This has been a tough year for a lot of businesses. The economy has yet to rebound (it may never fully) and with a downtrodden economic situation often comes a despressed workforce. I’m not talking about the overall unemployment problem; I’m talking about the problem that those who have jobs are dealing with: elevated…

Working as part of a team and staying connected while doing so is a challenge, and there have been few (if any) easy and reasonably-priced software solutions that handle it well. Until today. Asana has left beta and is now available to the general public. And it has a lot to offer. This web application…

Ever since I started at Lifehack in mid-2007, we’ve compiled year-end lists of the best web 2.0 applications to come out in the previous year (here’s my list for for 2007 and Joel Falconer’s for 2008). The development of ever-more-complex software accessed online via a web browser is a huge boon for…

In my coaching practice, I am increasingly looking for ways to work with my clients on shared documents and projects online. Pretty simple right? You’d think so. I went to the first two places that I knew offered some or all of these services: Google & Microsoft. Big disappointment.

CNet’s Webware 100 singles out 100 web-based applications for excellence in 10 categories. Unlike some other awards which recognize new services, the  Webware 100 are selected as “best-of-breed” from among all the applications currently available. The upshot is, there’s some pretty good apps on the list! Here, then, are my thoughts on the 10 selected…

1. Have a Vision for Change You cannot expect your team to be innovative if they do not know the direction in which they are headed. Innovation has to have a purpose. It is up to the leader to set the course and give a bearing for the future. You need one overarching statement…

If you’ve been looking for an absolutely easy way to collaborate with a group, I’d recommend trying out Wiggio. The application just came into public beta today and it’s one of the easiest-to-use collaboration tools I’ve run across. If you’ve ever had to work with group members unfamiliar with tools beyond email, Wiggio…

Somewhere around 3 dozen people, scattered across the globe from Hong Kong across the US to the UK, Europe, and beyond work together to bring you the collection of useful tips, thought pieces, and inspiration known as Lifehack. I thought it might be interesting to our readers to learn a little bit…

With so many people working from home, it’s no surprise that the last few years have seen significant increases in the range of collaboration tools available online. They didn’t just capitalize on a growing trend; they helped to propel it. Here are ten great, free tools for collaboration, including some of those we use…

Nobody likes meetings. Well, not “nobody” – that older guy with the beard that nobody seems to know personally that comes to every meeting? He likes meetings, because he gets a free donut and a nap. But other than him, most people see meetings as way too unproductive and time-consuming to be likable. Necessary, sometimes…

As the youngest of three sons, I’ve been competing my whole life. Whether it was space in the back of the car during a long car ride or the consideration of a career outside of business or technology, my path has always felt like an adventure. Competition has been conditioned into my outlook…

David Seah writes probably one of my favorite articles in a while, the difference between Collaboration and Scheming. Being a Schemer at heart, it’s nice to read an objective comparison between the two and what the difference boils down to. According to Seah, it’s an ‘emotional vs rational duality’. So what does one expect from a good…

There are no objective, impersonal “laws” of business. Even all those numbers and ratios won’t change that. At bottom, business and organizations are deeply personal and horribly messy. Until we accept that, we won’t get far in improving how they work. It’s fashionable to see business as an impersonal activity: as a world governed by objective…

Trust is an essential component in almost all dealings between human beings, other than outright hostile ones like wars and terrorism. It is certainly vital for the proper running of any organization, as well as for almost all the components of trade and commerce. Lack of trust between trading partners undermines the proper functioning of…

In office life, there’s the constant thrum of someone raising money through selling cookies, or collecting a few dollars for a baby shower, or a few more for someone’s 10 year anniversary at the company. It’s easy to give and receive money for these because you’re all in the same place. Sunil comes over and…