Beyond Folders : workplace organization

Simple Tricks for the Filing Newbie

Community Manager — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:45:00 GMT

Some people are organized by nature. You know them by their alphabetized spice racks, perfectly antiseptic medicine cabinets and tabula rasa workspaces. Others are not. But we believe that a little nurture can overcome nature so if organization isn't in your DNA, we're here to help.

Last week we covered Filing 101, offering a primer on the anatomy of a filing cabinet and a handy cheat sheet on what paperwork to save or toss. If you spent time with those posts, and implemented any of our recommendations, you're off to a great start for an organized 2011.

Now it's time for some tricks of the trade, those little "I-never-would-have-thought-of-that" tips that will help move you along the path from filing newbie to seasoned pro.

Making the Most of Manila Folders: What home isn't inundated with bills, receipts, kids' art work, and disparate to-lists? Consider using a few clearly labeled manila folders on a bulletin board or the inside of a kitchen cabinet to triage and sort paperwork before it disappears into the dreaded stack (aka unwieldy pile). Über-organizing blog the Unclutterer has a helpful post on putting manila folders to work: Creating a Home Paper Management System.

Portable File Totes: Digital nomads, freelancers visiting clients, or on-the-go parents may want to avail themselves of a portable filing tote. Portable totes double as a "briefcase" and make organizing while on the move a breeze. Organizing blog Ready, Aim, Organize has a helpful post on the pros of portable totes (note: while they recommend a specific brand there are numerous totes on the market which can easily be found with a Google search).

Crack the Color Code: LA lifestyle blog Cupcakes & Cashmere trains its aesthetic sensibility on home office files. Read the post Office Etiquette for details on synching an attractive streamlined desktop holder with a more comprehensive system in your filing cabinet. As a bonus: the system is color-coordinated, providing a vibrant example of form meeting function.

Get to Know Your Label Maker: Filing newbies may believe that label makers are the province of the professional organizer. Not so! Anyone can, and should, add a label maker to their organizational arsenal. For inspiration, read 10 Great Uses for Label Makers for more on making this handy tool.

Be Boy Scout Ready: Steal a playbook from the Boy Scouts and "be prepared." When a health or weather disaster strikes, it's no time to be scrambling for insurance documents, etc. Prepare a file of emergency documents before adversity strikes. For more on getting ready for an emergency, read Preparing for the Unexpected.

Do you have any filing tips or tricks? What little step or tool makes your filing easier? Share your thoughts here and at the Pendaflex Facebook page.

by Carly Fadako

Anatomy of a Filing Cabinet

Community Manager — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:35:00 GMT

What's that you say? You want to file, but don't know where to begin? We have a comprehensive overview of what a well-executed filing system looks like to get you started.

The hallmark of an effective filing system is being able to easily retrieve what you need, when you need it. Filing systems generally fall into two broad categories: 1) working (or temporary) files and permanent (archival) files.

Temporary folders, which can reside either in a desktop file system, or in a nearby filing cabinet, include documents frequently in use such as:

Action items requiring immediate or regular decisions
Project items related to current tasks
Reading items intended for immediate consumption

Permanent files should be kept separate from working files, either in a separate filing cabinet or in archival cardboard boxes in storage. When a project is finished, or a document is complete and no longer needed (i.e. old taxes), it's time for permanent storage.

Keep in mind that not all completed projects or documents need to be saved indefinitely, so assess what you have, purge what's not needed and set up a retention schedule for documents you do keep, specifying how long each file should be stored.

Maintain the retention schedule separately from the archived files and synch it to your computer or paper calendar for a year-to-year review. Purging archival files after they've outlived their usefulness keeps your paperwork from growing into a mountain.

Love Your Labels

Good filing systems make effective use of labels. Be sure to use broad, generic headings that are meaningful to you and comprehensible to others if the filing system is shared. Think thick, not thin: files shouldn't be subdivided to the point where it's difficult to keep track of categories, (i.e. design your files to capture about two-inches of material, rather than say, two sheets of paper). Consider color coding your files if doing so makes sense to you.

The Art of Arrangement

Before labeling your files, decide on your organization strategy. Design your system, with headings and subheadings on paper, before you beginning labeling. Choices include:

Alphabetically: great for client or customer name files.
Subject: a good choice if you're using subfolders.
Numerically: excellent for dated material, such as purchase orders and bills.
Chronologically: a good solution for back-up files that need to be set up by month.
Tickler files: great for very detailed tasks, such as tracking bills, correspondence and reading materials. Set up tickler files by the day, month, and/or year.

To Cabinet or Not?

Not all filing systems need to be kept in a cabinet. Consider using a desk-top holder or wall file similar to a magazine rack to keep daily or to-do files close at hand. One idea is to keep a desk-top folder with files that contain all the general categories in your larger filing cabinet, so you can keep documents at your finger tips before moving them into their corresponding category at the ends of each week or month.

Not every item is easily filed so consider using boxes or bags to store unwieldy or oversized items. Cardboard or metal boxes can capture magazines or fabric samples, and keep tubes handy if you often need to store maps, prints or other oversized documents.

Finally, make it easy to add new files to your system. Keep labels and files on hand so you can quickly add a new file rather than starting a new pile!

How does your filing system work? If you make clever use of color-coding or unorthodox filing set-ups, please share your thoughts or photos with us here by leaving a comment!

by Carly Fadako

Pile in Style

Community Manager — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 17:27:00 GMT

New Year's resolutions are right around the corner. Hoping for a clean slate in 2011? After the confetti's cleaned up, it's time to tackle those piles.

Fear not, we have no intention of trying to convert you into a label-conscious filer. We know that for every individual who happily labels and files paperwork, there is a counterpart who just as happily piles that paperwork onto a desk. Instead, we want to suggest tips and techniques to bring a little style to your pile.

Every Pile Sometimes Needs a Circular-File: Give every pile in your office an end-of-the-year review. Toss or shred what is no longer needed. If the pile represents a completed project, move the pile to an archival box for storage.

Upgrade Those Piles: Sort piles into organizer trays, bins or stylish boxes. Use thick binder clips or reusable, write-on clips to group like documents.

Prioritize a Pile: Make a "do-today" pile and keep only documents in it that you need for the day. Find a colorful letter holder or attractive, eye-catching tray and check this pile every morning, weeding out documents not needed for the day. The tray should serve as the day's visual to-do list; don't let it fill with clutter.

Corralling Mountains: Sometimes a pile just becomes too big. When a pile threatens to slide over and engulf all that's in its way, it's time for 1) an assessment to make sure all the papers are still needed and 2) a large bin or box.

Pilers, we want to hear from you. How to you keep your stacks manageable? What tricks do you use to keep order among your piles? Share your thoughts here by leaving us a comment!

by Carly Fadako

Happiness is a Clutter Free Desk

Community Manager — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:26:00 GMT

To pile or to file? An age old question with no right answer. In our recent Pile it On! post we offered tips for the nearly half of all American employees who organize paper by piling.

But what of the other half? The 50 percent who need a clean desk and carefully filed papers to achieve maximum productivity and serenity?

You know who you are. You know your way around an accordion folder and can conjure up your tax returns from 1987 or last month's quarterly report within moments. You own a label maker. You are a filer. And you're good at it! But could you be better?

Recent Convert

If you're relatively new to the organization game or if you're filer/piler hybrid seeking to quit piling tendencies, we've assembled some useful resources for quick and simple filing strategies. See how your system stacks up.

Filing Maven

You have your strategy down. Color coding and categorizing is second nature. You find filing fun and organizing cathartic. You are not alone!

The blogosphere is full of talented and informative organizing mavens. Tap into their wisdom and consider sharing your own. We've compiled a short list of some of the best of the breed organizing blogs:

Clean desk devotees, as you maintain your filing systems, keeping clutter successfully at bay, remember the words of humorist Robert Orben, "Happiness is a very small desk and a very big wastebasket."

Do you have special tips for keeping your desk clutter free? Is there a blog that you follow for organizing advice? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Is Your Kitchen Your Home Office?

Community Manager — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:44:00 GMT

The kitchen is the de facto command center for many homes. Whether you work at home, commute from home or stay-at-home, managing the paperwork and information flow of life requires a centralized strategy. Where better than the heart of the home?

That Was Easy

Organizing a kitchen office doesn't have to be hard and having one will make life easy. Very easy. The kitchen is a magnet for paperwork, bills, car keys, prescriptions, invitations and to-do lists. Corralling these items is a must.

Capture items in daily use that can't be filed away in your kitchen command center. A command center doesn't need to be the permanent filing solution we've discussed in other blog posts. Rather, a kitchen command center is a communications hub handling incoming and outgoing information needing immediate action on a day-to-day basis.

Consider including the following useful items:

Calendar
Corkboard
Dry erase board
Clock
Pegs for keys, dog leashes, backpacks, etc.
Wall mounted bins, file folders, baskets

Set up your command center to enable family members to walk in, unload crucial papers and items and have them at their fingertips when next ready to leave. For more how-to and real life inspiration read The Ultimate Family Command Center. It targets busy moms and harried home business owners. If they can do it, you can do it.

Command Center Plus

With location independent workers increasingly telecommuting or freelancing from home, kitchen command centers often need to do double-duty as an office. In our blog post Tips for Setting Up Your Home Office we outline basic home office needs. Home-makeover web site HGTV.com offers tips for optimizing kitchen work space in Fit Functional Office Space in the Kitchen. Finally, enjoy the eye-candy inspiration of fabulous and functional kitchen office spaces at Better Homes and Gardens Kitchen Workstation Ideas.

What tools help your kitchen command center run seamlessly? Do you have pictures of your kitchen home office to share? Post your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Tips for Setting Up Your Home Office

Community Manager — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:58:00 GMT

The Home Office Conference Call

How do you set your boundaries?

I previously posted about the rise of a home office workforce that favors an easy (or, really, non-existent) commute, more flexible hours and a casual dress code. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, almost 52% of all small businesses are home-based. If you are thinking of working from home, here are some ideas for setting up your office space.

The first step is to choose the right area of your home. This post from iVillage poses some key questions to consider, including:

How much time will you spend in the office?
What type of work are you doing?
How much privacy do you need?
Is a computer the office's focal point?
Will customers or vendors visit you?

As this USA Today article and a post from workshifting.com set out, once you choose the physical space for your office, you need to consider what you need in it, such as:

Electricity
Internet, phone and fax connections
An ergonomic desk and chair
Good lighting
Heaters or air conditioner
Storage

If being green is a priority, check out the tips in this post on How to Set up a Green Office for $1000 or Less . Planet Green also offers this Comprehensive Guide.

One of the great benefits of a home office is proximity to your family. But, if you have kids, you will probably want to set some boundaries (physical and otherwise) around your workspace. This Fast Company article on The Home Office, Kids Edition provides some good insights.

Have you set up a home office? If so, please let us know how you did it. Photos welcome!

by Carly Fadako

Pile It On!

Community Manager — Tue, 11 May 2010 12:50:00 GMT

You know who you are.

Piler v. Filer

Just look around your office. On your desk. On the floor. On top of the filing cabinet.

What do you see?

Piles, piles and more piles.

Yes, it is as clear as can be. You, my friend, are a piler.

And you are not alone.

Nearly half of all American employees claim that they organize paper by piling it on their desk. As this Fast Company article on Piles Versus Files highlights, "[s]ome of the world's most productive people are pilers. Al Gore, for example, is a busy guy, with mounds of paper to prove it. [And] many creative workers stay productive by keeping their virtual piles spread out and easy to glance at on multiple screens." One executive is so committed to "managing through piles" that she had an industrial designer build a desk "that acknowledges her stacking habit, yet gives it shape and structure."

There is good evidence that nature, as opposed to nurture, drives people to pile. Typically, pilers are right-brain dominant, creative types who are visually oriented. They crave stimulation and thrive in environments where there is a lot going on. To them, forming and sorting through piles is soothing and constructive. By sharp contrast, filers crave order, ease and calm. To maintain their equilibrium at work, they methodically categorize, label, purge and store papers. They need to organize and clear their workspace before they can begin to focus.

Although they might appear to be swimming in a sea of chaos, pilers usually know exactly where to find what they need at any given moment. But, if your piles seem to be getting the better of you, this WomensMedia post offers some helpful tips:

When you have stacks of paper and files for various projects and purposes, create a spine by wrapping a large piece of paper around each group and labeling it.
Use a clipboard to control loose papers for each project you are working on. Label the clips and hang the clipboards on your office wall or partition.
Set boundaries on your piles by restricting them to a single table or desk top. When a pile starts to spill over, it is time to go through it to streamline and straighten up the papers.
Put your papers in open boxes and mark the outside with a numbering system so you can easily identify the contents.

If you are still on the fence about your identity, you can take a filer vs. piler quiz. If you are a proud piler and you know it, we would love to hear from you. You can share your piling tips and tools here and on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

It is Nice to Share: Making Room for Two in Your Home Office

Community Manager — Wed, 05 May 2010 12:12:00 GMT

Millions of people in the U.S. work from home at least part time (check out some interesting work-at-home statistics here). Many making the in-home commute from one room to another do not make it alone. They are part of a growing population of home office co-workers.

Sharing Your Home Office Space

If you are thinking of creating a home office for two, you and your work-mate-to-be should consider the important questions posed in this article on home office life:

Do you have compatible working styles?
Are your internal clocks in sync?
Do you have the same tolerance for noise (or silence)?

Beyond addressing these basic questions, you have to be realistic about your physical space. A Helium article on sharing office space points up the importance of having separate desks that you can position "side by side, on opposite ends of the room or even back to back so you face your office partner over your computer." It also recommends that you maintain separate filing systems if you and your office mate are not in the same business or have distinct roles in a shared venture. Keeping your shared space clean and clutter-free is also a priority.

When you are ready to tackle your new set up, you can use these home office visualizing and planning tools. You can also gain some design inspiration from this HGTV article library and this take on 12 ways to pimp your office.

As important as it is to tend to your physical environment, according to this WebWorkerDaily post on A Home Office for Two, you also need to take care of your separate and joined psychic space by:

Being clear about your desires and expectations
Keeping the other informed if something is bugging you
Ensuring that you are both prepared to try new approaches and be flexible.

Do you share a home office? If so, we invite you to tell us about your experiences making room for two.

by Carly Fadako

Clean Sweep for Productivity

Community Manager — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:53:00 GMT

Do you hear the birds singing as you walk to your car for your morning commute? Can you look out your office window and catch a glimpse of colorful trees and flowers in full bloom?

Make A Clean Sweep

Yes, spring is here. That time of renewal and reawakening when some inner or - more likely - outer force compels us to take a good look around and clean sweep our lives into order.

I am in the business of helping people work and live more efficiently. So, naturally, I consume lots of information on how we can all be more productive. To honor the new season and create room for new insights, I thought I would clean sweep my virtual library and share some of my favorite productivity articles with you. I hope you enjoy them. And if they inspire you to get into the sweep of things, feel free to share your spring productivity tips with us here or at the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

To start things off, the Productivity 501 blog shares some funny anecdotes about that major productivity buster, the messy desk. Here is my favorite quote: "Your mind doesn't organize everything in neat little boxes. However, this might be even more of a reason to try to keep your work environment in some semblance of order."

While we are on the subject of quotes, here is a great compilation of personal productivity quotes you can mine for self-motivation or to inspire others at your next team meeting. You might also want to share Peter Bregman's pair of Harvard Business Review posts on optimizing productivity by curbing time wasters at work:

The Worth-Your-Time Test

The Cardinal Rule of Rules

If you like handy tips and tools for greater productivity, take a look at:

10 Simple Google Search Tricks

10 Apps You Can't Do Without

Twelve Cool Tools for Writers and Others

Last, but not least, if you would like to create your own productivity resource library, you can start with this list of The 20 Best Productivity and Personal Development Blogs.

by Carly Fadako

Tips for Setting Up Your Mobile Office

Community Manager — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:01:00 GMT

If you have any lingering doubts that today's workforce is on the go, take a look at recent statistics presented in this report on strategies for managing mobile workers (pdf):

Where Do You Work?

By 2011, mobile workers will make up 73% of the total U.S. workforce
30.4% of workers worldwide will be mobile in 2011
The number of virtual workers has increased by 800% within the last 5 years
60%-70% of all employees work in different locations than their supervisors

As the report also points out, we have become mobile in a number of ways:

We work for different companies at the same time
We frequently change jobs and shift careers
We work on multiple teams and projects within a company
We change company job sites and locations often
We telecommute from home offices and other remote locations

Whatever gets - and keeps - you moving during your workday, you can benefit from practicable tips on setting up a mobile office.

According to this post from A Nomad's Lot, an important first step is to make a list of attributes you desire in a workspace. Be very specific and consider aspects like:

Lighting
Air quality
Noise level
Seating
Accessibility
WiFi

Doing some advance detective work via the Web and local contacts also helps if you are setting up shop in an unfamiliar community. Upon your arrival, walk around the neighborhood and note the locations and business hours of cafes, libraries and bookshops. Be sure to head inside and get the staff's perspective on using the space for remote work.

With this groundwork, you are ready to focus on setting up your workspace. If you need a basic walk through, sitepoint offers these 7 Essential Steps to Creating an Efficient Mobile Office:

Get a laptop
Use an online data backup service
Make sure you have secure wireless access
Create electronic copies of paper files
Set up a virtual phone line and digital fax service
Update your computer's operating system and software
Set up peripherals (trackball, surge protector, extension cord, wireless mouse, portable scanner and extra batteries/chargers)

To take these steps with confidence, check out 20 Crucial Tools for Working On-the-Go and (especially for mobile Mac users) The Ultimate Mobile Office Set Up For The Location Independent Professional.

We would love to hear from you and invite you to share your mobile office setup tips and photos with the Beyond Folder Community here and on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Lose Your Paper Planner without Getting Lost

Community Manager — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 14:15:00 GMT

Still Tied To Your Paper Planner?

There was a time, not too long ago, when the loss of a paper planner spelled a personal organization and time management disaster of epic proportions. In fact, one Saturday a few months ago, I was panicked by the thought that I lost my paper planner. After driving into the office, I was relieved to see it, in plain view right on my desk.

Although the evolution of web-based applications has liberated many of us from total paper dependency by providing a range of online options for planning and tracking our daily tasks and activities, I had resisted letting go of my planner. During my trip back to the office on that Saturday, I decided the time had come to take advantage of the benefits of going digital.

It actually was easier than I anticipated. I entered all my contact information into my blackberry, and began to use Lotus Calendar (which is synced from our email system) for all my appointments. I used my paper planner as well, keeping both for about two months. After realizing that I hadn't needed to look at the paper planner during the entire two month period, I gave it up and went totally digital.

To help you make sense of the online personal productivity tools available today, here is a round up of recent articles and reviews. As always, we consider this a two-way conversation and invite you to share your favorite online personal organization and time management solutions with us here.

Whether you are a location independent professional or office worker, you can benefit from this post on 8 Simple online Time Management Tools for Freelancers. Included in the review are the following flexible solutions:

Calendars: Google Calendar and 30 Boxes
To-do lists: vitalist and Todoist
Project management: Backpack and Basecamp from the innovators at 37signals

Popular Web-based task manager Remember the Milk is the subject of this in-depth review. Among the notable features are:

Multiple avenues of access (via Gmail, Firefox, mobile phone, iPhone and Blackberry)
Organization of tasks by category, priority, date or tag
Single keystroke shortcuts
Free and paid professional versions (the pro version is required for the iPhone, Windows Mobile and Blackberry integration)

For a deeper look into popular online calendars, you can watch this helpful video tutorial produced by butterscotch.com.

Letting go of my paper planner has made it so much easier to organize my life (both business and personal), and with the added security of back up, it's negated the need for a Saturday trip to the office! Let us know how you have transitioned from paper to digital!

by Candie Harris

The Demise of the Cubicle: Designing Office Space for the New Culture of Collaboration

Community Manager — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:54:00 GMT

1968.

It was a year marked by political and social unrest here and abroad.

It was also the birth year of that symbol of modern workplace dysfunction chronicled in Scott Adams' wildly popular Dilbert comic strip- the office cubicle.

As highlighted in this Fortune retrospective entitled Cubicles: The Great Mistake, even the cubicle's inventor - the late Robert Propst - came to rue the economical office system he thought would increase the productivity of "a growing breed of white-collar workers, whose job titles fell between secretary and boss." With a nod to the Dilbertvilles he inspired, he openly admitted his "contribution to 'monolithic insanity.'"

In making this admission, Propst might have foreseen the current shift in workplace culture away from worker isolation and towards flexible teamwork, open communication and ongoing collaboration. Perhaps he also knew what recent studies have confirmed: A well-designed office boosts employee morale, engagement and productivity.

Let's face it, we all secretly, or not so secretly cheered during the movie Office Space when the lead character "takes it to the man" by knocking down his cubicle wall with the help of a power drill. The look of accomplishment on his face spoke volumes, to office workers and managers alike.

Companies looking into the benefits of redesigning their physical space can start with a practical tutorial on How to Build a Better Office that walks you through these key steps:

Sizing up your current space
Involving your employees in the process
Deciding what your goals are
Asking yourself if it's time to move
Continuing to tweak

For more inspiration, you can virtually tour office spaces designed to optimize collaboration, including Microsoft's cool research facility, Building 99. Among the featured redesign elements are:

More shared and social spaces for spontaneous collaboration
Smaller cubicles with lower walls
Fewer private offices
Plush kitchen areas
Offices with sliding textured glass doors
Write-on/wipe-off walls

You might also gain some insight from this Fast Company slideshow of 10 Workspaces That Inspire Creativity and this image gallery of the Best and Worst Workplace Design.

by Carly Fadako

Why Ergonomics Matters

Community Manager — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:06:00 GMT

Are you sitting?

Does your chair support your lower back?

Here is a fact you might not know: On average, adults spends over 90% of our waking hours sitting down. It is a natural progression from breakfast table to car/train/bus to workstation to lunch table to workstation to car/train/bus to dinner table to couch. You get the picture. Most of us lead a very sedentary existence.

That is why ergonomics matters so much.

Ergonomics is the science (and art) of designing the workplace to suit the worker, rather than the other way around. Proper ergonomic design helps prevent repetitive stress injury (RSI), like carpal tunnel syndrome, and back problems that can develop over time and lead to long-term disability.

If you are brand new to this concept, or want to learn more about ergonomics, here are some resources:

In a recent post, HR World presents The Ultimate Guide to Workstation Ergonomics that includes tips, websites, consulting firms and manufacturers in the field. Among the tips offered are:

Work area - Make sure your workspace is large enough for you to spread out comfortably and have a full range of motion
Chair - Support your lower back and adjust your chair so that your feet are firmly on the floor (use a footrest if necessary) and you can easily reach your keyboard and mouse
Computer monitor - To avoid eyestrain and related problems, center your monitor in front of you at a comfortable distance, adjust the brightness settings and take breaks from staring at your screen (for additional tips, see this post on How to Take Care of Your Eyes )
Computer keyboard - Situate your computer keyboard on your desk so your arms are parallel to your thighs or use a keyboard tray to facilitate proper positioning

You can learn more about ergonomics from the product design mistakes showcased in this Popular Mechanics piece on 5 Design Flaws that Ruined Otherwise Smart Gadgets. For inspiration on the flipside, this blog post profiles an award-winning ergonomic violin design.

by Carly Fadako

The Moveable Workspace

Community Manager — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:08:00 GMT

By Carly Fadako

Where do you work?

This seems like a simple question. But, you might not have a simple answer if you are part of the growing population of workers who like me, call places such as airports, coffee shops and public parks the office.

With improved technologies and increased demand for workplace flexibility, it is projected that mobile workers could make up almost 75% of the US workforce by 2011.

If you are in this tribe of nomadic workers - by choice or otherwise - About.com's Catherine Roseberry offers these Top 10 Remote Work Myths & Realities for your consideration. You can also refer to this list of 20 Crucial Tools for Working On-the-Go put together by SitePoint's Alyssa Gregory .

Whether you occupy your moveable workspace as a freelancer or as part of a virtual office community, you will benefit from mastering what Harvard Business Review blogger Gina Trapani calls the Art of Working Remotely. Among Trapani's tips are:

Sharpen your email skills
Use web-based collaboration tools
Set up regular voice or video chat check-ins

As law blogger Carolyn Elefant points out, mobile workers who conduct business in public spaces should also observe some basic rules of etiquette, such as:

Do not be a table hog
Bring an extension cord
Talk softly on your cell phone (or take the call outside)

Do you manage a team of mobile workers? You might find some helpful guidance in these Top 10 Strategies flagged by the folks at workshifting.com.