Work Where You Win

By Ande Frazier, Head of Vision and Brand, myWorth

The traditional 9-to-5 just doesn’t work for a lot of people anymore, myself included. As a mother of two, the head of vision and brand at a startup, a speaker, writer and author, it’s nearly impossible for me to be sitting in an office all day. With traveling for work and getting my kids to wherever they need to go, I have to be able to work whenever, wherever. And I know I’m not the only one. Where we work, how we work and when we work is evolving, so we need to figure out how to make it work for us.

A few weeks ago, I attended a meeting at a co-working space in downtown Manhattan. When I walked in, I was immediately struck with how amazing the space looked. There were designated desks, offices for those who need more privacy and whole conference rooms filled with young, tech-savvy teams. The energy was palpable. In this day of mobility, agile work streams and collaboration, work is being redefined. Here are my four tips on how to be productive, flexible and efficient at the same time.

#1. Get mobile fast.

The secret to working anywhere is having access to all your software, files and teammates at all times. I could not live without the cloud. Things like Box, Dropbox and Google Drive allow you to carry all your files with you whether you are using a tablet or laptop. Since it is not hard to find wi-fi hotspots, you should have no difficulty getting what you need when you need it. This also helps you retain files in the event you lose or damage your device. The trick here is to upload everything to these cloud platforms. If you save documents or work to your local drive, you may not have it when you need it.

#2. Leverage apps.

Available for use on a variety of devices at a small cost, apps like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Google Docs or Keynote have changed how we use technology. There is little I can’t do from my iPad Pro. I can work on a plane, in a hotel, at a Starbucks or the soccer field. I can share files with my team and always know my work is secure and at my fingertips, regardless of my physical location. Better yet, I can make use of small gaps in time that usually steal productivity from our day. I can edit a document while waiting for a doctor’s appointment.

#3. Toss the paper notebook.

I used to be one of those people who carried around a spiral notebook to write notes throughout the day. For all intents and purposes, this practice seemed to be working except for the fact that inevitably the notebook would fill up and I would have to get a new one. (There is nothing more frustrating than needing information from an old notebook that you don’t have with you.) I solved this problem by using apps like Evernote and Notability to take notes on my iPad Pro with my Apple Pencil. Now, my notes are with me, saved, tagged and readily available even from years past. Bonus: the use of my tablet as my notebook frees up critical space in my bag!

#4. Stay connected.

Working remotely is great, but in order to feel close to my teammates, I like using Skype or FaceTime to have calls. If you are working with many people, consider using Zoom or Go to Meeting where you can share work and see everyone at the same time. This promotes a feeling of community and connectedness.

The key to working where you win not only includes making sure you are set up properly, but is also about having a culture that encourages this type of work. Isn’t it time you find a place where you can work where you win? Visit myworthfinance.com to learn more.

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