Google+: Enabling the Separation of Work and Play
Google+ is easily one of the hottest topics being discussed over the past week or two. The search giant’s latest foray into social media is proving to be quite popular, at least among the early adopters who’ve signed up so far. In fact, demand to get on Google+ is so high that signing up is not terribly easy just yet!
So what does Google+ have to do with mobile productivity? Arguably, social media is just a productivity killer, right? Wrong. It can be, if abused, but if used properly, social media can be a productivity boon. Social Media allows us to connect instantly with others, sharing and consuming media quickly and on our own time. Google+ brings features that make it easier than ever to keep your professional profile separate from your personal one – all with one account. How so, you ask?
As Ian over at Conversation Marketing points out, Google+ is closely tied to many of the tools we use at work (and at home) every day – Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, etc. Since we’re already logged in, using Google+ is an easy and logical step when it comes to sharing and consuming information while at work.
With a little self-control and some use of Google+ Circles, the new network allows users to create one profile that can be used professionally and personally. Circles allow you to divide your friends into various groups, such as “Work,” “Friends,” and “Family.” During the workday, users can share and interact with work related Circles. Once a user gets home, the same account can be used to interact with friends and family.
With current social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, interacting with specific groups of people is not nearly as easy as it is on Google+. Now the single account we already use throughout the day allows us to interact in social media while managing the much-desired separation of work and play.
Enjoy The Occasional Day Off
To our US readers: Happy 4th of July!
Many of you are enjoying a day off today, and there’s no better time to remind ourselves of the importance of taking a break. Even the most organized and productive among us will ultimately get burnt out without the occasional vacation – even if it is just an extra day.
Taking time off allows us to clear our minds, relax, and enjoy some time away from the daily grind. If you’re enjoying the day off today, soak it in! If not, remember to schedule a day off sometime soon. You deserve it!
Microsoft Office Moves To The Cloud With Office 365
Microsoft officially unleashed Office 365 to the public yesterday. Office 365 aims to combine the familiarity and functionality of Office as we know it with the availability and collaborative nature of the cloud. But does it succeed?
The first thing most users will do when trying Office 365 is compare it to Google’s offerings. It is, after all, a logical comparison. However, Office 365 simply isn’t the same as Google Apps – a point Google is all too happy to make.
While Office 365 certainly does get many things right, it fails in one major area – mobile. It’s great to be able to access Office from the cloud, but Microsoft’s current solution is incomplete. Office 365 is optimized for the desktop, not mobile.
When you build a cloud-based solution, mobile must be a part of that system. It should be noted that Windows Phone 7 devices do offer mobile support for Office 365. With the amount of Android and iOS-based devices out there, however, it’s just not enough.
Of course, I’ll need more time with Office 365 before I can make final judgments as to its impact on productivity. I will say that I see a lot of potential. At this point, however, it needs a lot more work on the mobile front.
Create An Inbox For Your Mind
That nagging feeling is back. You know that you’ve forgotten something important, but you simply cannot remember what it is. Now, not only are you missing something important, your current productivity suffers because all you can focus on is trying to remember something that’s escaped you.
We’ve all experienced this. If only we’d just written it down…
Keeping your mind clear is an important element in many productivity philosophies, and for good reason! In today’s fast-paced, mobile world it’s all too easy to get bogged down with countless tasks and ideas, making it difficult to focus.
Creating an inbox where you can collect the thoughts running through your mind allows you to focus on the task at hand. This inbox can be a notepad, an app on your phone (such as Evernote), a document on your computer, or anything that is convenient for you.
The most important thing is that this inbox must be accessible to you on a regular basis, wherever you are. When you have an idea, remember an important task, or verbally schedule a meeting, add this to your inbox! Process this inbox on a regular basis, adding tasks to your to-do list, events to your calendar, and so forth. With a clear mind, you’ll enjoy the ability to focus on the task at hand, therefore increasing your productivity!
The Glass Is Half Empty – And That’s A Good Thing!
“Just 10 more minutes until I’m done!”
“I’ve already written 28 out of 30 pages!”
We all run through thoughts like these every day. They help to motivate us, pushing us forward to complete a task and move on to the next one. Whether it’s at work or at home, we’re constantly reminding ourselves how far we’ve come, or how far we have left to go.
Most of us would agree that 48% done and 52% to go communicate the same message. However, recent research has shown that how you look at progress can have a definite effect on your productivity. According to a recent study at the University of Chicago, telling ourselves that we have 60% to go makes us more productive than telling ourselves that we’ve completed 40%. Why is this?
There are two reasons, in my opinion. First, by looking at how much you have left to do, you visualize a clear goal: 2 more pages, 10 more minutes, etc. It’s easy to see where your current task ends and the next one begins. As you get closer to the end of your task, motivation increases – you’re almost there! As a result, productivity increases as well. The study’s results show this very effect.
Second, looking at how much you have done has the potential to make you want to settle for less. “I’ve already written 28 pages – that’s a lot and should be enough, right? I don’t really need to finish out the last two, 28 is good enough.” This kind of thinking can be damaging to your productivity and the quality of your work. You may have accomplished quite a bit already, but settling for less is rarely beneficial.
Perspective matters. When it comes to productivity, looking at the glass as half empty – or visualizing how much more you have to go – can be a powerful tool.
(via Harvard Business Review)