Comments on: Productivity tip: Face-to-face contact energizes your brain http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:26:55 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: matchmaker http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-218309 matchmaker Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:50:24 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/#comment-218309 There are many ways to make a cobbler topping. My usual method is to make a biscuit-like topping similar to scone dough and dot it over the fruit, creating a “cobbled together” look. For this cobbler, I used a thinner batter that has more in common with a cake batter than a biscuit dough. The cobbler rises during baking into a soft, moist, vanilla-scented layer that really soaks up the juices from the fruit well. There are many ways to make a cobbler topping. My usual method is to make a biscuit-like topping similar to scone dough and dot it over the fruit, creating a “cobbled together” look. For this cobbler, I used a thinner batter that has more in common with a cake batter than a biscuit dough. The cobbler rises during baking into a soft, moist, vanilla-scented layer that really soaks up the juices from the fruit well.

]]> By: matchmaker http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-218285 matchmaker Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:09:58 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/#comment-218285 Divide evenly into prepared mini muffin cups. Batter will make about 30 mini muffins. It can stand in the bowl while one batch bakes if you don’t have enough mini muffin tins to bake the whole batch at once. Divide evenly into prepared mini muffin cups. Batter will make about 30 mini muffins. It can stand in the bowl while one batch bakes if you don’t have enough mini muffin tins to bake the whole batch at once.

]]> By: An idle mind is… « You Can’t Go Wrong with a Fork http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-180068 An idle mind is… « You Can’t Go Wrong with a Fork Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:58:24 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/#comment-180068 [...] bing all week because our breakfast shop is closed while the owner visits family in the country. I miss my kids. I’m ready to work. I need to work. I feel like this week is just breaking my stride. [...] [...] bing all week because our breakfast shop is closed while the owner visits family in the country. I miss my kids. I'm ready to work. I need to work. I feel like this week is just breaking my stride. [...]

]]> By: Horst Meyer http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-16732 Horst Meyer Sat, 13 Jan 2007 23:10:52 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/#comment-16732 This is not true for a considerable minority of people. This article quite well reflects my opinion on this: http://allendowney.com/essays/tyranny.html This is not true for a considerable minority of people. This article quite well reflects my opinion on this:
http://allendowney.com/essays/tyranny.html

]]> By: Wendy http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-12653 Wendy Mon, 01 Jan 2007 23:29:38 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/#comment-12653 Good post -- I completely agree with the need for human interaction: that's why it's so hard to have a home based business, or perhaps why I see so many "home-based-business people" typing away on their laptops at the local cafe -- for human interaction. Question for you, Penelope or others here: in this technological age, our careers often require that we give or watch virtual powerpoint presentations using web case technology. What might be some tricks to handling those well: both as the speaker and the listener? Face-to-face would be better. But it's not always possible to fly 20 people to one city for a 30 minute presentation. <em>Wendy,</em> <em>I totally agree with you about going to cafes to work in order to get human contact. I love that I see the same people at my cafe every day. They remind me of some co-workers I've had at very large companies -- like they're near me day in and day out but they work in a department unrelated to my own work.</em><em> </em><em>Re the virtual PowerPoints. I have been on the receiving end of a few. I find that all the rules for a phone interview apply. For example, being upbeat matters a lot. Also, I have found that a virtual PowerPoint is more likely to be given to one person (whereas if you travel to do it in person you'd only do it if it's a big deal e.g. more than one other person in the room). So a virtual presenter needs to have the skills to turn a presentation into a conversation. Penelope <p /></em> Good post — I completely agree with the need for human interaction: that's why it's so hard to have a home based business, or perhaps why I see so many "home-based-business people" typing away on their laptops at the local cafe — for human interaction.

Question for you, Penelope or others here: in this technological age, our careers often require that we give or watch virtual powerpoint presentations using web case technology. What might be some tricks to handling those well: both as the speaker and the listener?

Face-to-face would be better. But it's not always possible to fly 20 people to one city for a 30 minute presentation.

Wendy,

I totally agree with you about going to cafes to work in order to get human contact. I love that I see the same people at my cafe every day. They remind me of some co-workers I've had at very large companies — like they're near me day in and day out but they work in a department unrelated to my own work. Re the virtual PowerPoints. I have been on the receiving end of a few. I find that all the rules for a phone interview apply. For example, being upbeat matters a lot. Also, I have found that a virtual PowerPoint is more likely to be given to one person (whereas if you travel to do it in person you'd only do it if it's a big deal e.g. more than one other person in the room). So a virtual presenter needs to have the skills to turn a presentation into a conversation.

Penelope

]]> By: I Need More Human Contact : Dad 2.0 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-10072 I Need More Human Contact : Dad 2.0 Tue, 26 Dec 2006 23:34:46 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/#comment-10072 [...] Penelope Trunk shares this interesting tidbit in her post, Productivity tip: Face-to-face contact energizes your brain: “The need to have regular human moments at work is similar to the need to stand up and stretch on an airplane: Your well-being depends on it. On top of that, a workday with regular face-to-face contact is more energizing than a day full of contacts exclusively via computer and phone.” [...] [...] Penelope Trunk shares this interesting tidbit in her post, Productivity tip: Face-to-face contact energizes your brain: "The need to have regular human moments at work is similar to the need to stand up and stretch on an airplane: Your well-being depends on it. On top of that, a workday with regular face-to-face contact is more energizing than a day full of contacts exclusively via computer and phone." [...]

]]> By: Ilya Grigorik http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-9899 Ilya Grigorik Tue, 26 Dec 2006 14:03:53 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/#comment-9899 But, whatever you do, please do not forcefully volunteer me into your 'human moment' because -you- need to. If I'm working at my desk, I'm off limits - especially true for programmers. But, whatever you do, please do not forcefully volunteer me into your 'human moment' because -you- need to. If I'm working at my desk, I'm off limits – especially true for programmers.

]]> By: Eric Wong http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/comment-page-1/#comment-9886 Eric Wong Tue, 26 Dec 2006 13:22:59 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/12/26/productivity-tip-face-to-face-contact-energizes-your-brain/#comment-9886 Yeah, even a trip downstairs to get a cup of coffee helps! Staring at the computer takes more out of a person than we know. I always look forward to cracking a joke, talking nonsense, just for a little while with my colleagues.... it really helps. I also advocate power napping, 15 mins can do wonders to keep you going for the rest of the afternoon. Yeah, even a trip downstairs to get a cup of coffee helps! Staring at the computer takes more out of a person than we know. I always look forward to cracking a joke, talking nonsense, just for a little while with my colleagues…. it really helps. I also advocate power napping, 15 mins can do wonders to keep you going for the rest of the afternoon.

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