How to Build the Perfect Team: Q&A with Award-Winning Author & Business Coach Nancy Butler
There's no magic wand you can wave that will transform your team into the Avengers. However, there are qualities that you can see and others you should avoid when building your new team. We spoke with Above All Else author and business coach Nancy Butler about how to build the right team from the ground up. In this interview, Butler talks about her "Only Touch Things Once" theory, discusses the best ways to train your team, and reveals the biggest obstacles she's faced while building a business. 1. As a business owner or manager, how do you choose the right team? I discovered three things about building a team: first, what are the things I do well, and if I did them all day, would I leave at the end of the day feeling energized? Second, what are the things I do well, but if I did them all day I would leave exhausted and miserable? And third, what are the things I do because I feel I have to, but am not good at and shouldn’t be doing at all? Instead of searching for people that were the same as me, I looked for the opposite. The goal was to get as close as possible to everyone doing the tasks that they really enjoy, they're good at, and make them want to come to work. And although this may not be 100% possible, I was able to get extremely close. I have since sold that business, but last I checked everyone was still working there. Everyone has been employed there at the same small business for over 15 years in an industry that often has high staff turnover. 2. What is your "Only Touch Things Once" idea and how does that help teams work more efficiently? I have a rule that, whenever possible, I only touch things once. Most every business has tasks or projects that are worked on many times throughout the day, month, or year. Whenever there is a repeatable task, there should always be a well documented system in place to enable greater efficiency and effectiveness. Technology can be a great tool to help automate many processes. Figure it out once, document it, and then follow the plan. You do not need to reinvent the wheel every time the same task needs to be completed. Here is an example of how this strategy can be effectively implemented to save both time and money: whenever a client called the office for a service issue the staff would give me a note to call them back. That was extremely inefficient and time-consuming for both the client and me. Instead, a system was put into place; the staff was trained on what to ask the client, and they set a next appointment right then for when someone in the office (which may or may not be me) would be calling them back to address the issue. The staff was also trained on how to research issues that clients may have, and to provide me the documentation needed to handle the issue appropriately before my phone appointment. That way, in one touch, we look over the information and already have a specific time to connect with the client with an answer to their question or to update them on the status of their request. I no longer had to call and call to try to reach the client again, and the client could usually be contacted only once, in a reasonable period of time, with an answer to their issue. "There should be a well-documented system in place to enable efficiency&effectiveness." 3. What do you think about cross-training people vs. having them specialize in one area? Which is better, and how do managers decide? It is important that the success of the business is not reliant on any one person, including the owner. If someone was out sick, away on vacation, quit, or was out for any reason, systems should be in place to enable others in the office to easily step in and see what needs to be done and have the skills to complete it. Cross-training and documenting all systems in an office is imperative not only for the smooth running of the office, but also for your clients. One reason this was so important to me for my former business is that I was managing other people’s money. There was a time when I became very ill, in and out of the hospital many times in six months, including an emergency surgery. If I did not have a qualified, reliable person to step up in my place, what would my clients do? I would also run the risk of losing clients because of my unpredictable circumstance. Since I did have good systems in place, not a beat was missed and everyone was well taken care of — which also took a lot off of my mind, so I could focus on what I needed to do to get well. 4. What was the largest obstacle you faced during the growth of your company, and how did you overcome it? The largest obstacle I had to overcome is one that many small business owners have: when to hire more staff. I knew I had reached a point where I could no longer do it all myself, but I also knew the business wasn’t bringing in enough income to afford hiring staff. I started by bringing on a high school student a few hours a week to do the simpler things like filing and stuffing envelopes. The first time I tried to find a very important paper and couldn’t access it because it had been filed incorrectly, I quickly learned that you get what you pay for. The lesson learned is: do not wait until you can afford staff to hire them. If you hire the right person for the job, they will more than pay for themselves. For me, this meant someone else could do the simpler tasks, allowing me to spend more time doing a better job for my clients and bringing in more money to the business. Once I took the leap of faith and hired the right person at an appropriate level of pay, my business took off very quickly. "If you hire the right person for the job, they will more than pay for themselves." Now Your Turn: What are some qualities you look for when building a team? We'd love for you to share your tips in the comments. About Nancy Butler: Nancy D. Butler, CFP®, CDFA™, CLTC is the owner of “Above All Else, Success in Life and Business”, a national professional motivational speaker, award-winning author, business coach and continuing education instructor. After twenty-five years building a very successful financial planning and asset management practice, to approx. $200 million in assets under management, while a single parent with no other source of income and only $2,000 to her name, in 2007 Nancy sold her practice and now uses her knowledge and experience to help others reach greater levels of success in their personal and business lives. She helps business owners do a better job for their clients and improve their bottom line and helps individuals live more successful, fulfilling lives and realize their dreams. Nancy has been quoted in Money magazine, Forbes, The National Business Institute, The New England Real Estate Journal, The Financial Planning Association magazine, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, The Day and many more. She has been a speaker for major corporations such as Pfizer, General Dynamics and Dow Chemical. Nancy has been a guest on many radio and television shows and is the author of the book “Above All Else, Success in Life and Business” published in 2012 and “A Realtors Guide to Greater Success, Above and Beyond the Competition” published in 2014.
How Will the Internet of Things Shape the Future of Your Business? (Infographic)
By 2019, the Internet of Things (IoT) industry will be more than double the size of the smartphone, PC, tablet, connected car, and wearable markets—combined. It’s predicted to become the largest device market in the world, adding $1.7 trillion in value to the global economy in the next two years. But what does this up-and-coming industry mean for your organization's future? Internet of Things technologies will lead to a slew of innovations that will have a significant effect on businesses of all sizes and industries, including: Greater efficiency for business operations: Connected devices will enable companies to harness data to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. New business models and revenue streams: New processes will speed up time to market and respond faster to customer needs. Global visibility: Large enterprises will be better able to track effectiveness across multiple locations, provide remote work essentials, and monitor the entire supply chain. Tighter cybersecurity: More data means a greater potential for cybercriminals to steal sensitive business information. Learn more about practical business applications for IoT devices, the concerns organizations have about adopting these new technologies, how major companies like Coca-Cola have deployed IoT, and what the experts have to say about this growing field in the infographic below. Source: Exigent Networks What Does the Future of Work Hold for You? Learn more about the trends and technologies shaping how we’ll work in the years to come. Read our work management survey report to find out what thousands of today's professionals believe are the most important changes coming to the workplace. Why wait? Get better work results today by starting a free trial of Wrike.
The Four Disciplines That Propel Companies Forward
The Wrike Way is a tried and true methodology built from the insights we’ve discovered partnering with thousands of industry leading companies. Here’s a breakdown of the four disciplines of the Wrike Way along with best practices your team can start implementing today:
New Year's Resolutions from Thought Leaders (Work Management Roundup)
Welcome back to the weekly Work Management Roundup, where we collect different links to articles that should help you do your work more efficiently and inspire you to new levels of excellence. Since this is our first for the new year, we'd like to take a look at the various new year's resolutions of thought leaders across the world. Read on! Sheryl Sandberg: Write the Joyful Moments (Time): Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg says her new year's resolution is one that has already been helping her cope with losing her husband this past year — namely, to write down three joyful moments each day. Richard Branson: List Your Goals! (Virgin): Richard Branson shares a tip for anyone wanting to stick to their resolutions: write it down, and keep a list. He enumerates 10 steps to creating a list that you can stick to. Cal Newport: Cultivate a Deep Work Habit (Study Hacks): Cal Newport lives his resolution every day of his life. His resolution (and the topic for his latest book) is: commit time during your day for deep work. This is distraction-free time that allows you to work on cognitively demanding tasks. Not the shallow busywork of ticking off to-do items, but rather, the type of creative problem solving that builds real value. Gary Vaynerchuk: Improve How You Work (Gary Vaynerchuk): Gary Vee suggests you commit to these four new year's resolutions to further your career (at the very least, they'll make you a much more pleasant coworker), namely: become a deep practitioner in something, audit your 7PM to 2AM, practice self-awareness, and eliminate complaining. Forget About Setting Goals, Focus on Systems (James Clear): Productivity author James Clear says you shouldn't commit to a goal; rather, commit to a system or a process that allows you to track results. Read why this works better than simply listing goals. David Allen: Practice Better Email (David Allen): And from the headquarters of GTD (Getting Things Done), comes this resolution which should be a staple for any organization: get better at email communications. Read the link for 5 tips on maximizing your emails, especially for globally dispersed teams. Friedrich Nietzsche: Say Yes! (Brain Pickings): Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche shares a glorious new year's resolution from his journal entry of 1882: be a yea-sayer and a beautifier of life. More Work Management Reads Think About This: 12 Apps You'll See at the Office More in 2016 (Inc) A Fresh Look at the Number, Effectiveness, and Cost of Meetings in the US (Lucid Meetings) 5 Reasons Why A Social Media Content Calendar Is Important For Your Business (Hootsuite) 8 Habits of People Who Always Have Great Ideas (Fast Company) Go Try This: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming Your Best Self: Build your Daily Routine by Optimizing Your Mind, Body and Spirit (Buffer) How to Finally Start Working Out (Even If You Hate It) (Lifehacker) 10 Habits to Adopt Now to Be Better at Your Job in 2016 (Fast Company) Browse The Work Management Roundup on Flipboard If you use Flipboard on your mobile device, then you can check out these links via The Work Management Roundup magazine. View my Flipboard Magazine.
7 Resolutions All Marketers Should Make for a Successful 2017
Time moves fast—but the marketing industry moves even faster. Changing customer needs, new campaign management tools and technologies, and emerging trends make it difficult to keep up and continue serving up fresh campaigns. Now that 2017 is here, it’s time for marketers everywhere to review their strategies and make some new resolutions. What should you focus your efforts and resources on in the coming year? What ineffective strategies or old habits should you leave behind? Which trends will have the greatest impact on your business? Find out in the infographic below: [caption id="attachment_421020" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Infographic by MDG Advertising[/caption] Set Your Marketing Team Up for Success in 2017 Looking for a complete marketing solution to drive your marketing and creative teams? Check out Wrike for Marketers to enhance collaboration and streamline workflows. Further Reading Quiz: What's Your Team's Agile Marketing Score? The Creative Brief Template: Elements of an Effective Creative Brief 5 Steps for Making Your Marketing Team More Efficient
Lessons on Success from the 2016 Olympics (Work Management Roundup)
Welcome back to the weekly Work Management Roundup. This week, we focus on success. With the Olympics starting in just a week and the impact of that powerful speech made by our stunning First Lady, Michelle Obama, we thought it appropriate to cultivate the top tips and news surrounding success and achievement.
19 Business Resolution Suggestions to Focus Your Company in 2016
The end of the year is just days away, and our belief is that every year should be better than the last. To help you think about what you can focus on improving for your business in 2016, we asked business leaders to share their thoughts on the most important resolutions companies should be making for the coming year. And remember — in business as in life — every day is a chance to do better. Even if you don't focus on these business resolutions until June, that is still a great time to improve your company. Now see what these business leaders suggest you focus on in 2016: Build a road map “Businesses should identify specific opportunities for growth (rolling out a new product, exploring new markets, or making acquisitions) and [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix="—via @Wrike"]build a road map to make it happen.[/inlinetweet]” —Aleks Peterson, Technology Analyst, TechnologyAdvice Mobile accessibility “Mobile vs. Desktop disparity and smartphone penetration has deepened in 2015 at a pace that is showing overnight impact in a lot of industries. Companies need to speed up work to accommodate shifting dynamics in consumer trends, and accordingly bring about change in their business processes & people training.” —Annkur P Agarwal, CEO, Pricebaba “Make sure mobile is a big focus. We see a large share of our visits coming from mobile devices. On top of that, Google's search ranking algorithm now penalizes sites for not being mobile optimized. For us, this largely means optimizing our website. For others, it may mean the same, or could mean developing an app, advertising on mobile devices, or even offering mobile specific services. It's hard to say exactly how the shift to mobile devices will affect your business, but know that it definitely will. I suggest analyzing how mobile is currently impacting your business, what mobile trends you’re seeing, and developing a strategy to capitalize on it.” —Will von Bernuth, Co-Founder, Block Island Organics Know why you do what you do “Companies need to set clear priorities and make them accessible and understandable, so they can maximize the return on each hour they invest into their business. Focusing on what truly matters to fuel the growth and sustainability of your company is vital for success in 2016.” —Anthony Pezzotti, Co-Founder, Knowzo.com “Be strategic and take time to consider why you're doing the things you are and try to make contemplative pause a habit. Making lists and checking off 'to-dos' might make you feel productive, but you should be wary if it starts to feel rote. Deeper and more meaningful course correction might be needed to ensure you're maximizing the return on your invested effort.” —Chris Ricci, Indigenous Software Communicate with customers “Pick a platform and use it to address your consumer's most burning questions. Any platform such as a blog, YouTube channel, advertorials, communities, podcasts, or social media sites will work. If you can educate your customers on your industry, you will earn their trust and their business. This will not only help build brand awareness, but directly impact your bottom line in a positive way." —Mack Dudayev, CEO, InsureChance, Inc. “I have found it difficult to stay as close to our end users as I once could. To combat this, I man our customer support chat for 1 hour every day, 7 days a week. This daily first-hand interaction with our users allows me to stay grounded in our customer's logic; it has been instrumental in guiding our product development strategy. I can confidently explain to our engineers why a feature is important, as well as provide data to back it up. I have a mantra: [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix="—via @Wrike"]Listen to your customers, or you will have none.[/inlinetweet]” —Bryan Clayton, CEO, Greenpal Work smarter “Businesses should focus on improving team collaboration — get everyone plugged into the same assets, working toward a shared set of goals with clear visibility.” —Aleks Peterson, Technology Analyst, TechnologyAdvice “80% of your business profits come from a mere 20% of your activity. In other words, most of your regular business activities don’t benefit your bottom line. Here are a few specific tips for working smarter, not harder: 1. Learn to delegate. Focus on the areas of your business you’re the strongest in, and delegate the rest. 2. Remember that time is money. Actually, time is more important than money. You can make more money, but not more time. Stop wasting time on business activities that don’t make you money. 3. Build a tribe. By building a loyal base of customers and raving fans, you can spend less time on shameless self promotion because they’ll do a lot of the work for you.” —Blair Nastasi, Founder, Media Moguls PR “Focus on sound growth & autonomy. It's an election year, and the economy and jobs outlook appears solid, and I believe 2016 will be looked back upon as an inflection point. Those that focus on the fundamentals and establishing a strong base to weather future macroeconomic headwinds will be well positioned.” —Mike Trevino, CEO, Indigenous Software For customer retention “Ask the questions around how well your company keeps customers. New sales are great (“Get the check”), but repeat sales (“Keep the check”) are where you make your money. Don’t believe me? Look at your average cost of acquisition and your average profit and see how long it takes to make your money back on a new sale. Profit is not made on the new sale. It happens by keeping customers on the books, paying you. Focus on retention and watch your profits accelerate.” —Lou Altman, CEO & Lead Trainer, Next Level “Prioritize how to increase the long-term value of customers. It’s very expensive to acquire a customer, and a lot less expensive to retain them. The success of businesses comes from a combination of great customer service and a focus on how to generate additional revenue from current customers. If companies learn how to do this well, they will create lifetime customers, a good source of referrals, and independent advocates on behalf of the company. If your business is already doing this, focus on ways to improve this process.” —Deborah Sweeney, CEO, My Corporation In marketing “Exercise creativity when it comes to your marketing efforts. As paid search and organic search channels become increasingly competitive and expensive, it’s important that organizations think outside of the box to get in front of quality prospects. Whether it’s understanding how to leverage Reddit to promote content, or understanding how you can use Pinterest to increase lead flow, 2016 is the year companies should focus on taking advantage of the marketing opportunities that their competition haven’t yet quite figured out.” —Clayton Dean, Co-Founder, Circa Interactive “In your outreach and marketing for 2016, make a point to [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix="—via @Wrike"]connect with your customers and potential customers on a personal level.[/inlinetweet] Look for messaging and share motivations that make your story resonate with fanatics, then turn those fanatics into your own personal sales force.” —Chris Ricci, Indigenous Software “Prioritize video content in 2016. It is a great way to give your brand more of a personality. There are also a lot of great ways to promote your content through Google and Facebook that can help bring your business to new heights.” —Jason Parks, Owner, The Media Captain In data, tracking and analytics “Whether it's tracking customer behavior in a store or implementing goal funnels in Google analytics, [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix="—via @Wrike"]obtaining and making decisions on clean data has never been more important.[/inlinetweet] Many businesses believe their dataset is clean, but in reality the data needs to be filtered and organized to be a true vehicle for decision making.” —Orun Bhuiyan, Marketing Technologist, SEOcial “1. Evaluate how data is used to improve decision making and processes. 2. If data collection is a problem, resolution to put good collection and outreach mechanisms into place. 3. If data processing is a problem, resolution to get the right minds and systems into place. There is no organization on the face of the planet that could not better harness past experience to produce better future outcomes. Let's make that the goal for 2016.” —Trevor Ewen, Pear of the Week In talent acquisition “Improve your ability to identify and develop highly talented leaders for the future.” —Larry Sternberg, President, Talent Plus, Inc. In information security “In an age when hacking is becoming too commonplace, businesses should invest resources into safeguarding themselves and mitigating the risk of a future disaster. This may range from teaching staff about basic security practices to ensuring a website isn't vulnerable to conventional attacks.” —Orun Bhuiyan, Marketing Technologist, SEOcial What will you be focusing on in 2016? Are you taking up any of these suggested business resolutions for 2016, or has your company already set different priorities for the new year? Share your thoughts on 2016 business resolutions in the comments below!
10 Hot Industries for Tech Startups in 2015
The new year often brings fresh beginnings, career resolutions, renewed focus — and new business ventures. If you've been dreaming of becoming an entrepreneur, perhaps this is the year you've finally resolved to launch your own company. If so, be sure to take a look at these 10 industries where business is booming. 1. Internet of Things Thermostats that learn your daily habits. Wifi security cameras you control with your cell phone. Doorbells that recognize your face. The Internet of Things includes all consumer devices that connect to networks, and Gartner estimates there will be 26 billion units installed by 2020. By that time, IoT product and supplier revenue will top $300 billion. And between 2013 - 2022, the industry is projected to generate $14.4 trillion net profit globally. 2. Education Technology EdTech workers design and produce online classes, tutorials, help centers, and training programs for all levels of education, from pre-K to higher ed. In 2013, e-Learning was a $56.2 billion industry, and it will double that in 2015. The industry as a whole boasts a 4.4% annual growth rate, and cloud-based learning solutions are especially popular with a 9% growth rate. 3. Mobile Apps From addictive games and social networks to business and productivity tools, the mobile apps industry is showing no signs of slowing its upward trend. The number of downloads from the Apple App store alone has reached $85 billion, and global spending is projected to hit $35 billion in 2015. 4. Wearable Tech Smartwatches. Google Glass. Fitness trackers. Wearable technology is designed to monitor everything from our sleep cycles to our daily appointments, and the trend is spreading fast. The global wearable technology market is expected to grow a whopping 40.8% annually, becoming a $5.8 billion industry by 2018. 5. Business Apps The proliferation of mobile devices means three things: more people are working on the go, more companies are adopting "Bring Your Own Device” policies, and more organizations are embracing remote workers. All of this has led to the rise of cloud-based SaaS companies offering business apps that help teams work together from anywhere, on any device. Gartner predicts Enterprise software spending will grow 7.3% in 2015 to reach $344 billion. 6. Mobile Health Mobile Health (mHealth) involves using mobile devices and networks to support medical care in both developed and developing countries. The demand for affordable and accessible healthcare continues to grow, and more and more healthcare professionals are carrying smartphones in their pockets. As a result, the mobile health market is expected to increase from $14.5 billion in 2015 to $58.8 billion in 2020. 7. Automated Guided Vehicles Think robot forklifts. These machines automate warehousing logistics, like retrieving products to fulfill orders and preparing shipments to be loaded onto delivery vehicles. AGVs are spreading through numerous big industries, like pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food, automotive, and warehousing — essentially, any business that requires transportation of materials. 8. Digital Detectives Ever dropped your phone in the toilet? Or lost your laptop? So much data gets lost, corrupted, or stolen (just ask Sony, Target, and eBay). Digital detectives work to recover that data, or protect it from being illegally accessed. Companies that can assist investigations into phishing and bank fraud schemes or other criminal cases will be in high demand, as will the ability to recover sensitive data from jeopardized devices and networks. 9. Big Data Analytics Although big data has been a buzzword since 2010, most companies are still pretty overwhelmed by it. Tools that can help distill big data to better understand customers and inform business strategies will continue to be in high demand in the coming years. With the emerging Internet of Things, a corresponding "Analytics of Things" market will also grow, and the big data and analytics market is projected to reach $125 billion worldwide in 2015. 10. Mobile Payments It's been a long time since smartphones were primarily used to make calls. Mobile devices have become multi-tools, infiltrating nearly every aspect of our business and personal lives. The next stage of that is the convenience of digital payments. Mobile payments are projected to grow 60% worldwide through 2015, reaching 47 billion transactions. What do you think 2015 will bring for entrepreneurs? Give us your take in the comments section. 10 Hottest Industries for Tech Startups in 2015 from Wrike Related Reads: 7 Ways to Fund Your Startup Top 10 Reasons Startups Fail Sources: Cio.com.au, Docebo.com, ElearningIndustry.com, Forbes.com, Gartner.com, GlobeNewsWire.com, Inc.com, Mashable.com, PostScapes.com, Statista.com
6 Top Marketing Trends for 2015 (Infographic)
2015 is upon us! (Can you believe it?) Time moves fast, but the marketing industry moves even faster. Alongside constantly changing customer needs, marketing teams have to cope with new technologies and trends popping up every day, or risk being left behind. In our latest infographic, we’ve compiled six top trends that all marketers should watch out for this year in order to stay on top of their game. Do you have your own ideas for what the top marketing trends will be? Cast your votes and see if others agree! Make sure your friends are in the know. You can share this infographic on your site using this embed code: Wrike Collaboration and Project Management Software Related Reads: Is Agile Viable for Marketing Teams? 4 Ways to Arm Your Team for Content Marketing Success Using Wrike for High Performance Marketing Teams
Vote! What Marketing Trends Do You Expect to Have the Biggest Impact in 2015?
With 2015 just around the corner, more and more companies are releasing their views on top marketing trends that will come to light in the new year. But with all of these separate articles, we're interested in gathering a consensus. Which trends are going to have the biggest impact? What marketing technology innovations may be coming our way? And which trends are wishful thinking, won't be able to move the needle in the next year, or simply never going to happen? We've collected trend ideas from companies and marketing leaders all over the internet and brought them together in one list. Now it's your turn: 1. Vote for the two or three trends you think will have the biggest impact in 20152. Add your own predictions to the list if you don't see them already 3. Embed this list on your site or blog & share it with your friends and readers (click here for embed code) Vote! What Marketing Trend Do You Expect to Have the Biggest Impact in 2015? You can view more lists from the Wrike Team on Listly. Read through all of the 55 potential trends? Make sure you vote for the 2-3 trends you think will have a huge impact next year year, and add your own thoughts if we missed something. We're waiting to hear your feedback in the comments below!
Where Collaboration is Heading in 2015: Top 4 Trends to Watch
With 2015 just around the corner, it's time to take a look at the growing collaboration trends that will affect the way you work with your team this coming year. While some are merely logical extensions of ongoing trends, a few may surprise you. 1. More Collaboration via Mobile/BYOD With mobile devices out-shipping desktop units four-to-one, one thing is clear: mobile is king. And it isn't just about units sold, it's also about work behavior on these devices. For example: 47% of all email is now being opened on a mobile device rather than on a desktop email client (based on 251 million opens tracked by Litmus). This doesn't mean completely abandoning desktops in favor of tablets, however, as the sheer overwhelming variety of devices brings about its own challenges. Converting files to compatible formats, for example. What is does mean is that team members will choose to work on personal mobile devices even when they're in the office, just for the convenience of accessing familiar tools and apps. As a result, mobile collaboration apps will continue to be a priority for team collaboration. Software companies creating collaboration tools will have to continue investing in mobile applications, especially with the sheer number of customer teams clamoring for a way to work together via their smartphones. Desktop UIs will continue to take a backseat to the growing demand for mobile collaboration tools. And companies will have to adapt. Over the past six years, the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend has been steadily reaching critical mass, giving CTOs and IT departments their fair share of security concerns. But with cloud storage now more accessible and the benefits of allowing people to work from the familiarity of their personal devices clear, expect 2015 to be the year when BYOD goes mainstream. 2. Increased Need for Systems (and Products) that Work Together Alongside the dominance of mobile and upward trend of BYOD, there will be an increased focus on interoperability: the ability of a system or a product to work with other systems or products without extra effort. Think about it: various new work devices coupled with the need to leverage new technologies that answer customers changing needs equals...? A big challenge. A team member using an iPad needs to participate in the same video conference as someone attending via webcam on a Linux laptop, for example, and it all has to work seamlessly. Work is already being done to make these integrations customizable by end users. Services like IFTTT (If This Then That) and Zapier have made automation between social collaboration tools and the larger ecosystem of work apps possible. For example, the Wrike and Zapier integration gives users the chance to create tasks from their choice of apps — anything from Evernote to Zendesk to Marketo. 3. Email Superseded by Social Collaboration Tools As early as 2010, Gartner was predicting that 20% of business users would choose social networking solutions over email as the main channel for communication and collaboration by 2014. With modern business growing more social in nature, that transition has come, and many companies are introducing cloud-based or internal social collaboration solutions. Here at Wrike, we've long said that managing projects via email is not ideal; there's a loss of context when information is consumed in fragmentary replies. There's a tendency for duplicated information as multiple people respond to one email thread. There's a lack of visibility into how a project is faring, forcing managers to spend time manually gather status updates from each contributor. Project management and social collaboration software solves the email problem by giving users tools to stay on top of projects and make communication more efficient between team members. That's not to say email is dead. Rather, it will go back to being used as a direct communication tool instead of a platform for project management and collaboration. 4. The Rise of Users Helping Users But possibly the biggest trend to watch out for is the rise of the community-led knowledge base. More companies will encourage super users and customer evangelists to take an active role in helping other users in the community, sharing tips and tricks in a common knowledge base. Alongside this, expect customer help desks to dwindle as crowdsourced support steps up to fill the need. Users still expect service in real time, so there will still be a need for live operators. But for the more reactive customer service desks, fully fleshed-out wikis and forums will be key to providing critical information that's contributed by fellow users. Where do you see collaboration going? Agree with our predictions, or do you have a different idea of how we'll collaborate this coming year? Share the post or our collaboration trends Slideshare and see what your colleagues think. We'd love to hear everyone's thoughts. Read Next: 6 Digital Marketing Trends to Watch in 2015 Image Credit: Crystal Ball by Christian Schnettelker on Flickr. Some rights reserved. Edits made.