Looking up and out, not just down and in
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Business & organizational development, Communication, Human resources
Ever get your head so far buried in your work that you forget to look up and out? Up for new ideas? Out for new ways to connect? Read on for a simple way of harnessing technology for good, that is to reach out and up.
Having your head down, your office door shut and being focused is a good thing …. but not when it’s preventing you from looking at your work in new ways, getting insights into new possibilities, and different ways to make a contribution through your work. Not when you’re consistently working ‘in’ your business and never ‘on’ your business.
In a delightfully unplanned, organic way I’ve been having regular video conference meetings with two powerhouse women, both of whom help me look up and out.
Dyana Valentine, other than having the most incredible logo (look at her picture, see her hair and you’ll understand where it comes from) is a unique package. She’s a dual edged dynamo because she’s both a keen listener, as she effortlessly ‘gets’ the ideas you spout out, and at the same time she’s able to volley a plethora of incisive ideas right back at ya.
Jodi Womack runs a company called No More Nylons (aren’t you disappointed you didn’t think of that catchy name?). Her knack for social media and collaborating is pretty heady stuff. She’s the genius that used a screen capture to take some pictures of our last video conference. Jodi’s in the middle, I’m on the left and Dyana’s on the right.
The great thing is although we’re from different countries (Dyana and Jodi are both from the U.S., California to be exact) it costs us nada to connect, converse and generally whoop it up on IChat. You can tell from our pictures that we’re at times pensive, and at times just short of guffawing out loud.
Too often technology gets the upper hand and becomes our master (ahem, how many times a day do you check email?). When I’m video conferencing with Dyana and Jodi however I realize the power of working ‘on’ my business not just ‘in’ it.
I see possibilities, not just for being the master of my own technology but using it to look up, look out and all while helping to grow ideas for other business women and gather some ideas for myself. Now that’s time well spent.
Tags: creativity & innovation, dyana valentine, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, ichat, jodi womack, learning, no more nylons
May 3rd, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Thanks for reminding us to work “on the business” and look up and enjoy the view! I found your post from the Google Alert I have set up to find my name. I’m constantly amazed at the technology tools available to me. And every time I think I’m o-so-savvy, I get to meet up with the likes of you, Dyanna and other inspiring folks. “Talk” to you soon! xoxo
May 7th, 2010 at 10:46 am
Hi Jodi; thanks for your comment. As one of my go to gals for inspiration and ideas, I love that you were able to find the post through Google Alert. Through the same tool I once found a business in New Zealand that had stolen a bunch of intellectual property. Would never have known without google.
My latest treasure is google trends which allows you to compare how often terms are searched for. It’s a goldmine for deciding how to tag etc. Easy peasy.
I’m looking up at the moment as am at a conference; one of my fav places to look up. I go to conferences to meet interesting people and hear new stuff but equally to float around in my head, create new ideas, strategies etc. As a result of the past few days I have a TON now to work on. Yahoo! Looking forward to our next chat.