Cultural difference do pose a problem though in my opinion. Some people prefer correspondence through email to videoconferencing. Especially in the sub-continent, most dealings are done via indirect means, this trend in turn causes problems when different teams with different cultural backgrounds need to work together, communication gaps arise and that disrupts the overall balance of the task at hand. I think people need to be trained at using videoconferencing, not just sent out there to fend for themselves.
It's like the "paperless office," a concept that makes so much sense, has been discussed for (at least one) decade, and still encounters more resistance than you'd imagine. I think, with videoconferencing, a lot comes to management expectations and styles vs. the capabilities of the technology. There are some people who prefer counting heads in an office. You may never convince them of the technology's benefits.
I'm with you, Dream Chaser. Like technology at large, it sits as a novelty until it begins to become common practice.
We definitely have not embraced and begun to get the benefits of digital connections with videoconferencing. So much time is still spent moving humans from space to space to sit and "meet". As is pointed out in this article, it makes great sense to have people fully engaged when needed and strategically, focusing on the issue, action, etc.
"It's Time to Connect With Videoconferencing" - - This is what I was saying back in 1995 with our product Sharevision 2000 for PC. Granted it was too expensive back then even with a dial up solution such as Sharevison but it worked good. I hope we hurry up this is getting a little ridiculous for something so practical and simple to employ. I still get blank stares, crossed arms and not much else of substance when suggesting remote work these days.
I would think that this should be considered on a case-to-case basis. While some people can multi-task and really get things done, most people can't. At least, based on what I've seen from colleagues and stories I've heard from friends, and of course, from personal experience.
So, long story (or answer) short--Yes, I would think it's a good idea not being able to multi-task in these cases.
Thank you, @dhagar. We've all, I think, been to meetings where we've wondered why we just wasted an hour or 30 minutes; conversely, I hope we've attended meetings (or, ideally, held them), where most of the time was useful, and attendees left with concrete steps to take or goals in mind. Regardless of whether they're in-person or via videoconferencing, meetings should have a goal and a focus, as you say @dhagar. When that's the case, videoconferencing makes them more effective than phone- or email-based sessions since remote attendees are more prone to listen better, feel part of the group, and share their ideas and thoughts, just as if they were physically in the room.
Good points, Joanne. I like Alison's blog. I truly think we can make wider use of videoconferencing. Your identification of the value of focus is the key, I believe, to making those human connections productive.
In the organization physical setting we spend a lot of time on the "peripherals", whether business or social, that do not directly apply or add value to the purpose. I think the videoconferencing favors a focused purpose and the engagement of all parties.
I agree, Kim, that unproductive meetings, regardless of the medium, are at the root of the problem here. One of the benefits of working for home, or working virturally, is to be able to focus. Unproductive meetings, like office chitchat, become diversions from that.
The ThinkerNet does not reflect the views of TechWeb. The ThinkerNet is an informal means of communication to members and visitors of the Internet Evolution site. Individual authors are chosen by Internet Evolution to blog. Neither Internet Evolution nor TechWeb assume responsibility for comments, claims, or opinions made by authors and ThinkerNet bloggers. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
Recently, the Obama administration has been of two minds where privacy rights are concerned. On one hand, you have an administration that vowed to veto CISPA and mandated open data for government websites. On the other hand, you have an increasingly out-of-control Department of Justice on a fishing expedition at AP and demanding legislation to let the FBI wiretap private, encrypted communications and levy fines if a company fails to comply.
The apartment and house sharing service, Airbnb, now requires members to verify their identities by demonstrating a presence on the web, and by either scanning a government ID or entering detailed personal details. Other enterprises should take a close look at Airbnb's verification policies.
Facebook advertising is a lightning rod. It seems neither brands nor consumers are 100 percent happy about the social media site's policies, placement, or procedures. But the real controversy about Facebook ads and promotions is over whether they work.
By now, you've most likely heard about the 3D-printed gun that Texas-based Defense Distributed demonstrated last week. But we haven't heard the last about the censorship war that began soon afterward.
New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is conducting a pilot test of digital kiosks to guide subway users to where they want to go more efficiently and at lower cost.
The whole Amazon.reader debate is a double-stupid. It's stupid to think that there's any e-book buyer who doesn't know Amazon's URL, and it was stupider to let ICANN launch the whole free-form TLD initiative to start with.
While NFC's original goal was to enhance mobile commerce applications, it is finding its way into a number of other uses, which is creating both opportunity as well as challenges for IT departments.
Enterprises would like to move to cloud computing but are hesitant because they are concerned about providers’ ability to secure company data. Here are some tips that help to ensure that if breaches occur, the business is not left holding the bag.
Edmunds separates customers into segments based on the info it collects on its site and from partners, and uses that to push out custom content, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
The automotive website uses propensity modeling to target ads and customer registration forms, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
Subsidized handsets, rather than locked handsets, should be the focus of regulators. We're not getting good deals, not fostering innovation, and weakening our power as buyers.
Expert Integrated Systems: Changing the Experience & Economics of IT In this e-book, we take an in-depth look at these expert integrated systems -- what they are, how they work, and how they have the potential to help CIOs achieve dramatic savings while restoring IT's role as business innovator. READ THIS eBOOK
your weekly update of news, analysis, and
opinion from Internet Evolution - FREE! REGISTER HERE
Wanted! Site Moderators Internet Evolution is looking for a handful of readers to help moderate the message boards on our site – as well as engaging in high-IQ conversation with the industry mavens on our thinkerNet blogosphere. The job comes with various perks, bags of kudos, and GIANT bragging rights. Interested?
To save this item to your list of favorite Internet Evolution content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
