Comments on: The Perils of Our Digital Communications

By: On transitioning from working alone to working with a team… | VA Newsday

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:09:04 +0000

[...] With the “multi-va” team approach gaining a lot of steam lately in the virtual assistant world, the WWD article is timely. The article touches on several not-too-obvious potential pitfalls in working with virtual teams, such as accountability, consistent communication and even how to deal with when “the client keeps each contractor “blind” to each other’s work.”: It’s also important to have all communication in one interface used by all, such as a wiki, as opposed to private email communication between each member of the team. Basecamp and Web Office are other common tools used for this purpose. However, some rules must be established before everyone starts using these tools. What types of messages should be available for everyone to read? Are the contractors free to talk about their rates? Is the wiki or communication platform reserved for “business only” messages? These rules are needed to avoid miscommunication. [...]

By: WebWorkerDaily » Archive Teamwork for Independent Web Contractors «

WebWorkerDaily » Archive Teamwork for Independent Web Contractors « — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:00:23 +0000

[...] It’s also important to have all communication in one interface used by all, such as a wiki, as opposed to private email communication between each member of the team. Basecamp and Web Office are other common tools used for this purpose. However, some rules must be established before everyone starts using these tools. What types of messages should be available for everyone to read? Are the contractors free to talk about their rates? Is the wiki or communication platform reserved for “business only” messages? These rules are needed to avoid miscommunication. [...]

By: WebWorkerDaily » Archive Getting Delinquent Clients to Pay You on Time «

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:01:56 +0000

[...] the client. Emails are easy to delete and prone to misunderstandings, which is why for clients who make delinquent payments, it’s important to call them if you [...]

By: andrea

andrea — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:46:30 +0000

I try to separate my job from my blog, and when the two are connected in some way, I apply the “filter of death” :)

By: WebWorkerDaily » Archive How to Be a Memorable Web Worker, the Charlie Chaplin Way «

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:03:30 +0000

[...] people hear about your work for the first time. In fact, with digital communication, it’s pretty easy to slip and give others a negative [...]

By: Bev Trayner

Bev Trayner — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:48:51 +0000

I resonate with this one. And oh how I’ve done time curled cringing .. not just because of what I just sent, but also because of the Skype mood message going out to clients… e.g. because of cross-connections with what’s playing in my iTunes.

One thing I’ve learned is to be able to laugh at myself.

By: John Carson

John Carson — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:41:30 +0000

Very simple tip: Cut and paste the original e-mail message into a new blank one; then you are forced to make a choice in the to, cc and bcc field who gets the reply/praise/criticism.

It’s a reality check and makes you pause for a minute.

Cheers,
John Carson.

By: michael

michael — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:20:55 +0000

A very wise mentor of mine said this: “Before sending, sleep on it.”

This advice — along with careful proofreading — has probably saved my job several times.

By: Vaibhav

Vaibhav — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:00:43 +0000

Along with the above, I also follow one rule:

Whenever sending any email, read it again before sending.