Use Google DOCS To Be More Productive!

Recently we were asked why, given that OMBNexGen has a serious case of the Google Apps religion, we never talk about how Google Apps can help with productivity. Perhaps it is just a case of taking the obvious for granted or failing to “love the one your with.” Regardless of what it is we have been remiss in writing about being more productive with Google Apps. In particular we have failed to write about how we regularly save time within our organization as well as with our clients by using Google Docs to collaborate.

Virtually every day I find that I have prepared a document that requires me to seek the assistance of someone else to edit, approve, or collaborate with. More often then not it is a client that I am working with to progress on creating or finalizing a document. Before the days of Google Docs I would send a copy of the document that I needed some assistance on in an email. Many times there were multiple people that I would send the document to. Each person that made changes and or comments would send back a copy of the revised document and I would then spend time making sure to incorporate all of those changes into a single document. While I have never attempted to herd cats, I am guessing that my old approach of incorporating multiple document changes from multiple people into one cohesive document is as close to herding cats as the real thing. Needless to say, it was often a sinkhole of wasted time.

Ever since I started using Google Docs I have stopped engaging in the cat herding approach to document version and change management. Today I prepare my document in Google Docs, I click on the option to share my document and invite the interested parties and then an email goes out to them with all the information they need to “help” me work on my document. Google Docs tracks the revisions, notifies me of changes via RSS feeds, and will even allow everyone to participate in real-time chat linked to the document that is shared. I have become so used to and dependent upon Google Docs for document collaboration that I load other peoples documents into Google Docs before I assist them with their document.

To date I have not had any clients complain about my approach for collaborative document management and I have not had to explain to them how to work with my shared Google Docs. While I don’t know that it is true, the absence of complaints or requests on how to used my shared Google Docs suggests to me that it must not be that hard to understand and use. To make sure, however, that anyone who might be interested in using Google Docs to increase their productivity and might be afraid that doing so will be as difficult as herding cats, I have included a link to a video that does a pretty good job of explaining how simple it really is! Click the play arrow to watch the video.

We would like to thank Robin Good of Masternewmedia.org for his article about Google Docs and the included video he used to say pretty much the same thing I am saying. (In today’s world of smart people it really is hard to be the first one to do anything.) I would also like to thank Lee Lefever who is the author of the video (YES I VOTED FOR YOUR VIDEO NOMINATION TOO); he is brilliant at making this whole subject so simple it seems dumb (which you would be if you are not using Google Docs to be more productive)!

STICKK To Your Goal or PAY!

Ever wondered what it would be like to “put a contract out” on yourself? With the web service Stickk.com you can do just that! Only it is not a contract on yourself as you might imagine. Instead Stickk.com has developed an ingenious service that allows you to set a goal, set a price for failing to achieve that goal, and then setting up a contract to ensure you meet your goal or else pay the price you set for failing to meet that goal.

Stickk.com puts new meaning into the concept of overcoming inertia, which is often the biggest impediment to success, by using the web to create tools for helping you to achieve a goal. Users of the service set up a cash penalty for failing to achieve a goal and before starting the process of tracking the desired goal or objective, the penalty portion of the contract has to be funded first.

A contractual obligation is established for paying someone or some organization when desired milestones are not met. As part of the process a “referee” is selected to objectively assess that the stated goals and milestones are being met.

While each of us knows there is a real cost (with cost having all of the usual meanings) to failing to reach a goal, Stickk.com makes the cost part of failing much more immediate and motivating. Tired of wishing you would develop the new marketing program for your business, stop wishing and get motivated for success by using Stickk.com.

JOTT - Can’t Live Without It!

Every so often I learn about a web based tool or service that is so compelling I often wonder how I ever lived without it. JOTT is one of those web tools. Currently in Public Beta mode, think Google Beta (wink wink), JOTT allows you to call a toll free number and send an email message.JOTT does this by transcribing the voice message you leave and then sending it to an email address.

I use JOTT frequently and the transcription effectiveness is great. I rarely have miss translated words and when I do it usually is a name.Over the course of time JOTT has continued to add features and services within the basic “free” product. There is an online email address book that allows me to associate a simple name with an email address, i.e., all I have to say is, JOTT My Client and it automatically gets the associated email address.Recently JOTT added an interface to Google Calendar (yet another reason to move one’s email infrastructure to Google Mail - see MTGM) and reminders that can be setup to send emails in the future.

JOTT supports JOTTing yourself so now when I walk out of a client meeting and I need to remind myself of some piece of information, I simply JOTT myself and I get both a voice message and an email delivered to my email address.If you have a cell phone, JOTT is a must have and is absolutely the best web based productivity tool I have ever used. I don’t know how I ever lived without it.