Shift

There can be an initial challenge around how best to prioritize when engaging in a flexible work environment. It is important to first ask yourself whether you are engaging in work that is ultimately satisfying and what you want to be doing, instead of pushing yourself to complete tasks, blindly striving towards a goal that is nothing more than a tic mark on a to do list. This takes time to assess, and there are many resources to help in the process (books like Flow and Business Model You, just to mention a couple). Once you are engaging in fulfilling work, it is then important to build structure into your workday.   Structure begins with clear goals. If you are working for yourself, this will come from the overarching goal and mission of your business. If you are working as an employee or contractor, then these goals are created through conversations with a manager, and are a conclusion of how best to use your skills in support of the company. Clarity is key, otherwise you may ge

The Freelancers Union does great work bringing together those people who define themselves as  independent professionals by aiding this group in finding solutions to things such as health care, retirement, wage security, and other broken systems. [1] They are addressing the current gap which has developed as more freelancers, contractors, consultants, etc. become an increasingly common alternative to traditional, full-time employment. This movement towards independent work is not slowing down though, and there is a serious need for each individual to be supported in their work, and ultimately supported to be who they are in the world. There is a need to rethink how work is done, to shift out of the box-- away from predefined job-titles, and away from the concept that presence equals product. A solution is needed to help incorporate all aspects of an individual so that people no longer need to rewrite their resume for each new job or industry, and instead can let all of thei

In my last post I wrote about the struggle of how, what, and when to prioritize all aspects of the day when engaging in a flexible work environment. I have been studying alternative work modes such as freelancing and consulting to gain a better understanding of different types of self-management. The top two (contracting the most business) freelance sites right now are: Odesk and Elance . Both have a focus on the business, not the employee as their primary target. This focus furthers the dichotomy of how best to produce good work. The focus on the business side continues to foster the industrial mentality (as I mentioned here ) that the only valid work is the work that is observed by management. This furthers the concept that people need some external checks and balances, and that internal, intrinsic motivation, being driven by your own passion and willingness to do good work is not enough. Odesk even goes so far as to use a type of spyware to perform random check-ins throughout