tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67908985699333727872024-03-05T06:11:33.131-08:00Workplace 2.0Real life, real time experiences and learning of moving to a flexible/mobile work arrangement.Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-50440884668729161102012-08-09T16:09:00.001-07:002012-08-09T16:09:12.205-07:00Take a stand for health!<br />
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<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;">Hi everyone,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;">Our modern, miniature computing devices are pretty darned light. That makes a desk capacity of half a ton overkill. Monitors no longer are a team effort to move, and computers aren’t the size of single family homes! This means that sit-stand desks are a more real possibility for your home office.<br /><br />At its simplest, a standing desk could be little more than some milk crates and plywood stacked up on an existing desk. It’s ugly, but works just fine.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ergotron.com/Home/tabid/36/language/en-CA/default.aspx"><span style="color: #0079c2;">Ergotron</span></a> is the undisputed leader in the purpose built standing desk field, but not the only ones moving in this niche...check out a <a href="http://www.signaturetreadmilldesks.com/"><span style="color: #0079c2;">treadmill desk</span></a>! But did you know <a href="http://artofmanliness.com/2011/07/05/become-a-stand-up-guy-the-history-benefits-and-use-of-standing-desks/"><span style="color: #0079c2;">Standing Desks are Manly</span></a> as well? And they need not be expensive? Check <a href="http://www.ikeahackers.net/2011/01/wide-standing-desk.html"><span style="color: #0079c2;">this one</span></a> from <a href="http://ikeahackers.com/"><span style="color: blue;">ikeahackers.com</span></a> for those who are budget conscious.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.strangecosmos.com/content/item/118666.html"><span style="color: #0079c2;">This</span></a> might be a bit too “Sci Fi” for many… but its heart is in the right place<br />For the DIY crown, <a href="http://chrisshattuck.com/blog/treadmill-desk-single-most-effective-productivity-hack-my-last-year"><span style="color: #0079c2;">here’s</span></a> a treadmill desk you could make by hitting Kijiji and a hardware store!<u5:p></u5:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-Lb750HEgsFBridzqL4U88Oifc-LvZvqZB87qbwxaVbuZ6ch2hM5rvE7MXo9fXtSootQ1lroGvf8kuJQE1aO733e2CQasU6wpLWmVfM3a9UOuwYseHpaQYrlYRwHbbKCDcgLSgcoomM/s1600/lady_treadmill_desk_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-Lb750HEgsFBridzqL4U88Oifc-LvZvqZB87qbwxaVbuZ6ch2hM5rvE7MXo9fXtSootQ1lroGvf8kuJQE1aO733e2CQasU6wpLWmVfM3a9UOuwYseHpaQYrlYRwHbbKCDcgLSgcoomM/s1600/lady_treadmill_desk_sm.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;">Technology has changed the way we work in numerous, sometimes unintentionally unhealthy ways. It also has the capacity to be a catalyst for a major turn around if employed in the right manners. As we move further from traditional technology, doesn’t it make sense that our workspaces evolve in tandem? Take a stand, move away from the traditional work environment, and chew on an App or two. Small changes add up to big results!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;">I am actually looking into this for my home office, and I promise that if I do this I will take photo's and share them on the blog! What do you think? Would you like to try this instead of sitting for hours at a time? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;">Ta ta</span><br />
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<u5:p></u5:p>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-20083973390942456952012-04-17T21:48:00.000-07:002012-04-17T21:48:35.310-07:00Why Flexible Hours Inspire Performance!Hey there, have you missed me? I have missed all of you!! I have been so busy lately, but have some fantastic news to share with you. Recently, our ATB Investor Services Compass Portfolio Series was honoured by <a href="http://www.lipperweb.com/Awards/FundAwards.aspx" target="_blank">Lipper</a> as the “Best Asset Class Group”. Lipper Awards are handed out once a year to the funds that demonstrate excellence in delivering risk-adjusted returns. We were very excited to accept this award, and we even made the Calgary Herald and <a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Lamphier+earns+share+Albertans+investments/6326608/story.html" target="_blank">Edmonton Journal</a>!<br />
<div></div><div>While all this was happening, the Workplace 2.0 Pilot team concluded the pilot and began gathering all the data, crunching the numbers, reading all the comments. They even did interviews with pilot members, leaders, internal customers, and non pilot participants to ensure we understand how this pilot has impacted everyone touched by it!</div><div></div><div>I would love to share some of the preliminary results with you;</div><ul><li>For associates and leaders who were in the pilot they maintained or increased their engagement because of WP 2.0.</li>
<li>We were able to reduce our carbon footprint and give back to the environment!</li>
<li>We reduced our real-estate footprint and used space in a creative and multi-purpose way.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9F3mvIq0QqnMDlwlxDzjyvXi8sbkAMFTkzg_eDCf2W_AcKZaze_5owMbZ3lIybGBWq1UURcsyD4vE58o1MLjcMEMQ7ZhlJ_OqM6C7Hwvob3ivCe2MELxTOOAZOCGMo8eKMeEZ1s_bhUc/s1600/flexible-workplace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9F3mvIq0QqnMDlwlxDzjyvXi8sbkAMFTkzg_eDCf2W_AcKZaze_5owMbZ3lIybGBWq1UURcsyD4vE58o1MLjcMEMQ7ZhlJ_OqM6C7Hwvob3ivCe2MELxTOOAZOCGMo8eKMeEZ1s_bhUc/s1600/flexible-workplace.jpg" /></a></div><div>My most favorite result that I am going to share is that we had 5 cases where associates were approached by other firms who made solid offers to recruit them, and they choose not to leave Investor Services. I'm sure there are many reasons each person chose to stay, but there was 1 common denominator and that was the flexibility of WP 2.0. Having leaders who trust them to get the results and not caring at what time of the day they get the results.</div><div></div><div>Take a moment to read this fun article, and ask yourself how your job affects your performance!<br />
<div><a href="http://www.inc.com/margaret-heffernan/why-flexible-hours-inspire-achievement.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=button">Why Flexible Hours Inspire Performance</a></div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Ta ta</div><div></div><div></div>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-79950977690284875122012-02-10T12:40:00.000-08:002012-02-10T12:40:55.072-08:00GUEST POST: Jodi Ulrich, Workplace 2.0 Pilot Member<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Hi there! My name is Jodi, I'm the Senior Manager of Communications for ATB Investor Services, and I’m pleased to be guest blogging for Sherri this week while she is on vacation.</em> <o:p></o:p></span></span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LUlMdE0Zev3fn_51Y7vFznNPkwzzgkHppBv0vFIoh3ZeYwfYOEG28gAaIhuuyVIH2gqhay1x4oNbkAJ_KKP730IFyCXygPWr3Ye_GHV6qPydCA-3i8cks_OdneHaq8cb1i522wjn2s4/s1600/Jodi's+Cabo+Office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LUlMdE0Zev3fn_51Y7vFznNPkwzzgkHppBv0vFIoh3ZeYwfYOEG28gAaIhuuyVIH2gqhay1x4oNbkAJ_KKP730IFyCXygPWr3Ye_GHV6qPydCA-3i8cks_OdneHaq8cb1i522wjn2s4/s200/Jodi's+Cabo+Office.jpg" width="173" /></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a pilot member of the Workplace 2.0 project, I thought I’d really test the boundaries by working from Los Cabos, Mexico for two weeks. My husband and I have rented a condo here with a strong internet connection and I brought a briefcase full of devices (think laptop, iPad, Blackberry, chargers coming out the ying yang, and of course the amazing Aruba!) making my Cabo office feel just like my Calgary office…minus the snow. I know Sherri has touched on it before, and I can confirm that a flexible work environment is completely reliant on technology! When devices aren’t working, production stops very quickly. This is my fourth day in and I’ve had several interesting hiccups already and they are all related to technology.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Example #1: Two days before I left Canada, the screen went dead on my Blackberry rendering the phone useless. Due to the lack of time, I took a cell phone belonging to my colleague Alex, and was hoping I could get Telus to switch it over to my phone number and email address once I got down here. When I called on Monday, I learned that Alex’s Blackberry is not an international phone and would not work in Mexico. Shoot! So for the few phone conferences I have booked while I’m here I have been using my husband’s cell phone. Not the end of the world, but a little tricky when we both had calls scheduled and I had to rebook mine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Example #2: Another techno-glitch occurred just this morning. The power went out in our complex which meant the wireless router and Aruba were not working, and I had zero connection to emails or Office Communicator. I also knew that my laptop battery would only last for a few hours before it would die. Once again, my husband’s trusty cell phone came in handy when I sent a quick note from his email account to my team back in Calgary letting them know they could reach me on his email address if they needed anything while I was offline. Thankfully the power came on after about an hour and now I’m back in business!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With all of that being said, either of these situations could have just as easily happened at home. Regardless of where I am working in the world, I know my ability to produce results is almost entirely done through technology. The wonderful thing is, so is the rest of the world! To mitigate my phone problem I can walk down to the grocery store here in Cabo and by a pre-paid cell phone that is actually cheaper on a $ per minute basis than my Alberta phone. As well, there is a Starbucks four blocks away that has free wi-fi and plug-ins (not to mention a stunning view of the ocean) that I could use if necessary. The wireless world has made it simple to overcome any of these predicaments, which is just another reason why I am such a huge supporter of the Workplace 2.0 pilot. It has truly changed my life….especially this winter!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasdkhJbOcqx6xip7jLdef0WMAXWXOS04Q1nYC1sQVbv35pkeC4qMV6lpg9swRwZD7yIcY8VJFbuRuLPW524TLiboy0ap4H80jW-j_jin0HkYhLCdGt8RHo77CYIwAsk8efvE3uf_9UWA/s1600/Jodi+&+Sherri+in+Cabo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasdkhJbOcqx6xip7jLdef0WMAXWXOS04Q1nYC1sQVbv35pkeC4qMV6lpg9swRwZD7yIcY8VJFbuRuLPW524TLiboy0ap4H80jW-j_jin0HkYhLCdGt8RHo77CYIwAsk8efvE3uf_9UWA/s400/Jodi+&+Sherri+in+Cabo.jpg" width="400" /></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">P.S. Coincidentally, Sherri and her family are on vacation in Cabo just a few minutes from where my husband and I are staying. Here’s a pic from our awesome dinner date last night! And of course, being the working girls that we are, we spent some time talking shop while we were together. When the guys were chatting about sports, I was able to bring Sherri up to speed on what she has missed at work for the last 10 days and we also discussed a plan for a few upcoming meetings; all this while sitting beside the ocean. It was quite amazing!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-71606296271816152792012-01-27T10:20:00.000-08:002012-01-27T10:20:18.350-08:006 Myths about Results-Only Work EnvironmentIt was funny yesterday, when I showed up at the office, one of my non-Workplace 2.0 colleagues joked "You're actually working today!?" We hadn't seen each other in-person for a while, and clearly when they can't see me, they assume I am not working... I was a little taken aback, but before I could respond one of the ladies on my team yelled from the collaboration space, "That's SLUDGE!"<br />
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</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was so proud! It was another confirmation for me that our pilot members have really paid attention to the recommended readings, listened to all the conversations, discussions and feedback we had been trying to share with them! Our Workplace 2.0 initiative really will not work if we don't have buy-in from the participants. </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8Eoxx8fbC4jzKo9ptDPqD67NLneR3U_2PttDlHJg2mudbLkClNwcLFb2T084wgUbKnOV4VMrHSoUcMrq89vZk3mXLHdip7RpgJ5G3cGJQzRfpg26R5m7pNIN5w6NZefrRO1uWWtblPo/s1600/asset_upload_file131_125100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8Eoxx8fbC4jzKo9ptDPqD67NLneR3U_2PttDlHJg2mudbLkClNwcLFb2T084wgUbKnOV4VMrHSoUcMrq89vZk3mXLHdip7RpgJ5G3cGJQzRfpg26R5m7pNIN5w6NZefrRO1uWWtblPo/s400/asset_upload_file131_125100.jpg" width="400px" /></a>I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson last year at an event held by the City of Calgary at Heritage Park. These ladies (pictured left) are the 'inventors' of the ROWE concept, and inspired my team and I to create our 'workplace of the future'... Later known as Workplace 2.0 </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cali and Jody co-authored one of my favorite books, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Why-Work-Sucks-How-Joke/dp/1591842034#_" target="_blank">Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It</a>, which I have previously <a href="http://workplace2dot0.blogspot.com/2011/11/recommended-reading-why-work-sucks.html" target="_blank">blogged about</a>. In the book, they define SLUDGE as: <em>"the negative commentary that occurs naturally in a workplace and is based on outdated beliefs about time and work"</em> (page 30). The ROWE concept is based on 'smashing the clock' and not working on a time-based schedule, but a results-based schedule. This 'paradigm shift' is bound to conjure up some sludge in your workplace, so prepare for how you are going to deal with that before implementing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Cali and Jodi's new company <a href="http://www.gorowe.com/" target="_blank">CultureRX</a> has a blog, which is a fantastic source of information To start you off, I want to direct you to one of my favorite articles: <a href="http://www.gorowe.com/2011/12/05/5-myths-about-results-only-work-environment/" target="_blank">6 Myths about Results-Only Work Environment</a>.<br />
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ta taSherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-29144908553434333592012-01-25T07:56:00.000-08:002012-01-25T07:56:27.389-08:00Is working from home what you expected?Is working from home all it's cracked up to be? Thomas Klassen argues 'No' in last week's <a href="http://m.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/the-essay/working-from-home-isnt-all-its-cracked-up-to-be/article2307133/?service=mobile" target="_blank">Globe and Mail article</a>, but what do you think?<br />
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It was so odd for me to read this article as I have not had the same issues as Thomas. I would love to hear what the other pilot members think.<br />
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Ta taSherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-88134767603463168322012-01-23T07:50:00.000-08:002012-01-23T07:50:52.626-08:00What are the non-Workplace 2.0 associates thinking?This week I was in Edmonton at an internal learning session, and had an insightful conversation with one of our Senior Financial Advisor's about Workplace 2.0, and more specifically the OCS technology we use.<br />
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He brought up a valid point - what do non-Workplace 2.0 or even non-Video Enabled associates think or understand about how we work inside Investor Services? What should we be doing to educate our partners in other lines of business about these work philosophies?<br />
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We have a fantastic and unique sub-culture developing inside of Investor Services where we no longer assume someone is on holidays, slacking off or not being productive if they aren't physically at work. We trust that they know the results they need to achieve, whether we can see them or not.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAyR3M53xC2zpxFt3Dw9Cdw3b-JfN7tBHXora9cnccd1aXRtKWBDI_Fv0br0t0B5glnE38Oz1_JJZ4wxJZL8ZfyfoYaaGZHqIqGJKjGvF-r2GgIm0QRStgpTWlcoW5huFXD7i8OTrfio/s1600/ocs-c2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAyR3M53xC2zpxFt3Dw9Cdw3b-JfN7tBHXora9cnccd1aXRtKWBDI_Fv0br0t0B5glnE38Oz1_JJZ4wxJZL8ZfyfoYaaGZHqIqGJKjGvF-r2GgIm0QRStgpTWlcoW5huFXD7i8OTrfio/s320/ocs-c2.jpg" width="320px" /></a><br />
BUT if you are someone outside of our sub-culture, the only way you know of working is to be in the office by 8AM and not leave until after 5PM. It must be hard to wrap your head around the fact your Investor Services partners are truly working, even though you don't physically see them in the office or branch during that time period. <br />
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One of the great points the SFA made to me was about our high adoption rate of OCS and the fact we all understand that we are reachable there most of the time. Barring that, we all have access to our cell phones or iPads. If all the people you work with are right next to you or down a hall way, taking advantage of the OCS techology does not enter into your daily activity. All you know is that we aren't there when you want to talk to us.<br />
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So how do we spread our message? How do we ensure our partners know we are still available to them anytime they need us, just by different channels of communication? Do we hold learning sessions on the technology so they can get us when ever they need?<br />
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Or is this even something we should be worried about? Is it just a matter of time before the rest of the organization catches up to us?<br />
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Food for thought...<br />
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Ta taSherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-63432146131494444462012-01-20T13:13:00.000-08:002012-01-20T13:13:06.359-08:00Are we ready for unlimited vacation time?<a href="http://www.inc.com/joe-reynolds/give-your-employees-unlimited-vacation-time.html" target="_blank">Give Your Employees Unlimited Vacation Time</a><br />
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Here is a question for each of you: <br />
<strong>"Are we at ATB, or even just ATBIS ready to have a culture of unlimited vacation time?"</strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_muon72Eivqwe5dJ-FAIcS0vajR7TNOFOShNToRvSA3tU5c6WRrFvKMeMekIzZug7EC8ls_fDFoLZDChls_xUd_rhqYxZMKnSorWeO0GEVwyPku_4MNSEfQOj1HKzFHsaQuWR5QpyqA/s1600/d1ee1a36418ea8b06ac5fcd22a72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_muon72Eivqwe5dJ-FAIcS0vajR7TNOFOShNToRvSA3tU5c6WRrFvKMeMekIzZug7EC8ls_fDFoLZDChls_xUd_rhqYxZMKnSorWeO0GEVwyPku_4MNSEfQOj1HKzFHsaQuWR5QpyqA/s320/d1ee1a36418ea8b06ac5fcd22a72.jpg" width="320" /></a>What would we need to ensure was in place to make this a reality? Would our associates embrace this? Would our leaders embrace this? <br />
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To me, this really is ROWE. You own your time, you own your performance plan, and you know what results you need to complete. In this case, when or how much holidays is totally up to you and how you assess your capacity and productivity.<br />
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I would love to hear others perspectives!<br />
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Ta taSherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-30992893080104901332012-01-16T18:20:00.000-08:002012-01-16T18:20:51.809-08:00A frightening thought!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5vWsobZMBUuEsfJ-FtV7nfgbn_DpW_bV40P0HFzqIXl4XjySq0sh51WXP1Uj7WPT82FVo9iGM7ae9e_n87gDDk_kmX7PrbiF07wjN80ALJpCkIGBenqddHXSFUhyKWJ1ci-ktabDqw8/s1600/home_alone_movie_image__3_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5vWsobZMBUuEsfJ-FtV7nfgbn_DpW_bV40P0HFzqIXl4XjySq0sh51WXP1Uj7WPT82FVo9iGM7ae9e_n87gDDk_kmX7PrbiF07wjN80ALJpCkIGBenqddHXSFUhyKWJ1ci-ktabDqw8/s320/home_alone_movie_image__3_.jpg" width="207px" /></a>I sat in my home office today as usual, pumping through meetings, emails, project work and my personal life (yes that's right, while being super productive at work, I also made chili, took my grandma to a doctor's appointment, and loaded my dishwasher!!). When I logged on to write another blog post, I had a FRIGHTENING thought - Workplace 2.0 is only a pilot. A pilot that ends February 21st... AAHHHH!</div><br />
What will happen if the productivity or engagement results or the footprint reduction falls below the minimum requirement? What if our business case doesn't result in the pilot being rolled out across the entire organization? I can't go back to a downtown office 100% of the time. This new way of working isn't something I think I can give up.<br />
<br />
That is when it hit me. I am not trying this. I am not in a pilot. I have adopted this new way of working wholehartedly!<br />
<br />
So to all my fellow pilot members out there, embrace Workplace 2.0 as your new way of working. Complete the weekly surveys, fill in the workspace log sheets at R.O.W.E. mile, do everything that is needed to gather all the positive data we need to ensure we prove Workplace 2.0 is here to stay. Without each of us taking the time to share our productivity, engagement level, what is working, what isn't, and talking to our leaders, we can't expect the big guns to have enough data to agree on rolling it out across the organization.<br />
<br />
That is my thought for the day.<br />
<br />
Ta ta<br />
<br />
SherriSherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-41376236619805309422012-01-13T16:04:00.000-08:002012-01-13T16:04:16.489-08:00Imagine this...<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had meetings in Edmonton this week that couldn't be done virtually. This was actually wonderful, as I hadn't been to the Edmonton office in almost a year, and was missing the casual chats with all my collegues up there.</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirabcRYLIRXo5bOoLMTN3vkgYdPEXijYkkm7uXvXWCVzjzX7zL7WiP0pCY78MmTMxWeeZFLiNH7T6nRV3d-Y-CUOVrv7PCnfAN3klHd669-Kzk1YfIpuVO4ouF2rXwcVBDg2SCVDdrxIA/s1600/officeonthego_j_1317245cl-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirabcRYLIRXo5bOoLMTN3vkgYdPEXijYkkm7uXvXWCVzjzX7zL7WiP0pCY78MmTMxWeeZFLiNH7T6nRV3d-Y-CUOVrv7PCnfAN3klHd669-Kzk1YfIpuVO4ouF2rXwcVBDg2SCVDdrxIA/s320/officeonthego_j_1317245cl-8.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>Two of my fellow associates were joining me on this adventure. Our flight left at 8:30 AM, so I suggested we all meet around 7:45-ish to go through security and grab a coffee. I arrived as planned to see that my associates had actually been there since before 7!! Both catching up on emails and prepping for the days to come. Now that's an example of work anywhere - when you think you will be productive and when you are on a tight deadline! I personally can't work at airports, it just doesn't work for me, so I hadn't even considered coming early. Heck no, I stayed snug in my bed as long as humanly possible!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakQ9860aMkKa5dT5h9IrrsfxXPtY6aeWund-WDYWKU7WOA19_rypQS5vEEjigvcgwy8PA1sylbKBXZdJDuAsz5W_AXjkXr0CY9hyKGOz3dRmo_8_caslNXri2QZZfbcuD0TIBwE7vFw8/s1600/Calgary-Edmonton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakQ9860aMkKa5dT5h9IrrsfxXPtY6aeWund-WDYWKU7WOA19_rypQS5vEEjigvcgwy8PA1sylbKBXZdJDuAsz5W_AXjkXr0CY9hyKGOz3dRmo_8_caslNXri2QZZfbcuD0TIBwE7vFw8/s320/Calgary-Edmonton.jpg" width="217px" /></a>Our flight was delayed (is anyone be surprised by this?) and we ended up running very tight on time for my first meeting. We decided the best plan of action was to go straight to the hotel, hope at least one of our rooms was available, I would take my conference call and my associates would work from the room until it was time to head over to the office.<br />
<br />
So imagine me at the hotel room desk, pulling up presentations on my laptop, using my blackberry as a speaker phone, and typing notes on my iPad. I looked comical if I do say so myself! That left one more chair and the bed, so one of the girls set up at the chair with the foot stool as a desk, and the other proped up on the bed. And that's where we all worked productively and happily for the next hour and a half!<br />
We then grabbed lunch at the hotel, and dashed over to the office to mix and mingle before we went our seperate ways for meetings. We took over one "office" that was borrowed from one of my corporate partners while she was out with clients. So all of us eventually ended up back together hoteling in one office for the last 3 hours of our day.<br />
<br />
We even talked about our productivity levels, our enagement levels since we got to hang out together and work. Honestly I had a blast, got everything I wanted to accomplished and WAY more!<br />
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Another example of working when it works for you, where it works for you as long as you get the results.<br />
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Ta ta<br />
<br />
SherriSherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-48324700127633618892012-01-11T10:41:00.000-08:002012-01-11T10:41:44.526-08:00Workplace 2.0 made The Globe and Mail today!!Workplace 2.0 made The <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/shaping-the-future/working-from-homes-image-problem/article2297797/page1/" target="_blank">Globe and Mail</a> today. How great does our boss look working from his home office?? <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2ZFQUP-OWVp1-LUOfYH99y4a8HSRM1ymUxLwZFT4KMZrN4taRyM0Ezv7TKVPiBPabn_OYjH29qAhWTSmtF88sa5FIpLT_hKQxmrsSppMRZeezRJmf01NVEcVFw_xrVVBvao_2saJhEI/s1600/Sheldon+Globe+and+Mail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2ZFQUP-OWVp1-LUOfYH99y4a8HSRM1ymUxLwZFT4KMZrN4taRyM0Ezv7TKVPiBPabn_OYjH29qAhWTSmtF88sa5FIpLT_hKQxmrsSppMRZeezRJmf01NVEcVFw_xrVVBvao_2saJhEI/s320/Sheldon+Globe+and+Mail.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-63428605248451875412012-01-11T07:01:00.000-08:002012-01-11T07:01:33.056-08:00Collecting and responding to feedback<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Every week we send out a survey to our pilot members. It's short and sweet so it doesn't take up too much of their time, but it provides us with really valuable feedback. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a full month of receiving fantastic comments from our participants (both positive and negative), we decided to let them know how their responses are effecting Workplace 2.0. Last week we sent out a newsletter that listed just a few of the changes we have made to the project. These changes include policy, furniture and technology, and were all made because our pilot members told us that's what they needed. the feedback from the newsletter alone was really positive, so we are going to continue with it on a bi-weekly basis. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRwY7iB9zQkxm4j4uvy-tBGDbL-vcP623DCVSOdPH8e3w5KkdIfzx7gSiyELaPIVo46m8kwWMZh0IHRpGRePrMSSABI4rvNNaHeAhBgLrOE9ikIjDS8yPOMhnhLnHwZl1GPT4C3IRTFg/s1600/Workplace2NewsLetter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRwY7iB9zQkxm4j4uvy-tBGDbL-vcP623DCVSOdPH8e3w5KkdIfzx7gSiyELaPIVo46m8kwWMZh0IHRpGRePrMSSABI4rvNNaHeAhBgLrOE9ikIjDS8yPOMhnhLnHwZl1GPT4C3IRTFg/s640/Workplace2NewsLetter.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="429px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here are a few of the really positive comments we have received. They really hit home the reason this project is so important:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">"This week my daughter was ill on the usual day that I go into the office. Having the ability to work from home I was able to communicate to my team the change in my schedule to work from home, provide the care my daughter needed from home and get my job done from home! I love ATBIS and Workplace 2.0."</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">"On one of the days that I should have worked at the office, the weather was bad and the highway was very slippery so I stayed home that day since I had my laptop and did my work. I contacted the office and got someone to open the envelopes that were for me and got them to scan the docs to me so I could work from the scanned docs. It worked out really good."</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><img height="96px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRwY7iB9zQkxm4j4uvy-tBGDbL-vcP623DCVSOdPH8e3w5KkdIfzx7gSiyELaPIVo46m8kwWMZh0IHRpGRePrMSSABI4rvNNaHeAhBgLrOE9ikIjDS8yPOMhnhLnHwZl1GPT4C3IRTFg/s640/Workplace2NewsLetter.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 130px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 204px; visibility: hidden;" width="64px" />Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-41409336460162650992012-01-05T16:28:00.000-08:002012-01-05T16:28:37.245-08:00When I grow up...My teammate Leeann Jarman stumbled upon this great video by Kevin Jones - she was kind enough to share it with me so I could share it with all of you! It really captures why Workplace 2.0 is so on the money!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Jt3LR19RtUI" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Check out the actual <a href="http://engagedlearning.net/post/when-i-grow-up-video-we-never-intended-to-work-this-way/" target="_blank">article</a> where he has transcripted the words, including my favorite:</div><div aptureproxy="56"><em>I want to make things up for my year end review.</em></div><em>Fight traffic to do work I could have done at home.</em><br />
<em>Be forced to attend worthless meetings.</em><br />
<em>Write reports that no one will read.</em><br />
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What do you want to be when you grow up? And really... don't you want to come and work for ATB now?<br />
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tata<br />
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SherriSherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-41259268027397004242012-01-04T13:06:00.000-08:002012-01-04T13:06:02.816-08:00What am I missing when I work from home?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tnODtm8dAKs5q1cVoyQvtQp2p2aJjJzHUwDodEzqfK_8qzES4ga34hTdU8Sw8Mep17BaJ6iwMjgaelGSLxSeh-SwOCwwl8p4WWk3Q9pheC1v6qiBV4fKCHs4MO2UYb2C0q__vONQsl8/s1600/feeling_left_out_big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tnODtm8dAKs5q1cVoyQvtQp2p2aJjJzHUwDodEzqfK_8qzES4ga34hTdU8Sw8Mep17BaJ6iwMjgaelGSLxSeh-SwOCwwl8p4WWk3Q9pheC1v6qiBV4fKCHs4MO2UYb2C0q__vONQsl8/s400/feeling_left_out_big.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div>Yesterday marked my first day back to work in the new year! It was a normal work from home day for me, I set myself up with my favorite cup of tea and iTunes playing in the background and dug into budgets. <br />
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As my day progressed and no one called or video chatted me, I started to wonder how everyone elses holidays had been, how their kids liked the presents from Santa and if they all had fun at New Years Eve...<br />
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In the past we would have all sat around with our coffee's and shared stories and got caught up on each others news and would have all felt connected. I sure wasnt feeling connected. <br />
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So I OCS'd one of my team members and she took me (via computer) around to say hi to the other team members who were in the office yesterday, we did a quick 5 minute catch-up and I felt so much better.<br />
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I then went back to my head-down work and was SO productive. When I started to think about it, I asked myself "What did I not do today that I would normally have done if I had been in the office?"<br />
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<ol><li>I didn't run out to grab a coffee from Tim's! Hmmm that saved me money and productivity time.</li>
<li>I didn't spend an hour catching up with different collegues in the office. Hmmm that saved me MORE productivity time.</li>
<li>I didn't run out to buy myself something for lunch... Hmmm more money and time savings!</li>
<li>I didn't sit in traffic or fight for parking... Saved me some sanity!</li>
<li>I didn't run to my favorite shoe store.... you get the picture.</li>
</ol>So I know I missed the social catch-up part, but that was easily accomplished in a very short period of time. And the other things, really if you look at what I gained versus what I 'lost', I think I am ahead of the game.<br />
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Just more food for thought.<br />
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ta ta<br />
<br />
SherSherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-33321918005633787092011-12-23T15:01:00.000-08:002011-12-23T15:01:20.489-08:00First out of country test a success!I am so lucky to have a team that is willing to try just about anything. If we say we can work anytime anywhere, we want to put our money where our mouth is!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3zmJdrwdBi-3Hxx6XiewMIRWV06zv8TRO4K5ISbGglCr8SMxk2KuKQdBsEeTLZwnddXvFJdQPjMwGJBnjfOtfNEeeotGWKzWWel1Wo43NnbfIac9MmK41dAC9V83VBqhE802l4vTmHU/s1600/062211_kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3zmJdrwdBi-3Hxx6XiewMIRWV06zv8TRO4K5ISbGglCr8SMxk2KuKQdBsEeTLZwnddXvFJdQPjMwGJBnjfOtfNEeeotGWKzWWel1Wo43NnbfIac9MmK41dAC9V83VBqhE802l4vTmHU/s320/062211_kindle.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I have two leaders on my team that had holidays planned, one to Pheonix for 2 weeks and one to Mexico for 2 weeks. Each thought it would be great to add a week of work before and after their vacation time from their international locations. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Why would we want to test this? There are many reasons. Will our technology work outside Calgary or Canada? Will they still be productive in tropical locations? Each of them leads a team of people, so how would their team's react to their leader being even more remote? Would it be any more difficult to lead a team, coach a team, or even just have team meetings?</div><br />
We have now successfully tested Pheonix! Everything worked! The technology didn't fail, Jenn's productivity (which is normally off the chart) became even better, if that is possible. The team still had their meetings, Jenn still provided coaching and development moments virtually, and I as her leader had absolutely no issues. Projects were completed on time, if not early, we were always able to connect when we needed to, and our coaching relationship worked fine from afar as well.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjzxFe9EEMFPV3HzP9Qa2I4tc3uQHwN7qW_YWnIkQxambXd3p44rUWTjfhjfO9AsfAvXR7UMtgle3dpDa1oIMkdV54kbiHPnyd88WKpiEOxq8e6l5QUbF1ElFtrWFwvhyLR5L4go8qFI/s1600/DaveMowat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjzxFe9EEMFPV3HzP9Qa2I4tc3uQHwN7qW_YWnIkQxambXd3p44rUWTjfhjfO9AsfAvXR7UMtgle3dpDa1oIMkdV54kbiHPnyd88WKpiEOxq8e6l5QUbF1ElFtrWFwvhyLR5L4go8qFI/s320/DaveMowat.jpg" width="320px" /></a>Our next guinea pig leaves for Mexico in early February, so I will keep you posted on that situation! If our tests continue to be successful, think of the possibilities for my team!! We could have world leaders in area's of expertise that we need from around the world work for us, but never leave their home country... our talent pool might just have become the entire world!</div><br />
Ta ta<br />
<br />
SherSherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-92073193382792778892011-12-14T12:42:00.000-08:002011-12-14T12:42:56.220-08:00Sherri Wright-Schwietz Recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for Excellence in Recruitment<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>Sherri was recently recognized by a premier publisher for executives and professionals, lead by Donald Trump Jr. It is an elite networking resource limited to individuals who have demonstrated leadership and achievement in their industry and occupation. Congratulations Sherri!!</em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><em>---------------------------------------------</em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi1XJU4C361YlbKJVG-nkXqeCQ_mjdOhDk5Lm5bvunUrml9SI_ScVEkUxFG3Rpogm7X4HPgsd1DmwDU7Oeodo_H83di58h5MmHAx87tBBYc4nxcYFMTHV3O7eb-RiFb3xG6VXW-pYzjM/s1600/SherriCambridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi1XJU4C361YlbKJVG-nkXqeCQ_mjdOhDk5Lm5bvunUrml9SI_ScVEkUxFG3Rpogm7X4HPgsd1DmwDU7Oeodo_H83di58h5MmHAx87tBBYc4nxcYFMTHV3O7eb-RiFb3xG6VXW-pYzjM/s400/SherriCambridge.JPG" width="263" /></a>CALGARY, AB, CANADA, December 14, 2011 <b>/Cambridge Who's Who/</b> -- Sherri Wright-Schwietz, CHRP, Head of Talent and Story for ATB Investor Services, a subsidiary of ATB Financial, <a href="http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/sherri-wrightschwietz-recognized-by-cambridge-whos-who-for-excellence-in-recruitment-252545.php" target="_blank">has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who</a> for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in her approach to recruitment. As the Head of Talent and Story for ATB Investor Services, Sherri develops innovative human resources and communications strategies to support a rapidly growing wealth management firm.<br />
<br />
She is a strong leader and perpetual team player, providing associates with extraordinary training and coaching, as well as industry-leading programs and tools. She is focused on developing rewards that matter to individuals, and creating opportunities and experiences that will help each associate grow within his or her career with ATB. Throughout her tenure at ATB Investor Services, Sherri has received several international awards for her innovative orientation package and industry-leading recruitment process, having most importantly been honored with the HR Summit Award in 2009 and again in 2010. Sherri hopes to be seen as a world leader in the talent recruitment field, and her goal is to add value to all areas of ATB Investor Services. "My mission is to change the way we view the company-associate relationship. I would like to help HR professionals see the business value we can add when we look at our roles with different lenses."<br />
<br />
Sherri has worked hard to create an employee-centric, engaged corporate culture within ATB Investor Services. She is currently implementing a customized flexible workplace initiative to the organization, and is documenting the experience on her <a href="http://workplace2dot0.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>. This culture change is radical for the investment community, but is intended to transform the way work is done - measuring results instead of time. <br />
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Sherri received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Calgary in 1996. Her educational background drives her love of the profession; working with people and discovering the things that motivate them. She is a Certified Human Resource Professional, having earned the distinction from the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations, and enjoys mentoring others in the profession as a member of Human Resources Institute of Alberta, the Association of Professional Recruiters of Canada and the Society for Human Resource Management. <br />
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For more information about ATB Investor Services, visit <a class="link_release_content" href="http://invest.atb.com/" target="_blank">http://invest.atb.com/</a><br />
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<strong>About Cambridge Who's Who </strong><br />
With over 400,000 members representing every major industry, <a class="link_release_content" href="http://www.cambridgeregistry.com/" target="_blank">Cambridge Who's Who</a> is a powerful networking resource that enables professionals to outshine their competition, in part through effective branding and marketing. <a class="link_release_content" href="http://www.cambridgeregistry.com/" target="_blank">Cambridge Who's Who</a> employs similar public relations techniques to those utilized by Fortune 500 companies and makes them cost-effective for members who seek to take advantage of its career enhancement and business advancement services. Cambridge is pleased to welcome its new Executive Director of Global Branding and Networking, <a class="link_release_content" href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/donald-trump-jr-joins-cambridge-whos-who-as-executive-director-of-global-branding-and-networking-90793174.html" target="_blank">Donald Trump Jr.</a>, who is eager to share his extensive experience in this arena with members.<br />
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<a class="link_release_content" href="http://www.cambridgewhoswhoconnect.com/video/cambridge-whos-who-member" target="_blank">Cambridge Who's Who membership</a> provides individuals with a valuable third party endorsement of their accomplishments and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. In addition to publishing biographies in print and electronic form, it offers an online networking platform where members can establish new professional relationships.<br />
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For more information, please visit <a class="link_release_content" href="http://www.cambridgeregistry.com/" target="_blank">http://www.cambridgeregistry.com/</a>.<br />
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# # #</div>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-66406474029263137892011-12-09T11:36:00.000-08:002011-12-09T11:36:18.805-08:00Survey says...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShZqhYJOZbpamLAmUGoVUgsikO_Of9A0SUOP_IVd85ceKiiGsq_5SkqeZLcVsHjk4LCsU_CcPFEZr5TZ1q33CWKUPAqHQtNPkRGIkQKK_EvAVJ8jocqzBc8rMHnlx_hJJuKq2Pyl6XbU/s1600/WP2.0survey1.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
In November 2011, we administered a survey to the Workplace 2.0 pilot members before they started actively participating in the program. The pilot members provided very valuable information on their current work environment. After the pilot period is complete, these same participants will be asked to complete a post-pilot survey that will be used to measure, improve, and scale the program across the company. A total of <strong>34 ATB associates</strong> and managers were asked to participate, and with a <strong>100% response rate</strong>, here are a few interesting findings:<br />
<ul><li>Nearly all ATB respondents (85%) report working from home some of the time already. Of those that do currently work from home, the average is 18 hours a week. The majority of that time is during normal business hours.</li>
<li>The average amount of time respondents take to <strong>commute one-way</strong> is <strong>31.5 minutes</strong>, which equates to 263 hours and approximately <strong>$3,318 in a year</strong>. </li>
<li>The majority (between 88 and 97%) of respondents feel they are able to easily keep in touch with contacts, maintain relationships, collaborate with colleagues, and receive timely assisstance when they need it. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In response to the statement "My company's senior leadership team is supportive of remote work arrangements" 65% of pilot members Strongly Agreed, 29% Agreed and 6% were Neutral. That means none of our participants feel as though our executive team are unsupportive of them working remotely.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Current companyy satisfaction is very high. Our goal with this program would be to maintain or improve these results:</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKcUGQwjNidWfe3MAjbdb6PAg3bJ2vr3Cl4S_STuoY-ZREseov5XlFikI9aaaS1cWm0jPgBdNCuJI5Fj8OEiHYWvxeQ3922ffLu4leoGrllkdeYgc-mMq_5zEXcngy_zL5TZVsmvyvbs/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKcUGQwjNidWfe3MAjbdb6PAg3bJ2vr3Cl4S_STuoY-ZREseov5XlFikI9aaaS1cWm0jPgBdNCuJI5Fj8OEiHYWvxeQ3922ffLu4leoGrllkdeYgc-mMq_5zEXcngy_zL5TZVsmvyvbs/s640/Capture.JPG" width="520" /></a></div>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-54680913050822137862011-11-29T15:17:00.000-08:002011-11-29T15:17:30.975-08:00Could working any time, any place help people recover from illnesses faster?Could you tell I haven't been working for the last 10 days? My guess is ‘no’! My amazing team has been guest writing and posting some pre-prepared pieces while I have been off recovering from surgery. This experience has me appreciating my work arrangement, as I am just now able to sit at a computer and type.<br />
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I am still not even close to being able to drive, and in a normal work environment that would be a problem. I would need to find rides to work, places to rest (as I am only able to work a short burst and then need to recover), or my alternative would be to stay off work for a much longer period of time.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcG980DXmDeM2w6RFozBcEix55kgTb_YaxqPwmyZHF-SNedspr88Ji14U7Uaju3C1hOVyI-cRhra8NSUFYsLv-mYwPQAECN4ZJPBviuzNcCbIF7kLz1pueDAx-Aj4NiHxAzMbrtTMbXA/s1600/working+sick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcG980DXmDeM2w6RFozBcEix55kgTb_YaxqPwmyZHF-SNedspr88Ji14U7Uaju3C1hOVyI-cRhra8NSUFYsLv-mYwPQAECN4ZJPBviuzNcCbIF7kLz1pueDAx-Aj4NiHxAzMbrtTMbXA/s320/working+sick.jpg" width="320px" /></a>But because of my situation, I am able to work sooner; from the comfort of my home, and at a pace where I am comfortable. I take a few meetings, or write a few blog posts, and then can go take a quick nap. So instead of being off work (away from the office is what traditional recovery means) and unproductive for 6 weeks like the doctors recommend, I can start adding value again in small ways much sooner. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I feel more engaged with both my recovery and my work as I can feel useful and let my mind work verse sitting on my couch watching daytime television. Don't get me wrong, a few good chick flicks is fun, but good grief who thought Bo and Hope would still be on TV after all these years?!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I feel connected to the business and my team, while at the same time able to heal and take care of myself to ensure a smooth and speedy recovery. If I couldn't do anything, or stay connected how hard would it be for me to come back to work after 6 weeks? I would feel disconnected, awkward, and useless; like no one needed me or missed me.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now I am excited to do small things that keep me in the loop and keep me feeling connected... this could be a whole new way of getting people back to work sooner and helping them recover easier. Traditionally, I would be told I could come back to a physical office, only once I could drive, then most likely only for part days. That is so prescriptive, it doesn't work for my pain or healing nor does it mean I am available when my team needs me in those set few hours. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The way I am easing in, my team can ping me and I can respond then, when they don't need me I can rest, in the comfort of my own home.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Food for thought.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ta ta</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
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</div>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-7938395565340126112011-11-22T08:43:00.000-08:002011-11-22T08:44:21.607-08:00GUEST POST: Leeann Jarman, Workplace 2.0 Pilot Member<em>Hello, my name is Leeann and I am sharing my experiences as a Workplace 2.0 pilot member. Remember Sherri’s first few posts (mostly about what not to do)? Well I was a part of that that group! What a wild and eventful ride it has been. There have been ups and downs, people politely kicking others out of their pre-booked spaces, and mostly flying by the seat of our pants every day! We are finally settling in to newly formed norms, and a really exciting culture that we never envisioned when we started. Here is short story of why I am thrilled and 110% committed to our results only work environment:</em><br />
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<strong>Nov. 18, 2011</strong> - Today is a great day to produce some results… from home! Snow hit hard this morning, it's building up outside and the temperature is below 16 degrees (-25 with wind chill). It's cold, snowy and icy out there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgVxl7tlDE-3vu_Ddh7XkHJ0f26X9c3LHdup5D0-jf-5iR2JwVBT3Jaa9oT6M9bVeQDmvmDojl63NL5qjPsDmI39hSVnhxrtZZG9e_7gwEPD-yAVXLLANNBaOCoKtccCxDRwjTwu8Gio/s1600/FRAZZLED+LADY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgVxl7tlDE-3vu_Ddh7XkHJ0f26X9c3LHdup5D0-jf-5iR2JwVBT3Jaa9oT6M9bVeQDmvmDojl63NL5qjPsDmI39hSVnhxrtZZG9e_7gwEPD-yAVXLLANNBaOCoKtccCxDRwjTwu8Gio/s200/FRAZZLED+LADY.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>If I worked in an environment that supported punching the clock and being present so everyone can witness how amazingly productive I am, I would have had to make the 2.5 hour commute downtown this morning. I would have arrived at work, very tired from getting up so early, just to be late anyways. Not to mention, I would be feeling exceptionally cranky from having been stuck in my car doing nothing. And to top it all off… I would have had the same treacherous commute home! Yes, I would have been a huge joy to be around all day ----><br />
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Instead, I rolled out of bed late, played with my son and enjoyed some quiet bonding time this morning. It was a 10 minute commute to drop him off at the day-home and I was up and running within 1 hour, instead of the 3+ hours it would have taken if I was required to go to the office today.<br />
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I love my job and I love being empowered to decide how, when and WHERE my work gets done. Especially today. I hope all those suffering from winters blast today do their best to stay afe and warm!<br />
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Leeann.Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-6237440450016587082011-11-21T13:41:00.000-08:002011-11-21T13:41:27.657-08:00Special Delivery!!We had a special visitor in our new collaboration space last week. Dave Mowat, the President of ATB Financial, was in the building. Instead of setting up shop in one of the executive offices, he decided to work in our open office space! What a team player:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKXg8jbeCc6rNpA2KhjrZkZThzZQ8iQPV5aVPHhprNukFZ_lSVOs0YM53l0kSoFaHolWPpd05zKuNFF7psgm1OhR1Q3Em9kX-rHoDbNkGmR6BqnwyYVusju0p294CNFxZMzmLxF65_H0/s1600/DaveMowat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKXg8jbeCc6rNpA2KhjrZkZThzZQ8iQPV5aVPHhprNukFZ_lSVOs0YM53l0kSoFaHolWPpd05zKuNFF7psgm1OhR1Q3Em9kX-rHoDbNkGmR6BqnwyYVusju0p294CNFxZMzmLxF65_H0/s400/DaveMowat.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-28735000821568627162011-11-17T08:44:00.000-08:002011-11-17T08:44:33.894-08:00Workplace 2.0 in the Media: @SheldonDyck talks shop<h2>Job on a Wire</h2><h3>Telecommuting is becoming increasingly popular, but do you have what it takes to be productive in your pyjamas?</h3><div id="share">By Steve Macleod</div><div>via <a href="http://www.unlimitedmagazine.com/2011/08/job-on-a-wire/">http://www.unlimitedmagazine.com/2011/08/job-on-a-wire/</a></div><div><span id="more-18296"></span> </div><div class="entry">Sheldon Dyck hasn’t had an office in three and a half years.<br />
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The president of ATB Investor Services spends a couple of days a week working from home; a day or two traveling or working from a satellite location; and the balance of his work week is spent in a downtown hotel room, a meeting room, or a shared facility with a boardroom.<br />
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Even with the sporadic workplace arrangement – and a staff spread across Alberta – Dyck still manages to gather with his team for lunch. But instead of making reservations at a restaurant, Dyck makes sure pretty much everyone on his team has hi-definition video conferencing capability on their computers.<br />
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If their laptops are equipped with a good enough camera, employees can join the video conference from a restaurant, a park bench or their kitchen table. Pyjamas hardly ever show up.<br />
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“People carry their persona to whatever location they are going to, whether it’s digitally or physically,” he says. “There probably are fewer suits and ties, but people dress for the nature of the meeting.”<br />
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For a handful of people, working from their sofa without worrying about getting dressed is the ideal way to spend a workday. However, Dyck says, many ATB employees partaking in a virtual work arrangement do not have either the space or distraction-free setting conducive to being productive at home. For these staff members, being part of “workplace 2.0” is about having the commute time cut to five minutes and having their work judged on being productive and not being present.<br />
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Dyck says that as technology emerges from the “old days of laptops and cell phones,” cloud computing has played an important role in helping remote workers stay engaged, but HD video conferencing has been a major shift.<br />
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“We’re trying to create as close to an across-the-table situation as possible and body language plays a big part in that,” Dyck says.<br />
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As the quality of video conference technology improves, Dyck says the results ATB is getting from its virtual workplace project are substantial. While increased productivity is nice for the Edmonton-based financial institution, Dyck says for some employees, cutting out the daily commute gives back time and money equal to a 20 per cent raise.<br />
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How employees manage the extra time is up to them.<br />
<h3>Workshift</h3>When global real estate firm Colliers International released its 11<sup>th</sup> Annual Parking Survey, Calgarians had proof they live in a world-class city. In this case, the proof came by being the priciest downtown core in Canada to park. The monthly unreserved parking rate in Cowtown now sits at $472.50, which is $140 more than second place Toronto and more than double the national average of $235.76.<br />
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The only other city in North America where residents have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for downtown parking is New York City. Unlike public transit in the city that never sleeps, Calgary does not offer 24-hour service throughout the year. Combine that with the area taken up by the sprawling city, and many residents of Calgary see owning a vehicle as essential.<br />
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While the buses and trains leading to the city’s core are packed full of commuters during morning rush hour, a good chunk of the workforce drives as part of their daily commuting ritual. According to Statistics Canada, the driving time is getting longer. In 1992, commuters in Canada spent an average of 54 minutes making the round trip drive between work and home. By 1998, commute times across the country increased to 59 minutes and were pegged at 63 minutes in 2006. That’s 275 hours per year or 34 work days.<br />
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Calgary Economic Development launched WORKshift in 2009 to help reverse the trend.<br />
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“It is the first program like this in North America,” says Robyn Bews, project manager of WORKshift. “The objective is to take a regional approach to promote, educate and accelerate the adoption of virtual work.”<br />
Since its launch, WORKshift has been involved with more than 20 organizations, assisting employers and employees transition to a virtual work strategy. Bews says most companies are slowly integrating the practice with a pilot program and offering employees an opportunity to work out of the office a few days a week.<br />
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Perhaps not surprisingly, IT companies were early adopters of allowing employees to work remotely, but Bews says other professions are starting to catch on, such as lawyers, interior designers, geologists and engineers.<br />
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“It’s about how you apply the process,” she adds. “You can’t do the same thing for every person and we don’t prescribe a one-size-fits-all solution.”<br />
<h3>Extroverts Can Thrive</h3>As it turns out, Bews says, people who are extroverts can have an easier time adjusting. By nature, they are the type of people who like to communicate what they are doing and when doing this remotely, it provides comfort to managers and colleagues that work is getting done away from the office.<br />
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“And colleagues say it’s nice to have them out of the office,” she adds.<br />
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In order to make a virtual work arrangement succeed, Bews says that communication plays a big part. Technology has integrated instant communication into our daily lives and Bews says we already have all the tools needed to communicate virtually.<br />
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“Some companies offer training critical to getting people prepared and recalibrating communications expectations,” says Bews. “You have to focus on communication with peers and managers regularly. That will avoid pitfalls.”<br />
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Virtual work arrangements, Bews says, aren’t human resource gimmicks designed to attract junior workers, mothers or senior executives. She says the average demographic of virtual workers is university-educated males in their 40s.<br />
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“It’s for the mainstream group,” Bews says. “People want the ability to manage their lives. They decided they want to work when and where they’re most efficient.”<br />
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A move from work-life balance to work-life integration might mean scheduling a dentist appointment at 2 p.m. on a Monday and going to see an elementary school Easter pageant at 9:30 a.m. on a Thursday. It will also include working from a home office at 10 p.m. or while sitting in an airport for three hours.<br />
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In order to make the most of the experience, Bews says, it’s important to set up an appropriate work space that is separate from personal space. Also, set specific times to be focused on work, but also set specific times to be focused on personal life – and take lunch breaks. But in the end, it comes back to communication.<br />
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“Be clear about your availability. Just because I’m not at my desk, doesn’t mean I’m not available,” Bews says. “Here’s my contact information and here’s how to reach me.”<br />
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Prior to joining the banking sector, Dyck was an entrepreneur, so he never really had a structured workplace arrangement. After seeing employee and customer satisfaction rise three years into ATB Financial’s virtual work project, he says he wouldn’t work for a company that valued an employee’s physical presence over their ability to be productive.<br />
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“We had an adviser working for us in Edmonton who was expecting the birth of his first child,” says Dyck. “He was working really hard with one client, but also wanted to be close to the hospital. So, he took a laptop with an HD camera for video conferencing to the hospital and got hooked up with his client in Grande Prairie.”<br />
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The ATB representative closed the deal and was present during the birth of his first child. The employee and the client both got everything they wanted, a timely deal and no disruption of anybody’s personal life.<br />
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“In the old days he would have had to delay the client and possibly not get the deal or miss the birth of his first child and regret it for his entire life,” says Dyck. “It’s a tug of war we’ve been in for years of feeling like we’re not succeeding in some aspect of our lives.”<br />
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With the right structure and a wardrobe more extensive than pyjamas it’s possible that that tug of war could be virtually eliminated.</div>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-31814127956570330882011-11-16T09:56:00.000-08:002011-11-16T09:56:53.310-08:00Tarps are down! Welcome to Workplace 2.0!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally, the tarps are down and we're ready for lift off! Our pilot launch is on Monday and we can't wait to see how people are using the new flexible workspace. Check it out!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtrJLoZ_3HT8RqVIhk3aoF_XyAUZIwkqa8q6D7qrqwnJZArpHikWnUwPgnlLAarUJWIZ1hYQJHiqNx3HytwSOwxtxuQ6YfnqXa_YAvabWB2X3iP7uJQBdxLQhGVt7jB0NpPZuCT-_Uc8/s1600/IMG_7678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtrJLoZ_3HT8RqVIhk3aoF_XyAUZIwkqa8q6D7qrqwnJZArpHikWnUwPgnlLAarUJWIZ1hYQJHiqNx3HytwSOwxtxuQ6YfnqXa_YAvabWB2X3iP7uJQBdxLQhGVt7jB0NpPZuCT-_Uc8/s320/IMG_7678.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrAjOrzI3n7mEgyAle9KQoqs8TEkfvPx8q16uWvlrmNe0hs3bslARIwILxByygccGfhXxpUJM0HogYn8igHM73a52OujNsYFrNrdNJC8ypb1Tgaj4g1cxMEdnZQAoRvW9zu42PQqG_bc/s1600/IMG_7679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrAjOrzI3n7mEgyAle9KQoqs8TEkfvPx8q16uWvlrmNe0hs3bslARIwILxByygccGfhXxpUJM0HogYn8igHM73a52OujNsYFrNrdNJC8ypb1Tgaj4g1cxMEdnZQAoRvW9zu42PQqG_bc/s320/IMG_7679.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMf9ZMSTvjjSitH9pT1Jnwuv_T0NX5qWEJE29koo148t38YQWM621NL9tEALVj12QCneLix0SS9c6wDIRg0LB2xd02_HkXsp7MsqvfzmSfGwe1xnz3KoeqY_ismmrodfgbyqwY7thiK0/s1600/IMG_7680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMf9ZMSTvjjSitH9pT1Jnwuv_T0NX5qWEJE29koo148t38YQWM621NL9tEALVj12QCneLix0SS9c6wDIRg0LB2xd02_HkXsp7MsqvfzmSfGwe1xnz3KoeqY_ismmrodfgbyqwY7thiK0/s320/IMG_7680.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-60060103059920622762011-11-09T08:19:00.000-08:002011-11-09T08:20:10.910-08:00RECOMMENDED READING: The State of Telework in the U.S.Interesting read with lots of transferable learnings for those of us trying unique workplace set ups in Canada!<br />
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It is a long read, but some of the cool high lights are around the age of people telecommuting. In this study, they found the greatest proportional difference is among those over 60. This suggests that workplace flexibility is favored by Baby Boomers, perhaps as a way to slowly edge into retirement. Think of the talent experiences we could create for people based on this information at the end of thier career.<br />
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So take a quick scan and see what other cool facts catch your attention and let me know your thoughts!<br />
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Ta ta<br />
<br />
Read: <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8oXN-rOZVtVZjIxZWU5OTItMzYyZS00MzExLTgwMjQtM2QzN2U4NjdhOTc2">The State of Telework in the U.S.</a><br />
<br />
Within the ATB Network, read: <a href="http://www.insideatb.net/BU/IS/Documents/Telework-Trends-US.pdf">The State of Telework in the U.S.</a>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-6097877277394832472011-11-09T07:51:00.000-08:002011-11-09T07:51:31.403-08:00Why are your employees missing work?Published in the <a href="http://hbr.org/" target="_blank">Harvard Business Review</a>: The Daily Stat,<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><a href="http://web.hbr.org/email/archive/dailystat.php?date=110411" target="_blank">A Longer Commute Leads to More Absenteeism</a></strong><br />
<em>Workers with a <strong>50 Kilometer</strong> one-way commute can be expected to miss <strong>15% more </strong>days from work, on average, than their colleagues who commute <strong>10 Kilometers</strong>, according to a study of workers in Germany by Jos N. van Ommeren and Eva Gutierrez-iPuigarnau of VU University in Amsterdam. Commuting distance is usually assumed to affect only employees, not businesses, but the study shows that it also has a strong impact on absenteeism, the researchers say. </em>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-85856318163148966632011-11-06T10:46:00.000-08:002011-11-06T10:46:02.053-08:00My Team's Top 10 things we wish we had done...As promised in the previous post, here is the list of items from my team that they wish they had done or wish they hadn't done the first time we went in to our flexible workplace.<br />
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We hope this helps everyone save some time and a few embarrasing moments!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKfZXrYZMCAHtxFdasoeVdYTk2AdeG3-HOjohuJGWRKMz15cBxHiMqXavpvleavYWQTOFZ3jio5xfksexU7WDMYkArSzzpnsytNDbe20ugjZdnXf7quvDCDajG2KXFwx4wtB1IkBsRVU/s1600/ComputerCat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKfZXrYZMCAHtxFdasoeVdYTk2AdeG3-HOjohuJGWRKMz15cBxHiMqXavpvleavYWQTOFZ3jio5xfksexU7WDMYkArSzzpnsytNDbe20ugjZdnXf7quvDCDajG2KXFwx4wtB1IkBsRVU/s200/ComputerCat.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">10. Taken the time to purge my office before taking everything home!<br />
9. Moved home AFTER my home-based office was set up with furniture!</div>8. Explained to my family that just because I work at home, it doesn’t mean the laundry will get done and dinner will be on the table waiting for them at the end of the day.<br />
7. Ordered a sound proof door.<br />
6. Stopped feeling guilty for not working “typical” hours and just work when I am most productive.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zRJj3lBZznpKrAyrxobyA2ORqx_UW8nybJgKMa9E948DwfXdlogO47UKHsJ3IV7qCxIxlWlfllESbmWLmu700ViWx2QRYVbKrnbNcqBwHPJTfljMjG8NfRNuq8cgANkdnddwHXntydk/s1600/061608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 211px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 160px;"><img border="0" height="200" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zRJj3lBZznpKrAyrxobyA2ORqx_UW8nybJgKMa9E948DwfXdlogO47UKHsJ3IV7qCxIxlWlfllESbmWLmu700ViWx2QRYVbKrnbNcqBwHPJTfljMjG8NfRNuq8cgANkdnddwHXntydk/s200/061608.jpg" width="142" /></a>5. Painted the office sooner, not the day before I moved home, talk about PAINT FUMES!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">4. Made an effort to be paperless. Instead I moved a ton of paper files home!</div>3. Had thought of how to keep my cats from walking across my screen when I was on video calls.<br />
2. Cleared the rest of the family’s stuff out of the home office, so it is really just my space.<br />
1. Not answered a video call while still in my PJ’s with our line President! Oops!<br />
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Ta taSherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6790898569933372787.post-6207763673870179672011-11-04T21:30:00.000-07:002011-11-04T21:30:16.049-07:00Construction Update: Furniture is in!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEV7bGzut2HAGBydQ0mzlzMwzj1_Xb8HnVCvsVqhD-sFtpBCKsb_116cY_ijrUz0vLHagtvWsIdo49Q9l3znXisDRn1-OMpolMUmUb-_2KUWZE4kX1Hlu-sLw4LDXEiVzmoGA3MEQPkIk/s1600/IMG_7660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEV7bGzut2HAGBydQ0mzlzMwzj1_Xb8HnVCvsVqhD-sFtpBCKsb_116cY_ijrUz0vLHagtvWsIdo49Q9l3znXisDRn1-OMpolMUmUb-_2KUWZE4kX1Hlu-sLw4LDXEiVzmoGA3MEQPkIk/s320/IMG_7660.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkXeq84W-Q6Wh-8728VoeuCs99WIGcLneMfgbNqbVxkHLBBLZQsvtS9ODrGcj3fz4XZpkVgdHBRKvXD0lIKR-J4LInyz_qmtM2-TgRSHJZdwiXvl1wleVKHJSz0BlmsW3pol2o_CPTZI/s1600/IMG_7664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkXeq84W-Q6Wh-8728VoeuCs99WIGcLneMfgbNqbVxkHLBBLZQsvtS9ODrGcj3fz4XZpkVgdHBRKvXD0lIKR-J4LInyz_qmtM2-TgRSHJZdwiXvl1wleVKHJSz0BlmsW3pol2o_CPTZI/s320/IMG_7664.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Sherri Wright-Schwietzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385809728249933027noreply@blogger.com0