view of remote working and virtual teams changed over the last year?

"Things can go wrong in virtual teams, but they can also go wrong in co-located teams."

"We need to find the right location for us as individuals. Remote working is not just home-working."

Technology can help us work in whichever way you want: it can bring you closer to people but also allow you to work separately from them. Customise your tech!

You make your own virtual experience, in the same way as (most times) you make your own luck.

Who is Leila Machiavelli? http://virtualnotdistant.com/trust-in-virtual-teams/

A reminder that people are behind technology. Resisting vs Internalising technology.

Making mistakes.

Working with technology can help us to create a new culture in our team.

How travelling has shaped Vanessa. "Learning about myself through other people."

Changing cultures within the same country.

"Not knowing what you're assuming or what you're expecting is one of the major pitfalls of professionals relocating."

What drew Vanessa to the agile mentality and how it can be linked to multiculturalism in teams.

Why agile helps navigating digital disruption and cultural shift.

Unnovation workshops. http://www.humansideoftech.org/workshops/

Vanessa mentions her co-facilitator Jenni Walford's website http://provokarte.com/public_html/

Link to Vanessa's interview on the Culture Matters podcast http://culturematters.com/036-how-technology-has-a-human-side-vanessa-shaw/

Link to Vanessa's interview on Collaborations Superpowers http://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com/helping-tech-better-vanessa-shaw/

Vanessa Shaw on Twitter https://twitter.com/humansideoftech

Vanessa's website http://www.humansideoftech.org/#

www.virtualnotdistant.com

Pilar introduces the virtual icebreaker that her and Lisette played during the virtual coffee and why games are useful for teams.

Pilar and Lisette play "Budding Authors" a virtual teambuilding game from www.virtualicebreakers.com

PIlar suggests ways in which to debrief the games.

Lisette's progress with the book, how she's showing different types of remote workers.

The power of Twitter: Pilar mentions Elsie Escobar, Tony Reeves from Creative Huddle.

Join Freelancers Café, a new Blab - https://blab.im/pilar-orti-freelancers-cafe-1-cappucino-freelance-talk-and-coffee-smell

What do we mean by 'Working Out Loud'? We mention John Stepper and Jacob Morgan.

"Working out Loud starts with making your work visible in such a way that it might help others."

How can you work out loud?

Lisette talks about Sococo - you can watch her interview: http://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com/be-a-high-functioning-connected-team-in-a-sococo-virtual-office/

Intention of work and summary of work.

Do we want to work out loud or just feel connected?

Working out loud at an organisational level. The danger of narrating your work becoming a marketing process within an organisation.

Working out loud at an organisation level. Lisette talks about her interview with Magnus Karlsson http://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com/ideaboxes-a-management-system-for-innovation-magnus-karlsson/

Can it help with problem-solving?

Where do we begin?

Tell us if you work out loud!

Get in touch: virtualnotdistant.com