We have started a Twitter Chat on Business Productivity every Thursdays with the #simpli5 tag. Yesterday was the first such chat on the topic of Email Overload. It was very interesting to discuss how other people are managing their emails, their tips and tricks!

Read the entire transcript!

These chats will be happening every Thursday, to know about the topic and other notifications please follow @simpli5! See you there!

Pulse of Technology, is a blog for Tech enthusiasts. They recently featured DeskAway’s founder Sahil parikh talking  on Cloud Computing Services.

India aims to become the fastest growing economy in 2010. How can a growing small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) benefit with this new technology trend?

That is exactly the area my book will be addressing. Small businesses will now have the ability to use the same tools and techniques that larger companies enjoyed for years. They can leverage Web 2.0/ Social Media tools to connect with prospects / customers, build their brand, and use Enterprise 2.0 tools to automate systems within their workplace using free, inexpensive and simple tools.

Can Deskaway cater to the project management needs of small & mid size companies of non IT sector say manufacturing?

Absolutely. In fact, besides technology companies, DeskAway users are from manufacturing, healthcare, non-profits, accounting etc. We are seeing more and more teams move away from email as a primary form of collaboration (sharing files, delegating tasks, planning work etc.) and use a web-based application.

Read More.

Thanks Basant from Techno-Pulse!!

Another really good article from Terry Starbucker, on teamwork and project management. He stresses on leadership training for supervisors who are managing the team and hence also the project.

All too often I see new supervisors struggling mightily with the idea of actually “managing” a staff – setting priorities, communicating the company vision, motivating,  holding people accountable,  and delivering the necessary coaching and corrections. Delivering such training can be expensive, because this is typically the largest management group in most organizations. Read More.

Even though the training may take time, it would however enhance the work a lot more afterwards. Its always great to work with a person who knows how to go about stuff and what to expect, rather than someone who is just fiddling around without having the necessary know how.

One of the ways we tackle this at DeskAway is by having frequent meetings where the work processes are walked through, thus if any particular step seems onerous or too difficult then solutions can be sought for that. Through these meetings we can also figure out if someone is struggling over something.

How do you’l ensure that the people in your team know what their job responsibilities are and that they have the necessary skills to manage the work?

Read an interesting article on Fast company on ‘Time Blocking’ as a method to avoid distractions and increase productivity. The writer has given the example of an office with no cubicle or private space where getting work done becomes a difficult task due to constant disruptions due to surrounding people.

Today with the internet, even in a cubicle or private office a person can find himself disrupted all the time with emails, chat messages, notifications and more!

Gina Trapani suggest in the article to block some time off where you are focussing on the particular work,

Being available to your boss and co-workers is part of your job. But the most creative and important work you do requires total focus and attention for an extended period of time. Your brain needs at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted time to dive in, concentrate on one thing, and get into the zone where you’re truly focused and doing your best work. Time blocking is a technique that sets the stage for that to happen. Read More.

I totally agree with this, definitely time blocking is needed in work as well personal life! I find it crucial to spend time with myself and also with friends and family. These time outs ensure that things are going on the right or desired track.

What do you think? Is this something you do to manage time better?

Some more cheers pouring in since last few days from Twitter. Thanks all you guys for recommending us!

Do join us on Twitter, @DeskAway. We troubleshoot simple queries and tweet out interesting and relevant info for SMB’s!