This is part of an ongoing commentary on digital nomads, which is essentially another name for a mobile workforce.
Ask almost anyone if it’s important for them to stay in touch with their coworkers and they’ll say “of course!” Digital nomads will respond the same way, and at surface level there are a variety of services available to keep in touch with peers. But before listing off a variety of trendy new web sites to visit with the latest twist on sending text and media to each other, it’s important to stop for a moment to think about why people stay connected with their teammates in the first place.
Why should digital nomads stay connected with their team?
- Team members can point out new problems they’re encountering in the field with customers or business processes and share it with the greater group.
- For leadership, it’s important to regularly communicate with the team on what initiatives are the highest priorities, and share any changes to the strategic direction. It helps everyone continue to focus on what benefits the overall success of the company instead of tunneling into pet projects.
- Whenever a team member shares a story about how they screwed up with a customer and what they did afterward, it’s an immense payload for any company. People are drawn to problems, they’re curious about situations that don’t look squeaky clean and perfect. They’re more likely to take the time to read a post about a problem, and if there isn’t already a happy ending they may assist with working toward a good solution. In the end team members are learning from their peers’ mistakes.
- Sometimes it can also be effective to hear from customers directly and collaborate on solutions. Get Satisfaction does that very well, in a fun way.
- Logistically, communicating helps to organize events like product launches, conferences and networking opportunities. It keeps schedules in sync.
- There are a variety of solutions, but Google Calendar works well (installing Google Apps is even better). Backpack is another good option with lots of collaboration and project tracking built in.
- Brainstorming is always the most effective with multiple people. For digital nomads that’s difficult without an easy-to-use digital communication medium.
- A great way to share ideas online is through digital whiteboards. That allows digital nomads to quickly sketch out ideas for discussion. Skrbl is a great example.
- The web is big on mob wisdom right now, and it’s no different for teams inside a company. Whenever a problem surfaces, exposing it to many viewpoints all at once will usually result in a pretty smart suggestion or decision.
- Yahoo Answers, Digg, and Mixx are all examples of sites that use mob wisdom effectively.
Even with all of those advantages, there are times when it makes the most sense for digital nomads to work independently. Help point them toward effective communication tools but don’t create an expectation of hyperconnectedness. That will add stress and detract from productivity.
Why is it important to preserve independence for digital nomads?
- Sometimes people need space to experiment without fear of judgment. Working independently creates space to work with different ideas without the pressure of delivering an instant, ideal solution.
- Independent exploration frequently yields more diverse idea sets. After creating those ideas digital nomads will be looking for ways to share and grow them with peers.
- Too much collaboration can distract from individual goals.
Beyond the services listed above, a combination of phone, e-mail, instant messaging and a little Twittering usually takes care of the essential communications.