Be More Curious About How Technology Can Help You
It has become all too common to hear people discuss a workplace issue, productivity challenge, or networking need, and quickly say, "There's an app for that."
While technology offers extraordinary opportunities for improvements in workplace productivity, choosing the right application or service is critical to fully leveraging the benefit of it.
One way to choose the best technology to assist in meeting your need is to use a defined process. It might look something like:
1. Determine your specific need.
2. Assess your current resources. You may already have an application or service that will solve your problem.
3. Explore new applications or services. Start with asking those in similar situations (by job responsibility or similar productivity situation) about their choice. Spend some time researching other options as well.
4. Use the new application or service for at least a week. What often happens is we stop using an application the first time we get confused or feel like it has failed us. Stick with it until you feel like you are using it effectively.
5. Evaluate the benefit. Be as specific as possible. Did you spend more time using the technology than if you had chosen another option? How did the service make you more successful in addressing your need or challenge?
To help you with Number 3 in the process above, here are some of the most beneficial technology solutions I have found for my needs:
Productivity
Applications like Evernote help insure that you capture any thought or idea for action later. They also assist you in setting reminders about upcoming tasks and develop timelines for completing complex assignments.
Innovation and Brainstorming
My favorite application for brainstorming is Mind Node. Using the mind map layout, I can quickly organize my thoughts individually or with a team, and then export the map when done. I Thoughts HD is a similar application. I’ve also found that one of the best ways to communicate complex ideas is through images or graphics. Venngage makes creating infographics an easy 3 step process with plenty of templates to chose from.
Collaboration
Communication services like Skype and Google Hangout are perfect for collaborating in real time. There's just something beneficial about seeing the person and being able to physically show them a concept or idea instead of trying to explain it to them.
Journal/Storytelling
There's a huge focus on using storytelling in business to help deliver ideas and improve engagement. I use Day One to quickly record events and stories that occur on a given day. You can add tags for quick searching by topic as well as pictures. The ability to export the entries allows me to move an entry to speaking or training outlines.
Building Relationships
There's no question social media can be a huge time drain. Used correctly, however, it can be a huge source of information about an individual or organization with whom I am working (or will be working).
Where do you need to be more curious about how technology could help you?
For more on the value of technology:
6 Effective Ways To Enhance Workplace Productivity
12 Tech Tools Productivity Experts Can't Live Without
And as always, I look forward to building our relationship by connecting on one or more of my social media channels:
Twitter
Linked In
Facebook
