Boost Productivity With Technology

Does technology make you more, or less, productive? I think it is a question that many business professionals wrestle with. I know that I can get bogged down in new tech and new gadgets and my productivity suffers. I’m sure you can relate.

I’ve found, that with my virtual staff I have shared productivity tips, techniques and technologies with them that have made our workflow easier, smoother and more productive:

• Increase your efficiency by using Skype during the day rather than sending emails. Many conversations can be taken care of in a quick chat rather than a string of emails.
• If, like we do, you have offsite employees or contractors communicate with them via video conferencing. There are free video conferencing programs including JoinMe and even Google Hangouts. 
• Use the technology in your office to its best advantage. If you have computers that take overly long to boot up and if they crash and your staff is in danger of losing important documents, you may need to upgrade and update your technology so that you and your staff can work without worry of computer glitches.
• Make advantage of the cloud. Storing documents in the cloud means that your staff can access documents and paperwork regardless of where they are located. Cloud storage of documents also means staff can access them, make changes and share with the rest of the team. This is a much better practice than emailing your documents. Make certain though that your passwords are strong.

Embrace technology, but not to the detriment of getting your daily to-dos done. What technologies have you found to be the most productive for your team?