We communicate really well with ink, lead and wood. The main reason that I think we should all be on the bandwagon for using a writing tool and paper is the fact that it is cheap and easy. No matter where you are, whether it is the repair shop waiting for your car, the airport or the doctor’s office, anyone who cares about being efficient finds that the most fluid way to get something out of their head is to write it down. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my voice-activated tools that let me dictate my thoughts whenever and wherever possible. But sometimes I’m just not willing to save my thoughts out loud in public places and so a pen and paper, a scrap of paper inside page of a magazine or the proverbial napkin is the way to go. Sometimes technology creates a little too much friction and gets in the way. I also like that when I’m writing things down I can use my own personal form of shorthand and not get distracted by any underlining for misspellings, improper punctuation or spacing. And I have to admit, I’m one of those who makes on-the-spot corrections when those things pop up. I know it seems silly because they’re just my notes.

Science is on our side. Studies show that as our hands create each stroke of each letter, it activates a much larger portion of the brain’s thinking, language, and “working memory” regions than typing on a keyboard. I love to try to do things from a sustainability standpoint and minimize paper wherever possible. However, scientific studies show that paper provides a visual cue that persists because it doesn’t disappear behind a computer screen. It’s more “in your face” so to speak.   It seems that the smart folks who conduct these studies understand that paper allows for deeper thought and focus. Of course there’s the fact that there are ways to digitize your paper thoughts once you’ve nailed them down and so it’s worth taking a look at Livescribe, Evernote, ScanSnap and other “smart pens” and scanning tools.

Lastly, a great pen or pencil can make a statement just like a technology tool can and hey, sometimes it’s a good idea to do just that. A friend gave me a beautiful short, stubby pink crystal pen that I have more fun pulling out than I ever did my Mont Blanc. Both say something without me having to. I have to admit that I am a huge proponent of a pencil with a giant eraser on the end of it. I like the idea of erasing and starting over again in a very rudimentary way. As much of a gadget girl as I claim to be, sometimes the gadgets that don’t become obsolete after a year are the coolest. What I recommend is you use whatever tool works for the job at hand and in many cases pen and paper win hands down.

As I compiled all of the opinions, the clear winner was to use a current, professional looking headshot in some signatures but not in others.  You told me it can be particularly important to have a person’s photo when corresponding within their own company with people they email frequently or even speak frequently to by phone but have no face-to-face interaction.  In other words, for people they’ve had a “relationship” with for a long time, but never met in person, many felt that having a headshot as part of the signature line was a good thing.  The opinion was that service providers or people who interact with the service providers benefit from a headshot because it adds a personal touch and builds trust.  Many of you referred to the influence of social media and imagery as a reason that the perception of having personal head shots in our electronic correspondence is more acceptable.  Bottom line is headshots have a place in our signatures today but probably don’t belong in every signature. So based on your feedback, our office is going to create signatures with and without headshots so that they can make a decision how best to communicate e-mail by e-mail.  Thanks so much for your input.

And now onto something that’s a little more technical.  If you didn’t get an iPad for Christmas do you want one or do you want something else?  There are more choices out there than ever. If you recall, nearly a year ago I got my first iPad and I told you that one of the things I liked best about it was being able to read at night without having a bedside light on and disturbing my husband.  And while that benefit certainly still holds true, I have to tell you I’m still working on finding or making the ideal pillow for propping it up.  It gets a little heavy.  I still love my iPad.  However, there were certainly some shortcomings.  Consequently, I have bought Android-based tablets as well. What I’m still waiting for is the right Windows-based product.  Our industry is heavily dependent on and operates in a Windows world with Microsoft software and it’s really disappointing that there’s no great Windows tablet.  But tablets are so convenient.  They’re lightweight easy to carry and part of their popularity is that they lie flat on a very slight incline and when in meetings they are less disruptive because there’s no tall screen sticking up. So I’m wondering why ultra-books are becoming so popular.  And will this popularity continue?  It sort of reminds me of a time, probably eight or more years ago, when we carried around a cell phone and a PalmPilot.  The phone was for calls and the PalmPilot was for calendaring.  But that’s all changed, so can the ultra-book become the “smart book”?

As much as I love tablets I stand my ground that they are best for entertainment, (viewing videos and photographs), reviewing documents and informal discussions and presentations. They just don’t work for the kind of business that we in commercial real estate need to do or anyone who had the need for intensive written input.  So what is the “ultra-book”?  It’s a Windows version of the MacBook Air that is less expensive, uses flash storage, boots up in 10 seconds, has a great screen and weighs in between three to five pounds and is expected to be the big talk at this month’s consumer electronics show where they are expected to come out in the $700 to $1000 price range.  I think ultra-books are worth looking at even though they also aren’t the perfect device.  I don’t think there will ever be one perfect device any more than there is any one perfect model of automobile. Thank goodness we can afford to buy multiples.

Lastly, I guess the fact is that I won’t get my imaginary “smart book” anytime soon even though there have been attempts.   There have been several “convertible” tablet laptops, but most just never took off.  It seemed the main problem was with durability, weight, battery life and general functionality. An example that may be moving us closer is the new Dell Inspiration Duo.  It looks like a step in the right direction and what might be kind of cool was to have that type of flip screen viewable from both sides.  There’s probably a prototype out there somewhere already. Okay, now I’m just dreaming.  But isn’t that what technologies and gadgets are all about.

Now for the 50 percent of folks who are still reading this because they do make resolutions, here’s a little background on keeping or giving up on resolutions.  Researchers in one study found that people who believe that self-control is something dynamic, changing and unlimited tend to set more resolutions.  These are people who say, “I can stop smoking, all I have to do is put my mind to it” or “I can change my eating habits and be a better person, it just takes willpower.”  Individuals who believe that we are born with a limited amount of self-control or that one cannot change, might say something like, “I can’t help myself from eating all this chocolate — I inherited the ‘chocolate gene’ from my mom!”  These folks of course do worse on completing or maintaining their New Year’s resolution goals.  Bottom line is the more you believe in your own capabilities, the more likely you will succeed.  Another tip is that it seems to help to set more goals, because you will be more likely to succeed at some of them which builds confidence.  And of course last but not least, resolutions are more sustainable when shared.  However, it matters who you share with.   Sharing common goals gives you have an “accountability partner”, but think carefully about what that partnership might look like.

So it was in this spirit of resolutions and change that during a meeting I had a lively conversation about the use of one’s photo as part of an email signature.  And yep, it was a lively conversation. The conversation was among a small group of professionals in commercial real estate.  Some were brokers, some were appraisers some were other service providers.  Notice that I said commercial real estate.  I point this out because the people who didn’t think it was appropriate to put a photograph in their e-mail signature were the brokers.  Their reasoning was because they’ve seen residential real estate sales persons and brokers do it for so long and they felt that it’s; excuse this word, “cheesy”.  I think that the people who believe having a photo is not necessarily a good idea thought that a signature with an image might make someone appear vain.  Everyone agreed that the use of professional head shots that have people frozen in time, particularly because they’re trying to appear younger, are downright foolish.

The camp that thought it to be a good idea to use a professional headshot on your e-mail used the argument that it makes your email communications more personal.  Most of us are much better at remembering someone by seeing them rather than hearing their name.  And it would seem that having a good professional headshot would make things more personal and possibly instill trust.  This side of the discussion seemed to also focus on the fact that social media has made images of oneself much more commonplace.  And then of course there’s that old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  This side of the discussion also had stories where people who communicate through email for the majority of their workday really enjoyed photos as it helped them remember the person better.

Because the argument was so even on both sides, I decided to bring it to you, my loyal readers, to weigh in.  What do you think of headshots included in one’s professional email signature?  Helpful?  Not helpful? Vain? Discriminatory? Your feedback could have a big impact on some of the resolutions of the people that participated in the conversation today,  and one of those people is me.  So help us out give us your thoughts even if it’s a simple, yes or no, we’ll know what you mean. We’re all curious what you think!

Oh and if you are giving it some thought you also might want to check out Xobni for Microsoft Outlook (and now other email software) and see if it’s valuable for you.   Xobni  is “inbox” spelled backwards and is a plug-in tool to make Microsoft Outlook more productive.  It finds all the people you know through your emails, SMS messages and phone calls, and automatically creates a profile for them that includes their photo, signature info and the messages you’ve exchanged, as well as updates from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  I haven’t started using it yet, but it too could be part of my New Year’s resolutions!

This time of year is perfect for reflecting on the hard work and personal accomplishments reached.  It is a time to look with perspective at what our work means in a broader sense.  Everyone likes to be productive.  Everyone likes to work with a sense of purpose.  It seems over the past couple years, we’ve seen more and more companies work on the social responsibilities of their business.    It seems that gone are the days when business operates strictly for the benefit of its shareholders with the bottom line being the only top priority.  Today it seems shareholders and stakeholders expect more and they will reward companies for good corporate social responsibility.

More and more it seems that recognition of the power and importance of small business and entrepreneurship is occurring at a more rapid rate.  I know most of you either think highly entrepreneurial or function in a company of 20 or fewer people.  That’s where most of the innovation comes from and that’s where we’re going to see the greatest growth as we move into 2012. From the feedback I have received, I can tell that overall our industry made some strides to implement the “right stuff”.  You’ve been working this year to implement better processes through technology.   It seems many of you have learned that by increasing efficiency, you have been able to reduce costs and put fewer burdens on the most important natural resource you have— you and those you work with.

At RealWired!,  we are fortunate that we can look back on 2011 and feel that we were successful in our mission to help others learn to use good processes and technology to streamline the real estate process, whatever that process is.  In your world that might be a lease, a construction project, a sale, property management activities, processing loans, performing appraisals and analytics, etc.  We so strongly believe in this that we recently launched a new product that comes with free custom consulting to make certain the software fits into each company as expected.  We’re “wrapping” the software in customer service.  From the beginning our clients get their own personal “implementer”, and it’s all for free.

So what will we look forward to next year?  Let’s wait until January when I return.  During the holidays, in between eating too much and having fun with friends and family, I’ll have some fun researching the best things implemented during 2011 and make some suggestions of things for you to think about in 2012.  I know my ongoing struggle will remain trying to keep my “In Box” clear.  I’m sure you’re going to be much more ambitious!!  Happy Holidays and thanks for letting me into your “office” each week!

So while I was stressing about this while I was supposed to be partaking in a conference call; it occurred to me that if I just had a visual of everything rolling around in my head maybe it’d make things easier.   I began to doodle my “things” and then it hit me — Mindmaps!  You probably did these at some point in school, but it might not have had personal interest for you so you left the tool out of your daily routine back in 1978.  If that’s the case, here’s a quick re-brief.  Mindmaps are a method of note taking.  Basically, you write a word, circle it, and then draw a line connecting it to other words or even other doodles if that’s how your brain works.  Remember this is a tool for you.  So as long as you can interpret it you’re fine.  And while I’m suggesting it as a tool to un-clutter your brain, it’s just as good at un-cluttering one concept from another.  The main plan is to brainstorm about the issue, topic, task, goal, accomplishment or whatever so the end result is a list of all important concepts (things) and how they relate to each other.  There are several software packages and apps that you might find useful so a web search might be in order. With that, let me just move along assuming you like to scribble like I do.

When I start trying to organize my thoughts I typically just blast everything onto a page with very minimal editing.  This works well for mind mapping.  The work starts when you start to draw connecting lines and branches.  Getting the ideas out of your head is the first big step.  You’ll feel better almost instantly.  Then you review, edit and revamp and you’ll end up with a version of the “central issue” that brings clarity to what you may or may not have thought was the most important thing.

Here are a couple of tips/rules that I give myself.  Try to involve both sides of the brain. The colors and picture drawing are the creative (right) side, the note taking is the analytical (left) side.  By involving both sides of your brain you get better retention, more free-flowing ideas and maintain concentration.  I like to keep the graphics simple and follow these “somewhat standard rules”.

• Always put your central idea or goal smack in the middle of the page
• An arrow from one item to another indicates that one idea flows from one item to another
• An arrow pointing both ways indicates both items subjects are of equal value and relate to one another
• A box or idea with no arrow is a floating topic. This is typically an important idea but off topic.  Let it hover outside your map in case you need it.

There you have it, a way to possibly make the holidays and even the New Year more organized and less stressful.   Admit it.  There are a whole lot of things going on in your head and it’s the ones you worry about missing that cause the greatest problems since our subconscious brain clearly rules the conscious one!  Use this little technique and you just might “see” things more clearly!  And when we’re busy…clarity works wonders.

What to do?  First, immediately check computer systems for proper back-up settings and also make sure that “sensitive” information like payroll, sales data and other financial details aren’t hiding on their computer’s hard disks, and never backed up because of “security issues” with the back-up system.  Remember many times the keepers of this information don’t trust the IT person not to read the information.  And since the office manager usually handles the IT chores until the company grows past about 20 people, these folks set up the first back-up system and know how to hide data from the back-up software in use today.  Sounds like a tangled web, doesn’t it?

If you’re the boss being protected, escape your cage now and then.  Do that “walking manager” trick often enough that employees or co-workers feel comfortable talking to you.  In extreme cases, your assistants and office manager will intimidate employees to the point that they’re afraid to interrupt the boss even when the boss asks to be interrupted.  Don’t bother asking your people if they feel like they’re having a hard time getting the information they need…they won’t admit it.  Rather, ask if they’re getting all the information they need, and what else you can do to make them more productive and efficient.  Most important is to help those hoarders of information see that protecting you and the company doesn’t mean blocking out others.  While they want your trust, and give you loyalty in return, make sure they know that loyalty must go to the company first and you second.  Oh and don’t think the problem belongs to the female gender.  If you have a male office manager they actually tend to be worse.  Sorry guys I didn’t mean to call you out but it’s true!  If you have any tips on how to avoid office black holes, just join our blog discussion.

Being in the technology industry has afforded me an opportunity to watch people and how they handle change in an up close and personal way.  I have found that there are two types of people – those who embrace change and are generally innovators and those who are not.  I’ll be the first to admit that while I like change better than most, I too like self-imposed change, but resist a bit if it’s thrust upon me.  I like self-imposed change so much that I constantly implement change, and maybe I do it so that no one else will impose it upon me.   You might try it.  It’s kind of fun, and after all, as an adult, no one can stop you.

The other side of the coin is clinging to what we know.  It’s easy to do particularly if everything seems to be working just fine.  My argument is, how do you really know?  You don’t.   When I talk to people about the positives of changing, I tend to refer to not changing by intentionally using the word cling.  It’s a strong word.  It’s a negative word.  It conjures up images of fear and desperation.  It’s an exaggeration.  And sometimes that’s what it takes to get people to think about change in a more positive way.  Being seen as clingy is not something most people want.  And clinging to doing something the same way you’ve been doing it for a while actually doesn’t guarantee less risk.  As a matter of fact, for most of us, it increases one of the biggest risks we fear which is becoming old and irrelevant.

In this week after Thanksgiving and as we look forward to the traditions of the holiday season, I challenge you to savor the traditions.  I encourage you to take comfort in those that improve your personal life, and challenge you to not cling to old ways of doing things in your professional life.  Change it up a bit!  It might be easier to do the change in your professional life during a period of the year when so much else is tried and true.  Don’t wait to make the proverbial New Year’s resolutions filled with change.  Change it up now.  You’re an adult.  There’s nothing to stop you.

And don’t think that we are alone in our celebration of “bounty”.  Most countries celebrate a harvest period each year.  It’s pretty much a universal tradition to pause, give thanks, and help those less fortunate.  Thank goodness.  So let’s start this season of giving and collaborating with one another robustly.  Let’s finish strong too, by recognizing the “harvest” of 2011 and plant the seeds for a 2012 that “feeds” us all even better.

As I celebrate with family and friends, I want you to know that after years of writing this column I remain very humbled and thankful for you, my readers.  I hope the column provides insight as well as a practical and intangible benefit to you.  Let me know how it could be better.

Now about the “Oh, My!, there’s only five weeks to year-end panic”, that struck me today.  It’s true, only five weeks.  And I think we’d all admit these next few weeks don’t usually prove to be the most financially productive.  And even if the remaining weeks of 2011 will be a time of intense business for you because “year-end” is when it all happens, do some planning to make things easier.  Accept the inevitable (with sound judgment) that you will want to and should spend time with friends and family.  You really can fit everything in.  Make a three-week plan to accomplish, in your business life, what will make you feel good about starting 2012!   Yes, that isn’t a typo.  I challenge you to plan the remainder of the year as though you only have three weeks to hit your goals, both professional and personal – because frankly, that is really what you have.

As for me, I’ll still be thinking of you and will be sharing with you four more times before the end of the year (yes, I’m taking the rest of the year off after December 22^nd).  So if you’ll send me your secrets to staying sane during the holidays, I will share the “bounty” with everyone!  I am wishing you have a great Thanksgiving, and the start of a prosperous holiday season!

Einstein said, “Nothing Happens Until Something Moves” and maybe that was the impetus to the famous quote from an unknown source, “Nothing Happens Until Someone Sells Something”.  Technology has created so many ways to reach out and do commerce with one another, it’s just not right if we don’t use it.  Use it to grow our existing businesses or use it to help us be successful at entirely new ones.

So here’s an idea, you and I have a conversation each and every week.  Well to be fair, I know for sure I have a one-way conversation with you.  It’s the only way I can write and yes, sometimes in my mind you answer me in between sentences.  You answer even if I haven’t asked a question because as I write, I think in “conversations”.  It is with that in mind that I want to share the “conversation” of my dear friend and one of the smartest small business owners I know.  Many of you have met him through this column.  Through “linking” our thoughts and ideas, let’s do our part to make a difference.  Here’s Mark.