Team Collaboration

• Enterprise 2.0 in 2006 … Dion writes up what happened to Enterprise 2.0 in 2006. He is looking for feedback on what’s coming next year. Dion Hinchcliffe
• Remote Work at Microsoft … Jon’s joined Microsoft, and is pondering how it will work with him working remotely for a company that emphasizes in-person meetings and “being there”. “But as collaboration in shared virtual space takes its rightful place alongside collaboration in shared physical space, shouldn’t a company whose products are key enablers of virtual collaboration be eating its own dogfood?” Jon Udell
• Instant Messaging in 2006 … Vangie takes a stab at summarizing what happened in the IM world during 2006. Key happenings: XMPP became more popular, as did federation between IM networks. IM Planet
• Seven Habits of Successful Virtual Teams … Anne outlines seven habits that virtual teams could / should embrace in order to be more effective. Key ideas: frequent communication, shared view of work, and getting to know each other as people. WebWorkerDaily

Mobility

• BlackBerry Cold Turkey … Paul writes about the benefits of getting rid of his BlackBerry. “I have since discovered marvelous things. The sun rises in the morning and sets at night. Airport lounges are great places to visit with friends or read a book. Red lights are an excellent excuse to stop driving, look around, and see what’s happening on the streetscape. People in meetings pay more attention to you if you pay more attention to them. The email that arrived three hours ago is still relevant — or better yet, no longer matters!” Running a Hospital

Productivity

• In Praise of Paper … Although we have access to many online and digital tools for keeping to do lists, is it truly better than pen and paper? Anne lists 5 reasons why paper works for her. WebWorkerDaily (hat tip, notebookism
• Happy Hour is 9-5pm … Alexander released his first book, “Happy Hour is 9 to 5: How to Love Your Job, Love Your Life and Kick Butt at Work”. “Today, happiness at work is no longer a luxury – it’s essential. People are discovering, that when they love their jobs, they are more productive, creative and motivated. They’re also happier in life. Similarly, happy companies find they are more efficient, innovative and make more money than their unhappy competitors. This book gives you everything you need to make work fun, inspiring and energizing …” It is available in paperback, as an eBook, or in HTML. Positive Sharing (hat tip, Lars)
• Remove Distractions … Mark has a neat story about the “ideal” office for writing (oops!), and a list of common distractions to eliminate. “The point is that while many of these things aren’t bad, to certain people they can be distractions that prevent reaching an optimal level of concentration. You have to determine for yourself if something is having a negative impact on your productivity.” Interestingly, I too have my desk facing the wall now. Productive Strategies