TOP 10 PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS FOR REMOTE WORK

Opinion piece by Valeria Dominguez

My Business Productivity Tech Stack that I use for my “Digital First” Team & international client work

As long as I can remember I have been focused on productivity, efficiency and organization. Over time I have moved towards SaaS (software as a service) and Cloud solutions that offer cross-device services so that I can work from whatever device is most practical at the time. 

1· GOOGLE 
360º office solution  

I use Basic for $6/month/user and have some accounts with additional storage for $1.99/month (100GB extra)

GSUITE EMAIL/CALENDAR/STORAGE/DOCS/SHEETS/SLIDES

Email: Gsuite
Calendar: Google Calendar
Storage: Google Drive + offline Drive app for offline access
Word Docs: Google Docs
Excel: Google Sheets
Presentations à la Powerpoint: Google Slides
Chat: Google Hangouts for in-team group chats that are searchable on email

I have Google Drive downloaded on computer for offline access but everything else is open in a tab in my Chrome browser, I use about 3-4 work emails, one personal account, google calendar and my full office suite is with Gsuite, Docs for Word docs, Sheets for Excel and Slides for Powerpoint. I no longer buy the Microsoft Office suite so sometimes I will have an issue opening a doc automatically but it usually allows me to open in Gsuite office.

I use Google Hangouts for the in-team chat app for quick messaging individually and for different teams.

Wish: Offline applications for Computer for smooth offline access instead of having to set offline for each individual documents which inevitably has me missing materials during long flights.

2 · 1PASSWORD 
Password management

Teams Standard: $3.99/user/month (if annual plan) or $4.99/user/month (if monthly plan)

Complete lifesaver to manage my 400+ logins (!?) and helps me avoid the uses of social logins which I find a bit too intrusive and also don´t allow for password sharing within the team. I got several webs hacked a couple of years ago and Deloitte Cibersecurity helped me understand what happened, file a police report and learn to protect myself better. The first thing they told me was to never keep a sheet of all my logins in my cloud storage and to get a password manager, it has made a huge difference in reducing daily friction logging in to webs but also made me feel much safer. I use the password generator which is 13+ varied characters, most passwords are cracking by machines not people, the longer and more random they are the harder it is to crack them.  They key is for you to only remember your 1Password master password to get in and have all other passwords be autogenerated and much too long to remember.

1Password has touch id and eye recognition for iPhone & iPad which is very practical but not for computer use, have to type my master password constantly all day long...

Wish: That 1Password would use eye or touch ID for computer use (Macbook Air) which is my primary work tool.

3· ZOOM
Video calls

In order to be able to have more than 2 people on a call for longer than the 45 minute cut-off I use a $160/year paid plan.

Zoom for everything now, used to do 1 on 1´s with Google Hangouts but once I had to start doing full team reviews with screenshare, Zoom emerged as the absolute winner. Bought the enterprise plan ($160/year) and have used it daily since.

Improvements:   
Professional office backdrops for travel/hotels or when office is too busy, the current tropical or rainforest  offerings I don´t find elegant and they only work when you buy additional materials to place behind you, what?I use the one beautification filter available but I see development there very useful and needed such as hair & make-up à la Snapchat.

4· GOOGLE SLIDES
Presentations

Google Slides because it allows for live collaboration

Negatives: Can only use Google fonts, less special. Does not allow for embedded video that starts automatically or cool video collages. For special fonts and more video capabilities I use Keynote but for me, Slides has won out

Desired improvements: 
Integrating video natively (not via youtube) and even as a collage plus the use of a much wider array of typography that´s not a Google fonts are the reasons to still use Keynote. However, since Keynote can´t be worked on by different team members simultaneously I end up using more standard Google fonts and not being able to play with video as much as I´d like.

5· CANVA & GOOGLE SLIDES
Graphic Design

I really believe in the power of graphic design and use artistic designers on staff & freelance on a daily basis. They use Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Premiere for video). However, for things I need to modify constantly such as presentations, speeches, proposals, bills… it´s worth it to get everyone on the team to be able to access and make changes. For that I use Canva & Google Slides is surprisingly strong as well.

I used to do all my bills and proposals on Canva, have now moved them to Google Slides.  My CV/Cover letter I still do on Canva.

6· GOOGLE TASKS
on-the-go task write up

I like to add things from all my screens even on my time off and they all sync in my computer Monday morning for review & processing

7· CALENDLY
Automatic calendar bookings

Calendly is free for one user/one type of appointment and charges $8 per user / month for 2 calendars/user and unlimited event types.

I just share my personal link for my 1 type of appointment that´s allowed (60min for me) in the free plan and it works well. During times that I don´t have someone helping me with calendar I activate the paid plan so that I can have 3 types of appointments, some for 60min Zooms, others for 30min quick interviews in my office etc…   

Calendly is ok, does the job but I have my eye out for something a bit better. I keep thinking Google will launch one of it´s own, fully integrated in calendar but so far, nothing.

8· ASANA 
Project management

9· GOODNOTES APP & ADOBE SCAN APP
Paperless, no printer work environment

GOODNOTES APP
Goodnotes app on the ipad pro for reading reports, marking up pdfs & electronic signatures

Printers are such a struggle, if it´s not one thing it´s the other.  The more I have been on the road and working remote the more I have sought to wipe out the need for a printer. I achieved it almost fully with the GoodNotes App for my iPad Pro

iPad Pro w. Pencil and keyboard (which stopped working) for document reading, mark-ups, electronic signatures on documents.

ADOBE SCAN APP 
In my paperless effort I use the Adobe Scan App on my iPhone to scan receipts for my accountant or of any physical mail I need to pass to someone on my team to handle.
#paperless

10· DOCUSIGN OR HELLOSIGN
Paperless contract signing

HelloSign: Free for up to 3 signature requests/month & $13/mo for unlimited

Hellosign is a brand new addition to my tech stack due to coronavirus, surprisingly I got contracts signed same day for the first time I can remember so it´s clearly very easy on the other side. I hav been on the receiving end of Docusign documents for years but had never made the jump, no going back now obviously.

Valeria Dominguez

Founder & CEO at Felino, a strategic eCommerce consultancy specialized in fashion & retail.
Befriend her on Linkedin & Twitter

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A DIGITAL FIRST WORKFORCE

Opinion piece by Valeria Dominguez

1· Companies will embrace remote work and go #DIGITALFIRST


2· Office space will be abandoned, some companies will never go back


3· Companies will then open their mind to hiring talent globally


4· Work will become more project oriented, less of an employee track


5· Workers will start realizing they can live anywhere, this time for real


6· Living in the countryside will become a possibility, great for people with young children


7· The vast majority of real work will be done remotely


8· Commuting and constant work travel will be a thing of the past


9· Wifi in private residences will upgrade massively to support a distributed workforce with constant video conferencing needs


10· Zoom is here to stay (I´m buying the stock ZM!)


11· Massive booms in

A. Zoom Ecosystem: Applications to enhance the Zoom experience and productivity software as we all learn how to work digital first. Instagram style filters and elegant backdrops are urgent but just the start

B. Productivity software such as easy to use project management software, google drive/Dropbox integrated contract signing, quality video/audio recording sets that anyone can use, tiny mobile printers, audio blocking for quieter environments...

12· Increase in spending and attention on targeted waist up beautification such as blouses, hair & make-up, showier costume jewelery…

13· Quick evolution from Zoom into full on Zoom rooms to be able to move and interact more naturally in group settings for longer periods of time with better video, audio and some visual variation instead of just staring frontally in front of a computer screen. Zoom fatigue is real, we need more relaxed and natural experiences coming up.

14· Office space will come back redesigned as a social space for human bonding, hearty laughs, kick-offs, some client work, group motivation and celebrations

15· The educated workforce will flee big, expensive cities if they can work mainly remotely... likely choice will be wherever they are quarantining now and eventually lower tax states

Valeria Dominguez

Founder & CEO at Felino, a strategic eCommerce consultancy specialized in fashion & retail.
Befriend her on Linkedin and Twitter

DORTHE HÅHR

Strategic LEADERSHIP

With 15 years of experience at the highest levels of financial service, Dorthe Håhr is an seasoned strategic leader with a Doctoral degree in Leadership and Digital Transformation. Here, Dorthe shares with us her deep knowledge on strategic leadership, digital transformation, and the future of financial services.

What are the qualities of a good leader?

The qualities of a good leader, and what sets a good leader apart, is actually the ability to not be in control of all kinds of stuff. Meaning that, once you give your employees an assignment, then you shouldn't micromanage them. You should let them do it their way - of course within the frame - but you should not control them in all areas, and in all senses.

What we see today is that good leaders, they trust in their employees, and they also allow them to - if they don't do it the right way, the first time - then that's okay, as long as they learn from their mistakes. So they allow their people to grow, and they enjoy to develop people. And I think that's one of the best qualities of a good leader. That is actually, the ability to enjoy to develop other people. If your purpose of becoming a leader is that you want the power, then you're in the wrong position. You simply need to enjoy watching other people grow, and enable them to do what they're good at, or to become good at whatever their passion is.

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I like people that like to collaborate, that have a passion for what they do, and who want to go the extra mile when it’s needed
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What are the three most important qualities you look for when hiring people and building a team?

Some of the most important parts that I look for when I recruit people and when I form a team, is to make sure I have a diverse team, and that goes for gender, it goes for age, it goes for skills. But when I recruit people, the personality is important. Of course, in some cases, they need to have certain skills. But the personality is even more important. I like people that like to collaborate. That have a passion for what they do. And who want to go the extra mile when it’s needed. And people that you can trust. That when you agree on something, that they’re going to go and do it. So that is very important for me, when I recruit people, and when I form a team.

What is the transition process to become a strategic leader?

If you look at the transition process to become a strategic leader, then you usually start with leading others - meaning you are leading at the more operational level. Then, you will eventually become a leader for other leaders, being at the more tactical level. And then, eventually, you will transition into the strategic level.

And what I have seen so far, is actually that the step from being a more tactical leader into the strategic leadership role, is for a lot of people, it's quite a difficult step that can take them a number of years before they excel well in being a strategic leader.

And that is, of course, because as a strategic leader, you set the strategy, you are at the strategic level. But you are not going to go down in the operation, doing all kinds of operational stuff. Because then you are sort of taking the work away from both the employees, and also their leaders. So it is this ability to know what's going on, but also respect that other people are of course doing what they are supposed to do.

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We need to have this balance in order to get the best results
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How important is female leadership?

When we talk about female leadership in an organization, there’s a lot of discussion about how important it is to have both male and female leaders. And if we look at the research, it shows that the diversity of having female or masculine leaders, not only in the management team and in the boards, but in general, is what makes better results. Because we complement each other. Because we have different ways of doing things and looking at things. So when we discuss female leaders, they are just as much needed in companies and organizations today as male leaders are. So we need to have this balance in order to get the best results.

Digital Transformation IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY

How do you see the future?

I think in the future, we will see a new way of providing services. And I think we already see it, bit by bit, today. What I think we will see in the future is much more networking. We will see a lot more geek workers. We will see people working together in diverse networks, meaning that, if you look at different assignments, they might be working with a group of people with a network for certain assignments, then they might want to work for others for other assignments.

And if you look at the large companies, then they will have to partner with some of these geek workers, you could call them. And I think that’s going to be an advantage. You will have access to highly qualified, and very specialized people, to be able to support you in whatever you’re doing. So I think we will see much more related to network and working together, that is, cross border, cross industries. So I actually foresee that we will see a lot of changes in how we work together and how networks will be formed in the future.

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When I talk about digital transformation, it’s not only the technology side, but also the people side
”

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What is the greatest challenge in digital transformation?

The greatest challenge in digital transformation is that in some cases, there is a tendency to focus on the technology part. And of course the technology part is important. But it has just as much to do with the people side. Because if the people side don’t get the digital transformation, If they don’t see the need, if they don’t see the urgency, if they don’t understand what is needed, then you can buy as much new technology as you like, or develop as much new technology as you can, but you simply need the people to be on board as well. So when I talk about digital transformation, then it’s not only the technology side, then it’s also the people side. And the people side includes the organizational culture, and also includes having the right talent on board. So you have the right people, and you have the right skills, within the organization, to develop to the next level, that is needed to meet customer expectations.

What is the state of digital transformation in the financial sector?

If I look at the financial sector, and I look at how they are in the digital transformation, I actually see a variety of states. We see some banks, they are barely getting started. And we have other banks that are actually working with new technology, they are partnering with fintech, some are even investing in fintech, working with the organizational culture.

There are certain ways you can rate it, and if I look at some of the ratings or the grades you can provide, then I would say, a lot of the more incumbent banks, they are trying, but it is difficult.

Because there is a part about combining new technology, and in some cases new core systems, with organizational culture, making sure you retain the right people, and you also get new skills into the organization. So it is for most banks, quite a difficult transformation. And then on top of that, from the strategic level, you also need to have this knowledge about what is a digital mindset, what is a digital process.

And today you’re not talking about the digital strategy, and the strategy of the organization. No. You would expect that digital strategy is part of the overall strategy. So for quite a number of leaders, and banks, it’s ongoing work. It’s not straightforward. It’s a little difficult.

What is the future of financial services?

I see the future of financial services different. It’s going to be different because consumers are changing their behavior. They are changing not only the way they interact with banks. But they are also changing their behavior in other areas.

For instance, the circular economy means that they will need other services from a bank. If they don’t want to buy a car - they subscribe to a car instead of buying a car - or if they don’t want to buy a house, but they want to subscribe or rent a house - then all of a sudden, what they need from banks is advice when they have changes in their life. When they get married, when they have their first child. If they want to move abroad, what does that mean? Do I need to change my bank? Can I keep the same bank? So I foresee that banks, not only will they need to change their models - meaning their credit models, their risk models, and so forth, because consumers change their behavior - but they will also need in the future to provide a new type of advice and service, meeting the changing customer behavior.

So for banks to stay relevant in the future, they will simply need to rethink what is expected from them. And, for some banks, this will most likely be difficult. Because if we look back in time, then a bank, that was a branch. You went into the branch, you had an account where your salary went in. Maybe you wanted to borrow some money to buy a car or a house. But if that is not what you actually want in the future. If you want to subscribe to stuff, then it’s another type of advice you want. Maybe you want to know, if I am taking off from work for a year or two, if I want to travel around the world, can I afford that? How do I make sure that I can do my payments abroad? It will be totally different advice that consumers will expect. And they will require, of course, very good digital solutions. They will require and expect banks to deliver solutions that work together with other digital solutions, to make it easy, to make it convenient.

So, I think in the future, we will see banking being done in a totally different way, and the financial sector will need to pick up on that development. What we see today is a lot of partnerships and a lot of investments in fintech companies. And going forward, I think we’re going to see even more of that. And consumers will also expect that there is this cooperation between the companies. That it’s not just silos. So I think we’re going to see a totally different bank in the future.

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There is a part about combining new technology, and in some cases new core systems, with organizational culture, making sure you retain the right people, and you also get new skills into the organization
”

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This interview was conducted by Marisol Menéndez, Chief Open Innovation Officer at Spain Startup - South Summit.

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DORTHE HÅHR . Head of Nordea Ventures
Follow her on Linkedin and Twitter