Archive for October, 2009
Conference calls: 5 years of saving the world in so many different ways
Posted by Powwownowteam in Opinions on October 30th, 2009
Powwownow recently celebrated our 5th birthday, and, more importantly, we celebrated over 2 million conference calls for over 100,000 customers (101,597 to be exact), and over £21 million saved by picking up the phone instead of travelling to face to face meetings.
Now these are impressive stats on their own, but being Powwownow, we thought it would be interesting to look at them from another angle: what else could they represent (please note: all calculations are based on complete guesswork with no basis in fact at all)? What else have we saved?
- Over 16 million hot drinks not made…
- And therefore over 16 million fewer mugs or cups to wash up
- At least 8 million chocolate hobnobs still safe on the shelves
- 1,000,000 egg and cress sandwiches not left over at the end of the meeting (no-one likes them, do they?)
- As many as 2 million hours of air conditioning saved (and it’s always the wrong temperature, too)
- Well over 40 million sheets of paper that you printed out and then didn’t even hand out
- Over £20 million of dry-cleaning bills not paid. You can have a conference call in your underwear if you want!
- More than 130,000 tanks of petrol still in the pumps
- At least 6,500 services not carried out, and 16,000 fewer tyres replaced
- 500,000 fewer cars causing chaos on the M25
- 100,000 parking tickets avoided (we may have been nice here)
- Probably at least 500,000 appointments NOT missed (none of that ‘Sorry, I was stuck in traffic’ business)
- Considerably more than 50,000 hours wasted in airports
- Thousands of pounds saved by not having to stay overnight in seedy hotels…
- And thousands of doctors visits avoided by not catching strange diseases in same seedy hotels
There are many more we’re sure, and we’d be welcome to hear them, but suffice to say we’re pretty proud of what we’ve achieved, and hope to continue making a difference conference call by conference call for many years to come.
Business innovation and the attack of the Harlequin ladybirds
Posted by Powwownowgreen in Opinions on October 23rd, 2009
London is under attack.
As I speak, thousands of airborne invaders fill the capital’s air, buzzing around its parks, crawling into buildings, tangling in people’s hair and generally creating disruption. I speak, of course, about Harmonia Axyridis, aka the Harlequin ladybird – and the latest in a long line of immigrants to threaten our native British fauna and flora. Even Twitter is buzzing with it.
But while it may be infesting most London buildings, looking for a warm corner to hibernate in before the winter arrives, how has it managed to wriggle its way into this blog?
A natural instinct
The easy answer lies in the fact that, here at Powwownow, we are Nature’s children, and irresistibly interested in everything that goes on in the animal kindom. But there is a second and more lasting relevance. It strikes me that our gut reaction to the arrival of invader species like this is much like our tendency to resist strange and new business practices.
Whether it is Japanese Knotweed strangling the life out of your prize hibiscus, or the aggressive grey squirrel driving out its vulnerably, tufty-eared red cousin, there is an uncanny parallel with the way we see some new ideas as somehow undesirable simply because they are new and different.
To hear some people speak, you would think that grey squirrels travelled round the English woodland in teenage packs, setting upon every red squirrel they met. The truth is that they are simply better at surviving. They have larger broods, they have a wider diet, they are hardier. They do not seek out and destroy red squirrels, they outperform them and end up replacing them as a species, not as individuals. But we nevertheless see them as alien, dangerous and undesirable.
And so it is with business. We are creatures of habit and it is therefore completely natural that we should see new ideas with some suspicion. So when we assess each business innovation that comes along, it is not surprising we feel an irrational fear of the unknown.
At Powwownow, we help companies to make conference calls instead of travelling to meetings. People like this and it is what we do for a living. But to some people, the idea of having a conference call instead of the usual face-to-face meeting is just not the way things are done. It is strange and new: it is the Japanese Knotweed of modern commerce, the grey squirrel of business practice.
But before we condemn, let’s just try to remember that the real reasons for these things arriving and flourishing is because they work better. And while you don’t necessarily want them buzzing into your hair, let’s celebrate the arrival of the Harlequin ladybird – and free conference calling via Powwownow – as part of the natural way of things.
It was meant to be.
[photo credit: Jonathan Gill, Flickr]
Eat that frog
Posted by Powwownowbizfish in Opinions on October 15th, 2009
(image courtesy of g_covacs, Flickr)
Whilst it must get credit for being one of the most unusual titles you’ll find on a business bookshelf, Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy also has to be one of the most useful.
In essence, even though the book is 129 pages thick, it offers (in my humble opinion) just one really good piece of advice. It was recommended to me by business coach Katie Demain who described it as a classic – and I can confirm that it has certainly made a difference to me and many others I work with. And since we are in the business of helping people and businesses to use their time more productively, I thought I had to share it.
The point is this. We have many tasks to do in a day: some more important, some less important. There are some very detailed ways in which tasks can be prioritised but this planning itself takes time and effort. As a result, we sometimes don’t even get round to that. What Eat That Frog suggests is a stripped-down version of the principle: each day, when you get into work, take that job that you least want to do, the biggest ugliest task that is sitting there staring at you and do it. Just get stuck in and don’t stop until it’s finished.
The idea is that, if you have to eat a frog, it is best to do it straight away. It is the same amount of effort regardless of when you do it: putting it off doesn’t make it easier. In fact, it makes it worse because you have the task hanging over you for the rest of the day. And every time you look at it, the frog looks less and less appetising.
Conversely, once you’ve eaten the frog, you will find a spring (no pun intended) in your step because you are proud of your achievement. The bad job is out of the way. You’re on a high. And that momentum carries into the rest of the day.
It’s a very simple concept. Which is not to say that Mr Tracy does not go onto say useful things in the rest of the book; he does. But what has stayed with me – and what I hope you may find useful – is his idea of just getting that one big task dealt with at the start of each day. Try it tomorrow: eat that frog and see how it goes!
The Little Guy versus the Big Problem
Posted by Powwownowgreen in Opinions on October 8th, 2009
Do you ever wonder, given the sheer scale of the climate change problem, what difference we can make as an individual?
I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I do. But the constant efforts by little people and big people alike continue to encourage me. Seeing the semi-constant Twitter messaging and online buzz about Copenhagen, for example, tells me that we can achieve something big through lots of small efforts – because there is belief that change is possible.
But it also got me thinking about whether I make a difference in what I do for a living. Do companies have the same kind of belief? Are they faceless money-making machines? Or do they have a soul?
Speaking from my own perspective, I can confirm that they do. In fact, I believe they HAVE to. Ethics and economics are essential to a successful business. If a company exists just to create revenue, they may be successful, but they will never be as successful as the company that believes in what it is doing.
Here at Powwownow, we are a humble conference call provider. A pretty good one, and we have lots of people around the world using our service. It brings in money; it pays the wages. But everyone here knows that there is another dimension.
We know that if people use us more, they are travelling less. Every conference call means a little CO2 stays where it is instead of disappearing noxiously into the atmosphere. And that makes us feel good. In a little way.
Every day, employees around the world make a conscious decision about how they will exchange their time for money. Largely, this depends on their skills, their time availability and their geography (and unemployment levels of course). If you want to live and work in a rural setting, merchant banking is not for you. If you can’t drive, don’t become a cabbie. But beyond that there has to be an incentive for people to work where they do.
Give me money, but also give me something that makes me happy and fulfilled as an individual. And when you work for company with belief you end each month with two pay packets: one that pays the bills, and one that we collect on behalf of a much bigger cause. If it was translated into money, it would not amount to much, but put it all together and the Little Guys in the Little Companies are definitely doing their bit.
Twitter, conference calling and the Jevons paradox
Posted by Powwownowbizfish in Opinions on October 2nd, 2009
There are many fascinating blogs out there on the subject of business efficiency and I have to praise one of them – the nice people at the Dachis Group – by way of stealing their idea.
The blog explains the premise of Jevons paradox, named after William Stanley Jevons in the picture above. It states that, as we find more efficient ways of using a resource, we end up using more rather than less. The example quoted is coal: the more efficient steam engines became, the more people were impelled to mine coal from the ground to fire these increasingly desirable machines. Thus the amount of coal used went up, not down, despite the efficiency gains.
And where is the link to Twitter, I hear you ask… Attention is also a finite resource, and tools such as Twitter seek to make us more efficient in our use of our limited attention. It uses a shorter message format, forcing us to streamline our information. The Dachis blog also cites instant messaging and wikis as ways of improving the efficiency with which attention is used. But – the net effect is that we have less time in the day. We have used up more of our attention on those same tasks.
But here at Powwownow, we think there is a straightforward explanation. If you want to be more efficient, plan ahead. Social media addicts spend more time online than others even though they would claim it is a more efficient way of interacting. They simply interact with more people when they don’t really need to.
Here at Powwownow it is our business to encourage people to have meetings over the phone or online instead of travelling. There is an efficiency/productivity angle there. But it is negated if you end up having a lot of trivial meetings when you don’t really need them. If the first meeting reaches no conclusion you may end up having several subsequent meetings, and the efficiency is lost.
But plan ahead. Come to the meeting prepared. Chair the meeting well. Have a proper agenda. Insist on follow-up actions. Do all these things and the productivity gain will stick.
It’s true that, when meetings are this easy, it is tempting to use that efficiency more often than you need to. But plan ahead, and you can beat the Jevons paradox.
When Face to Face is the only option
Posted by Powwownowteam in Opinions on October 1st, 2009
We’re reasonable people here at Powwownow, and even we accept that there are some occasions when a conference call just isn’t enough, and you need a face to face meeting. Still, if you’re going to meet up, why not do it in style? We’ve had a look around and come up with 10 great places to meet in London – feel free to add your own, as there are many many more!
1. The Institute of Directors
A beautiful building in the heart of London with everything you could possibly need for small or large meetings. You need to be a member, though.
2. Breakfast at the Hoxton Grill
THE place for a breakfast meeting in the East End. The Grill, based in the Hoxton Hotel is in the style of an American diner. There also private rooms for hire, if there are several attendees and you need that extra bit of privacy.
3. The Hospital Club, Covent Garden
In the heart of media-land, this is ‘the only club designed specifically for the creative industries’, and features a studio, a screening room, restaurant facilities, and loads of different nooks and crannies to meet in. Wi-fi is of course ubiquitous, but you do need to be, or to know a member.
4. Any Café with wi-fi
Some meetings require no more than 2 or 3 people, tea & coffee, and a free Internet connection. If you’re in Central London, all you need is this link: http://londonist.com/2007/05/free_wifi_in_lo.php to find 319 different locations with free wi-fi.
5. In the Park
Being based in Richmond, we find ourselves with the wonderful green open spaces of Richmond Park on our doorstep. What better place for that creative brainstorm than the great outdoors. Take along a rug, a thermos, and some sarnies, and be inspired! (weather permitting, of course)
6. The Tate Modern
Another inspirational venue, The Tate Modern’s exhibitions can’t fail to get your creative juices running. Have a ‘walk and talk’ meeting whilst you wander round, or sit in a corner of the huge Turbine Hall. Equally, grab a bit in the Café or Restaurant.
7. London Zoo
Conveniently placed for several mainline stations, this is a great place to meet people coming in from outside London. Meet in the restaurant or one of the other dining areas, or rent a room for larger events. There’s every excuse to take a break from proceedings and clear the mind whilst visiting your favourite wild animal!
8. Adam Street
Meeting with someone you want to impress? Try Adam Street, another Private Club just round the corner from Charing Cross Station. Beautifully decked out with lots of quiet corners plus meeting rooms and even offices if required, this is the ultimate stylish corporate venue. It’s also a great place for a drink after that late afternoon meeting! You will need to join…. or find a member to invite you!
9. The Royal Institute of Architects
On Portland Place, a stone’s throw from Oxford Circus, this is a beautiful venue for any one to one or group meeting. The café is a lovely peaceful area, and you can sit outside when the weather is good. Rooms are also available to hire if required.
10. The Pub
This wouldn’t be a real ‘top 10’ if we didn’t include everyone’s favourite meeting venue, the local Pub! Richmond has many wonderful venues, and we particularly recommend: The White Swan, The Dysart Arms , and The Marlborough . Sit outside when the weather’s good, and in many cases, wi-fi is included!
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