“Your ability to influence is directly proportional to your credibility.”
Archives for May 2015
Travel Tracking Apps
The travel section of the New York Times (24 May 2015) listed three mobile apps for tracking travel and pictures for yourself or to share. I downloaded “LiveTrekker” app and I am very impressed before I even try it. I could see using this app frequently for our local walks in the woods or finding that great little restaurant we enjoyed the last time we were in New York City. A vacation travel log is an obvious opportunity. I also see this as a great tool for teams distributed around the world to share their life experiences with each other.
Travel Log
With plans to go to Iceland and spend half my time devoted to photography, I am particularly excited. I have some great photos from prior trips to Iceland, but my memory and notes are not as helpful as I would like to plan where I want to go this time. I will have better tracking next time.
I plan to use it to mark my key paths for later review. It can be used online or offline; photo and video can be inserted; voice and written notes can be added; and all is logged for later review and editing online.
LiveTrekker can also be used as a live feed to your friends, Facebook, or blog as well. The app is free with full function. If you want to use it for business or promotion, the annual fee is $25 US.
The NYT mentioned similar apps as well. My disclaimer is that I have not compared the other apps nor recommended this one. I am just sharing my intrigue.
Remote Team Communications
One application of this type of tool is linking remote teams. One way of bringing remote teams together is for members of the team to take turns sharing visually what “A day in my life is like …” maybe by capturing pictures along their morning commute, their office setting, where they go to lunch, and perhaps some pictures of their customer locations. Sharing fast-moving videos or inserts in web pages could be easily orchestrated with a tool like this app.
Personal or Business
Being able to track business or personal plans could be very helpful. Finding that restaurant you enjoyed when you return to a city, telling a colleague a recommended place to visit while in a foreign country, are all now easier to do if you use an app like this one. And no … I do not get a commission. 🙂
Reorganization as an Opportunity
I have experienced many reorganizations as an opportunity. I found that the first six months after an organizational change, the concrete of the bureaucracy was wet and had cracks. I could get things done and changed that were not possible when the organization was stable.
Reorganizations always come packaged with good-sounding reasons that it “will improve the business and better serve the customer”. There is always skepticism and questioning of the leaders and the rationale.
Opportunity
It is in these key moments when others are confused or angry, you can find opportunity. Tie what you want to get done to the new focus as a part of your argument. I have seen amazing success at times. The organizational rules are not as clear about what can and cannot be done. Paths open up to talk to people who were not available to you before the reorganization. Those doors likely will close again in less than six months. For the opportunist much can be achieved.
Threat
I am not trying to minimize the pain and fear that many feel. Many wonder about the worst that may happen. I lost my job and started Change Masters. It was the best move of my career life. I would not have done it if I had not been pushed “out of the nest”. You will hear more stories about positive outcomes than negative outcomes from losing a job. So how big is the threat? How willing are you to miss the positive opportunities?
Choice
Are you willing to give yourself and others hope in the face of fear? Are you willing to resolve that you will be more prepared for the next reorganization? And yes…. there will be more.
I had recommended to one of my clients to network more often rather than eating lunch as his desk. In the face of a heavy workload … he never got around to it. My phone rang when the reorganization was announced. “I have eaten too many lunches my desk … now what?” was his question. My response was, “Start today and keep it up.” Focus on what you can do now and not on what you should have done.
Look for the opportunities … they are always there. Don’t waste time on what you cannot control. Work on what you can control. Find opportunity or make opportunity.
Quote – Gratitude
“As we express our gratitude we must remember that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
John F. Kennedy