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Internet messaging tools have been around since the early days of dial-up. But the messaging apps available for you to deploy in your office are much different from the AOL instant messaging of many years ago.  Collaboration apps such as Slack, WebEx, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams have fundamentally changed intra- and even inter-workplace communications. They are no longer used just to send messages but are fundamental tools in workplace collaboration.    

Read moreIncrease collaboration and reduce distractions with collaboration apps

Be deliberate when you’re in front of your screens — Part 3 of 3

This is the final post in our series on improving your focus and productivity through tips to make your screen time more deliberate.

Does this resonate with you? You sit down at your desk in the morning and while your first cup of coffee cools down, you look at your calendar and your to-do list and determine what tasks you will do today. But before you start them, you open up your email client and check your email. You start responding to messages, people reply, and suddenly your coffee is cold, your task list is unchanged, and it’s now closer to lunch than breakfast. 

Emails don’t have to take up all of your time. You can wrangle them so that they work for you. Now that we’ve established why email can steal your focus, let’s discuss email management. 

Read moreDeliberate Screen Time: Email management

Be deliberate when you’re in front of your screens — Part 2 of 3

This is the second post in our series on improving your focus and productivity through tips to make your screen time more deliberate.

We’re all Pavlov’s dogs now. Something dings and you reach to pick up your phone or open the notification that popped up on your computer screen. Alerts follow you all day long—emails, interoffice messaging systems, phone calls, texts, news alerts, “likes” on your latest Instagram posts, and even game notifications. 

It starts with the best of intentions. “If I have my email notifications on, I will be able to respond to my boss or my client, at a moment’s notice. I will be seen as a dedicated employee. I will be providing great customer service.” The best of intentions. 

But most calls, emails, and messages aren’t that time sensitive. Heck, a lot of them aren’t even important.

 

Read moreDeliberate Screen Time: Notifications

Be Deliberate When You’re in Front of Your Screen — Part 1 of 3

This is the first post in our series on improving your focus and productivity through tips to make your screen time more deliberate.

Do you cringe every time your iPhone gives you your weekly screen time report? Where does all the time go? It may be scrolling through the news of the world, the latest in your industry, or everything you need to know for your fantasy football lineup. You sit down to look up information and soon you are distracted by a clickbait headline, fall down a Wikipedia rabbit hole, or forget entirely what you were looking for in the first place. 

Read moreDeliberate Screen Time: RSS Feeds

Many organizations don’t believe they can incorporate Apple products into their existing IT landscape or make their office an Apple office. Maybe it feels like too expensive an undertaking. Maybe there is concern about intermingling devices. In a modern hybrid work world, employees may be using their work laptop in the office, but checking email and Slack on their iPhone from the road.

Let’s look at some common misconceptions about Apple products to help you make an informed decision.

Read moreMisconceptions about Apple Products