Get Un-nested From Your Desk

My career began at J.B. Hunt Trucking at a time when the man himself was still alive. He was old, but larger than life to a young newbie like me. What made Mr. Hunt special to me was that he walked every hall each day to connect with everyone. He didn’t want to converse, he just wanted to encourage. He’d yell one of his famous one-liners – “Let’s go, let’s go” or “Let’s get it” – as he walked by and smacked people on the back.

As the chairman and CEO, he had a really nice office on the top floor, but you rarely found him there. He was out in the field with drivers or customers or employees. Like other great leaders, Mr. Hunt didn’t lead from behind his desk. He got out and he saw things firsthand, and he connected personally.

So many of us fail to get out and see things. We fail to connect because, for some reason, we feel like our desks need us. But technology has enabled us to move around. I don’t even own a file folder or a desk drawer anymore, because I just don’t need them. Everything I need, I can access from my phone or tablet. And because of that, I can get out and connect with important aspects of our business.

That’s why I’m really proud of our organization, SVI, for its latest product launch in collaboration with business partners Wiley Publishing and Sify. Together, we’ve launched the first mobile learning application that is a one-stop content and training reference tool and development system, wrapped in one. With Anywhere Learner Mobile, any learning can happen anywhere at any time – and always on time.

Do you find yourself stuck at your desk? Find ways to get out in the business. Go and see the problems for yourself. Don’t just hear about them from someone else. Use tools that can help you remain connected even when you’re out. Here are a few “top-of-mind” tools that might help you get un-nested.

Anywhere Learner Mobile – Access training and development content on your mobile device.
Dropbox – Access files from your mobile device.
Evernote – Download notes that become accessible from any device.
Google Apps – Access your calendar, email, documents and spreadsheets.
Flipboard – Access any number of news feeds in one place.
Skype – Call people using video or voice from anywhere.
GoToMyPC – Access your desktop from your mobile device.
Twitter – Stay connected with thought leaders and friends.
Instapaper – Find articles you want to read and save them for a convenient time.

What tools are you using that help you get un-nested?

Tags: anywhere, app, lead, Leader, leadership, mobile, un-nested, unnested