Technology

Monday Buzz: Away From the Office? Have a Backup Plan

When you're on the go, there's no guarantee there'll be WiFi nearby, so be sure to have a backup plan. Also: A private community tool that's getting some buzz.

Stuff happens. The WiFi goes down at the event. You’re in transit and you get a message about something that needs to get fixed “RIGHT NOW.”

So, what do you do? According to April Starcadder of The Daily Muse, it all comes down to planning. In fact, she offers a quote widely attributed to Ben Franklin, in one form or another: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

Franklin, mind you, went through his whole life without WiFi, let alone a computer. You’re just stuck without a nearby coffee shop.

So, before you go on your big trip out of state for your event, make sure you know what coffee shops are nearby, download files that you’ll need when you get off the ground, and have a charger for your phone, as well as a quick way to finish a task with your phone, just in case.

But, if you can pull off this kind of work in a pinch, you’ll be well positioned down the road.

“Taking the time to prepare before you go lets you have the best of both worlds,” Starcadder writes. “You’ll be able to do what you need to, and you’ll have proven you work efficiently when you’re out of the office so you can hopefully do it again!”

Prep Your Schedule

Is the sound your association makes on its various communication platforms the sound of silence most of the time? That’s a problem, and it’s a great excuse to work on your content strategy, argues Carol Valora at Socious.

Her post on creating an effective member communication schedule is definitely worth a read for social managers or anyone else directly involved in communicating with members. It helps, she says, to lay everything out.

“When creating a communication schedule template, include space to lay out all of the different content and channels on a timeline,” she writes. “Pinpoint the dates of upcoming communication events in your organization, such as publishing a blog, and the people who will be responsible for providing content.”

Check out her post for more details.

Other Links of Note

Traveling abroad? Global Entry is great when re-entering the U.S., but if you lose your card, all that convenience goes down the drain. Or does it? Lifehacker recommends a backup strategy in case your card goes missing.

There’s nothing wrong with a rebrand every once in a while, but if you’re going to do it, MemberSuite’s Amanda Simmons recommends getting support from every stakeholder. Otherwise, it won’t take.

Just because you’re doubting yourself doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make a decision. The deciding factor makes all the difference, says National Fluid Power Association CEO Eric Lanke.

(iStock/Thinkstock)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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