At University, students encounter a combination of educational and social elements. Finding a good balance to a heavy workload and experiencing the student culture requires planning and organization. 

With the number of things University students have to think about such as adjusting to campus life, organizing class schedules, keeping track of submission deadlines, and spending time with friends or club members on the weekend, it’s good practice to develop a system.

Best Practice Tips on How to Stay Organized at University

Keep a study diary

Don’t let the word “diary’” deter you. Having a study diary or journal is simply a dedicated notebook for collecting important information. Use it to jot down everything and anything important such as submission deadlines, classroom numbers, or even the contact information of your professors.

The main purpose of a study diary is to store the necessary information to help keep you organized. Paperless alternatives include using note apps or saving a Word document on your laptop. Regardless of the type of tool you use, keeping a study diary is one of the easiest ways to stay organized. 

Have a filing system 

In most cases, students receive tons of paperwork from welcome packs at orientation week, course outlines for each class, to individual handouts for group projects. Rather than throwing all of the paperwork into your backpack, keep your handouts organized by having a filing system. 

Store your coursework by category in folders or use dividers in binders to keep your lecture notes from your chemistry and history class separate. Colour-coded folders for each class make it easier to look up information when panic-writing an essay or when it comes to revising for upcoming exams. In doing so, your paperwork is organized, even categorized, and you haven’t turned your backpack into a trash can.  

Organizing your electronic data is just as important as keeping your paperwork categorized. Create separate folders on your laptop to store drafts of your essays, all the course powerpoints, and other documents like the monthly lunch menu. 

Develop a routine 

Being organized isn’t just about organizing your personal belongings, but also about self-discipline and being consistent. To encourage yourself to stay organized, developing a routine is a good start. By following a routine or habits that enable you to establish a productive workflow, hard decisions will become easier.

When developing a routine, it’s important to determine what your goals are. Knowing why you incorporated a morning run into your daily routine or reminding yourself of the impact that studying in the library has on your grades, help encourage you to maintain your routine. 

In short, develop a personalized routine that suits your requirements, supports your workflow, and motivates you to stay consistent. 

Write to-do lists (and stick to them!)

A classic and simple, yet extremely effective technique to staying organized is to write to-do lists. This is because to-do lists include various benefits. 

For example, to-do lists serve as reminders. With a glance, your to-do list gives you an overview of the things you need to do and can even indicate the importance of each task.

Writing down tasks requires focus and perception to analyze the importance of specific tasks as well as the time required for task completion. Using sticky notes or small notepads help you condense your to-dos to the most important tasks. 

Tip: List tasks in order of priority so you can do things in a logical order. You can use the Eisenhower Matrix to help you categorize your tasks. Another option is to order your tasks by complexity. You can then methodically tick off the hardest or simplest tasks first.  

Lastly, crossing off an item on your to-do list brings a sense of satisfaction, which, in most cases, can boost your motivation. When planning project deadlines, you can use to-do lists to break down your project to-dos into subtasks. Tracking your progress not only keeps you organized, but can also alleviate your workload, and even eliminate stress when the end of the semester is around the corner. 

Time management 

Time management is a key skill to develop as a student. Organizing your coursework materials takes care of half the problem – the other half being the part where you have to learn all of the material.

There are a few simple study hacks to help make studying more efficient. Knowing what type of learner you are is a good start. Perhaps you learn best independently or work better when you’re part of a study group. Either way, determining the conditions and requirements that suit your learning style best help you in the long run. 

Next, choose a location that encourages you to hit the books. Your dedicated study location could be the library, your desk at home, or maybe you enjoy studying at a café. Regardless of the location, make sure to get rid of any distractions before diving into deep work. This helps keep you focused and enables you to work efficiently.

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Time blocking

An effective time management technique suitable for getting any task done is time blocking. By allocating or blocking time to do specific tasks, you ultimately determine when what gets done. 

Choosing what to do with your time requires organization and discipline. Time blocking is a good tactic to help minimize, if not, eliminate distractions, and work efficiently. 

The main reason why you should be time blocking and not just writing to-do lists is to improve your focus. For example, scheduling study times and study breaks help you concentrate on the task at hand. And we all know that focus is the key to unlocking your productivity. 

Finish your brussel sprouts before dessert

Procrastinating unwanted tasks is human. Sadly, more often than not, these unwanted and complex tasks are important jobs to be done. 

Many prefer to skip straight to dessert by accomplishing the simple tasks first. And although eating cake before your greens seems more enjoyable, you’re then left with nothing to look forward to. 

Likewise, tackling the homework for your most difficult classes first is the fastest way. Having followed the eat that frog principle, accomplishing any other tasks proves more enjoyable. 

Work hard and play hard

Finding the right balance between studying and participating in club activities is essential to staying organized at University. Taking the weekend to relax and take care of non-academic, “adult-life” stuff like grocery shopping is important too.

Get enough sleep

Getting enough shut-eye isn’t just about beauty sleep. When you get enough sleep, your body is energized. When you feel refreshed, you feel ready to tackle even the hardest and longest days.

Realistically, your sleep pattern may go through phases while at University. And while several late-night weekends or all-nighters might be doable, in the long run, your body needs to recharge. Therefore, do yourself a favour by taking care of your health by getting enough sleep.

How does Zenkit help you stay organized at University?

The Zenkit Suite is a productivity and collaboration suite for personal and business purposes. Each product in the Zenkit Suite can be used independently, but the real magic lies within the powerful centralized management. Connect the apps with another for seamless synchronization of your information, tasks, and to-do lists. With flexible features, you can choose how to utilize the apps to support your personalized workflow. 

Zenkit Base

Your all-in-one collaboration tool is Zenkit Base. Use it for anything and everything: track submission deadlines, manage project subtasks, create an information database, thesis writing management, and more.

Quick overview of the top features:

• Work with customizable workspaces using labels, bulk actions, and advanced filtering features.
• View switching for the best project tracking experience, whether you prefer Kanban or Gantt.
• Multiple variations for activity tracking to stay on top of deadlines with calendar synchronization, to-do lists, and multi-level subtasks.
• Collaboration features for team tasks, file sharing and editing, even when on-to-go with offline access.

Zenkit To Do

Those tired of carrying around notebooks and looking for a digital alternative to sticky notes can give Zenkit To Do a try. Manage your daily to-dos like grocery shopping, packing for a weekend trip, and particular project to-dos for class with this easy-to-use task manager. 

Quick overview of the top features:

• Set due dates and reminders to help you stick to deadlines.
• Enable push notifications and iCal synchronization to keep organized.
• Share your lists with your course mates to discuss, assign, and accomplish group project tasks.
• Let the feature smart lists do its thing, helping you categorize your to-dos by due dates, importance, or assignee.
• Add files via the quick add feature directly in the app or send yourself tasks from your inbox.

Hypernotes

Hypernotes is a smart note-taking app perfect for storing all of your notes, thoughts, and information. Use it for writing wikis, research paper writing, link collection, and any information or writing-related tasks. 

Quick overview of the top features:

• Write the way you want to for what you need. Hypernotes supports rich text, HTML, markdown for code, latex for formulas, and enables annotation and a drawing to writing function.
• Visualize your knowledge via semantic graph and the visual writing features.
• Organize your information through outlining and bi-directional linking. 
• Collaborate with others over presentation outlines and documentation through the file sharing, versioning, and activity tracking functions. 

Further reading:

• Hypernotes as an Educational Tool
• Smart note-taking for research paper writing
• A Beginner’s Guide to the Zettelkasten Method
• 7 Mistakes to Avoid when Tackling your To-Do Lists
• How to Improve Time Management Skills for Students

Image credits from Dan Dimmock on Unsplash and Giphy.

We wish all students the best for the upcoming academic year. Let us know how you are using the products in the Zenkit Suite to organize your life. Our team uses the Zenkit Suite for anything and everything from planning events, for organizing our bachelor or master thesis, updating the grocery shopping list, and making sure we pack all necessities for a holiday trip to Italy.

Cheers,

Jessica and the Zenkit Team

The post Tips to Stay Organized at University appeared first on Zenkit.

For decades, remote work has been a concept reserved for freelancers, creatives, and tech professionals. Although companies allowing home offices for their employees was not a novel phenomenon, it wasn’t mainstream. A paradigm shift came with the pandemic, making working from home a necessity rather than just a benefit of the workplace. 

This rapid shift showed the benefits and challenges of remote working, affecting team communication and project collaboration. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that the home office is here to stay and many companies are adopting hybrid models. Upwork predicts that 73% of teams will have remote workers by 2028.

Digital collaboration tools (like the Zenkit Suite!) that promise better teamwork despite the distance compete for the limelight. With much software to choose from, it’s important for teams and companies to adopt tools that will complement team productivity, supporting their workflow within these new standard work models.

What’s the deal with New Work & Industry 4.0?

We live in the age of New Work and Industry 4.0. New Work defines today’s working society in the global and digital age. The integration of intelligent technologies under the term Industry 4.0 promotes a whole new concept of productivity and efficient systems. But what does all this have to do with remote work?

Well, depending on how you look at it, a little or a lot. The publication of the New York Times bestseller “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferriss is a good place to start making the connection. By demonstrating in his book how individuals can be just as productive in less time through process optimization, a stark contrast was created to the entrenched norm of the 40-hour workweek, initially created for production lines.

The appeal of flexible work hours and the nomadic freedom to prioritize work-life balance has only grown. Remote work and home office are the results of technological development enabling and demonstrating that work can be executed successfully without co-location. Flexjobs estimates that 4.7 million people were already working remotely before the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Collaboration tools support this type of lifestyle, where professionals work outside of a traditional office environment, yet going fully digital isn’t as simple as it seems. Besides the fact that having a stable internet connection is an imperative requirement, remote work complicates the integration of corporate culture, as well as team communication, and engagement within tasks and projects.

Whether working in an office or remotely, the art of effective team management and the importance of good workplace communication are key elements and indicators for successful team collaboration. 

Types of work models

With an increasing number of modern variations of working models, we’ve described a few of the most common types:

1. 40-Hour-Workweek, or, the classic 9-to-5

Initially instigated in the 19th century, from workers protesting against gruelling long hours and requesting a reduction, the 40-hour-workweek was created to regulate the working hours of the working class. Ford Motor Company advanced the idea in 1914, which led to increased productivity in the production line. Many companies soon followed suit and the popularized phrase of “8 hours for work, 8 hours for rest, and 8 hours for what we will” was born.  

Today, most companies and organizations run on the 40-hour-workweek. Albeit, more out of tradition and habit rather than a deliberate decision based on employee productivity. With this knowledge and recent technological developments, individuals and organizations are reexamining the classic 9-to-5 working model. 

2. Hybrid Model, where Home Office is part of the deal

Hybrid models are usually known to be the best of both worlds. Organizations that have adopted hybrid working models allow employees the freedom to work remote or from home, and at times even to manage flexible working hours. This working model has become more popular in recent years as company infrastructure has developed. Owl Labs estimate that 52% of global employees work remotely once a week, and 68% do so at least once per month. Though hybrid models seem to be the answer for the future of work, only a selected range of job sectors can take advantage of these benefits, particularly due to job requirements and tasks.

3. Remote Work, work without co-location

Working with a view of the Swiss Alps in February, at a seaside hotel in Los Angeles in July, and from a coffee shop in downtown Sydney in October, is a dream come true for some. As much as this idealized version of remote work appeals to many, this type of work model is not exempt from challenges, particularly for the self-employed.

Working remotely gives employees the freedom to answer emails and write up project proposals from any given location, yet being able to support this lifestyle can often be quite challenging when working as a freelancer rather than being directly employed by a private company. Creative freelancers often work on a project-basis, which means that their professional and financial security is deadline-reliant. 

Employees working for fully-remote companies like Zapier and Buffer however, receive the benefits of working remotely while being fully integrated in a company. Although working with peace of mind of receiving monthly paychecks, working for fully-remote companies include challenges too. 

That being said, there’s always a list of advantages and disadvantages. What’s important is finding a style and process that fits and suits your needs best. 

4. 4-Day-Workweek, popular work-life-balance model

In short, the 4-day-workweek model is about reducing working hours from a standard 40 hours to just 32 hours for the same pay and benefits. This work model, adopted by various companies worldwide, focuses on achieving the same output as a 40h week, but in a shorter amount of time. Proven by employees and employers to be successful in optimizing use of time in correlation to productivity, the 4-day-workweek offers flexibility and enables individuals to concentrate on what’s important in their lives.

5. Coworking Spaces, the office alternative for professionals

Considering the progression of work models, there’s a good chance that there’s at least one coworking space in every major city. As hubs of productivity, community, and technology, coworking spaces offer an out-of-home office atmosphere and networking opportunities with others who work in a multitude of industries. 

Fun fact: The first official coworking space appeared in 2005 in San Francisco, USA.

6. Work & Travel, the best of both worlds

Desk jobs aren’t your thing and travelling the world has always been but a mere daydream for you? The work and travel model operates on short-term contract work often based on seasonal work such as during harvest time. Adventurers who enjoy taking each day at a time move location to where the work is. In this case, location is the objective and the type of work is the dynamic subjective.

7. Workation, let’s combine work and leisure

The terms ‘workation’ and ‘bleisure’ gained significant traction as a new market trend in light of the pandemic. A concept for travelling workers or working travellers, where work and vacation were combined in a single location. According to Dr Hayley Stainton, “A workation can be defined as a holiday, during which a substantial amount of time is dedicated to work.”

In Japan, the model was originally a way to realize a variety of work styles and promote creativity and networking opportunities in locations outside of the home and office. Today, various travel and tourism organizations offer workation packages for individuals as well as families. 

Currently, travel restrictions and guidelines are subject to constant change. This in-depth guide on how to practice responsible tourism during COVID-19, prepares any traveller for the journey, whether for travelling to holiday destinations or for business trips.

How have things changed?

Before the pandemic, the office was where millions of us spent about a third of our time. With the range of working models already being implemented by organizations worldwide, why would the pandemic be considered a compelling driver to advance the standardization of home office or remote work? 

Simply put, the conditions of Covid-19 affirmed the urgency of digital transformation in business, and brought an unprecedented shift, designating hybrid working conditions a necessity rather than a benefit. 

The mentality of remote working previously highlighted the benefits for individual employees. Today, home office and remote work is considered an asset for individuals as well as an advantage for company productivity and collaboration. 

From one day to the next, the world was required to adjust. Arguably, the potential of remote work has been realized. At the same time, the challenges and conditions in terms of the privilege interlaced with the arrangement were revealed.

Benefits and challenges at a glance 

+ Remote work is reshaping a future new world of work, popularizing modern working habits while disproving old ideas that working from home leads to low productivity with limited opportunity for collaboration. 

+ The office-to-home transition caused a breakdown of emotional and professional barriers, allowing colleagues and clients a more intimate view into each others’ personal lives.

+ Importance of soft skills have increased as working remotely solicits more intentional interpersonal interactions.

– The potential for remote work is determined by tasks and activities, not occupations. 

– Working from home draws a fine line in an individual’s work-life balance. A heightened level of responsibility and trust is required from managers and employees.

– Affecting more than just personal factors, remote work affects engagement, performance management, means less office space, and more.

Benefits of remote working

Workplace values have been redefined: the future of work is remote. Instead of planning activities in life around working hours, remote working enables individuals to incorporate the necessities of their life and work. 

The popular concept of leading a work-life balance lifestyle advocates for similar objectives, but with different intentions. Work-life balance is a concept referring to the level of prioritization between personal and professional activities in an individual’s life. What many early adopters have come to realize is that the work-life balance lifestyle is a cycle rather than a destination or an achievement. 

1. Flexibility: Remote work grants individuals the opportunity to develop a work-life balance due to the flexibility offered through the working model. 

Remote working or working from home grants employees flexibility where it matters, whether that is picking up the children from school on time or allowing the laundry to dry in the sunlight rather than using the dryer. At best, working from home should reinforce an individual’s work-life balance. 

2. A Healthy Balance: Employees are able to manage their health, tasks, and responsibilities better. Eliminating the commute and rigid routines can alleviate stress to allow individuals to do deep work and grow their creativity. 

The flexible lifestyle isn’t the only thing proving beneficial to remote workers’ mental health and likelihood of company loyalty. Working from home simultaneously requires and fosters individual time and task management, and responsibility. 

Cutting travel time and other forms of mundanity from life, employees are able to focus on work. With less time spent commuting for example, employees are able to manage their health, tasks, and responsibilities better. As a result, a silent expectation for employees to rise to the occasion by living up to their potential is present. 

Despite the expectation, swapping out the busyness of crowded train stations for a 30-minute walk in the neighbourhood park with the dog can cause significant changes to an individual’s health. Now, instead of attending company-run in-person team-building activities, some companies set aside time in the week to encourage employees to engage in activities that inspire and empower them for work and life. 

3. Time Management: Remote work possibly requires more management, however simultaneously allows an increase in creative flow and productive output.

What remote work advocates promote, such as Laurel Farrer in her working remote article, is that “work is something you do, not somewhere you go… For knowledge workers whose roles rely on mobile tools, location should be a daily choice, not a lifestyle commitment.” With the right tools and circumstances, work doesn’t need to be chained to an office desk. 

Granted, working remotely makes employee and task supervision more complex. But with less time lost moving from one office room to another for meetings, and no more lines for afternoon coffee, more time can be invested in getting work done.

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4. Cost-saving (for businesses): Reducing the need for office space enables companies to invest in other things, preferably to the benefit of employees.

With fewer employees in the office, businesses need less office space, decreasing rent cost exponentially. Instead, companies can opt to invest in supplying employees with the necessary work equipment or offering other benefits as an alternative to the cost of the canteen upkeep.

Challenges of remote working

While eliminating location from the equation brings flexibility, certain concerns are also key variables when considering if and how to implement remote work at a company. Working remotely requires high self-management, time management, and team management. 

Engagement is usually what suffers first due to the distance. Managers and colleagues working from home can’t simply walk over to ask a question about the financial proposal or spend time catching up with their morning brew in the office kitchen on Mondays. Instead, an increase of chat notifications, forwarded emails and dedicated meetings to discuss workflow best describe the workday. 

1. Team Culture: The objective to encourage teamwork and cultivate a team and company spirit remains, although the method to achieve this may have changed.

Team meetings over Zoom or Skype are certainly different from those held in the office meeting room. When working with distributed teams, distance should merely be considered a factor rather than an obstacle for team integration. 

The method for scheduling and conducting meetings may have changed, but the objective to encourage teamwork and team spirit remains. Managers as well as coworkers require and should actively seek interpersonal relationships within the workplace. Just like work isn’t tied to a location, company culture isn’t contained in a building. Rather, corporate culture is cultivated by the individuals that make up the company.

The responsibility and journey for cultivating a strong and effective team and company culture is an individual process. That being said, there are ways and certain remote team management mistakes to avoid to make the process easier.

2. Management: Using productivity tools to manage and regulate team, task, and time management is the answer.

Every company uses software for everyday business operations. With oodles to choose from, it’s the team and company’s responsibility to evaluate which tools best support both internal and external business operations. Some companies use Suites, while others mix & match; some even create their own apps for internal processes.

Either way, when it comes down to the wire, productivity tools and team management software is a growing billion dollar business with a mixture of advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, team management software can build stronger teams. At the same time, it’s vital to analyze whether a productivity tool is actually enabling team productivity or not at all.   

3. Party for the privileged? Remote work is only available for those working in sectors or jobs that are primarily made up of online tasks and activities.

Praised for all of the benefits, working remotely isn’t available as a viable option for everyone. Hospitals, supermarkets, hairdressers, and other services will necessarily continue to be in-person. Although technology has certainly enabled medical consultations and other services to be handled online, not everything can be solved digitally. Even with advancements in machine learning and robotics, it’s hard to envision massage parlours or operating rooms to switch to robot-only employees. 

Research into the future of remote work from McKinsey Global Institute indicates that the potential for work is determined by tasks and activities, not occupations. Professionals able to avail of remote work fall into categories of highly skilled, highly educated workers in various industries, occupations, and geographies. For those already working with digital and mobile tools, like those working in the IT, communications, and marketing sector, the option of home office is often already included in the contract.

Collaboration tools for the workplace: the tools that keep employees productive despite distance

One of the most impactful changes the pandemic brought was to the way humans work. Businesses switched to digital collaboration tools for team communication, project management, and more. The best collaboration tools facilitate effective teamwork for tasks and projects, primarily in a streamlined manner.

In this case, there is no ‘one software fits all’, since the tools companies require should strengthen and support individual business operations and the organizational structures.  A countless list of applications and their alternatives are available for any type of work and team size. We’ve listed a few categories essential for remote teams: 

Chat Apps

The most widely used mobile apps are chat apps, because communication is necessary to get any work done. Originally created to replace email conversations, enterprise chat apps are essential internal communication platforms for teams today. Every company uses enterprise messaging applications to facilitate and boost teamwork, communication, and collaboration. 

The most popular enterprise chat apps allow teams to not only communicate with one another but also on specific topics, projects, and tasks. Depending on the interface, chat apps for business include features allowing teams to create channels, categorize topics, use quick edits, manage tasks, share files, conduct export functions, and more.

Top 4 Chat Apps for Business:

1. 1. Zenchat
   2. Slack
   3. Chanty
   4. Yammer

Video Conferencing Tools

Remote teams don’t have the option of organizing a team meeting in the boardroom on a Wednesday morning. Instead, video conferencing tools are used for coaching sessions, the quarterly report, team-building activities like Friday mocktail hour, and the company Christmas party.

The pandemic certainly accelerated the future of video communication. Microsoft Teams received an increase of 55 million users within a 5-month period and the latest report of the conference call company, Zoom, shows an 88% year-over-year jump in revenue.  

But it’s not just the conferencing tool companies who have realized the advantages and profits video communication brings to teams. Switching to video conferencing tools allows individuals to participate in meetings from the convenience of their own home, supports the flexible schedules of working parents and ultimately influences company culture. Significant features of such tools include screen sharing, presentation mode, meeting annotation, and creating subgroups within a meeting.

Top 4 Video Conferencing Tools for Business:

1. 1. Zoom
   2. Skype
   3. Microsoft Teams
   4. GoTo Meeting 

Project Management Software

Managing projects is no simple job. Tracking deadlines, updating task iterations, and communicating the project status to stakeholders are tasks project managers need to handle on a daily basis. 

Project management software enables teams to manage individual tasks and resources within projects.  Built for agile teams, project management tools include features such as tracking project progress, task management, project view switching, and plenty of other collaboration features.      

Top 5 Project Management Tools for Business:

1. 1. Projects
   2. Asana
   3. Wrike
   4. Basecamp
   5. Zoho Projects

Knowledge Management Software

Knowledge management software are excellent tools for teams to manage everything from internal company processes such as onboarding information to managing a customer database. Primarily focused on the collection, storage, and organization of data and information, these tools help teams with all sorts of administrative tasks.

Top 4 Knowledge Management Tools for Business:

1. 1. Hypernotes
   2. Base
   3. Salesforce
   4. Pipedrive

Learn about the different types of knowledge management processes and find more alternatives in Knowledge Management Tools 2021.

Tools for Centralized Storage 

Shoot for the stars, but keep your files secure in the Cloud. Cloud file storage is a necessity for remote teams, permitting file access to team members, whether they live a 30-minute drive from the office or working remotely in another country. The best tools for centralized storage support all file types, sync across multiple devices, track document changes, and integrate well with other applications. 

Top 4 Business Tools for Centralized Storage:

1. 1. Microsoft Sharepoint
   2. Google Drive
   3. Dropbox
   4. Box

We’ve only listed a few tools useful for teams working remotely. Find more alternatives in 50 Must-Have Remote Working Tools And Apps.

Practical tips for a balanced home office routine

The right tools certainly help get the job done, but even with advanced tech running on artificial intelligence, humans still have to put in the work. These are our tips for a balanced home office routine: 

Get dressed

Overcoming the notion to stay in your pajamas all day is a good tangible step that helps you mentally prepare for the workday. Select a few outfits that are both presentable and comfortable, so you are prepared for the odd-chance when your boss unexpectedly calls for a meeting.

Establish boundaries

Distractions are bound to happen. To best navigate such situations, establish boundaries, whether that may be to set specific times to go on breaks, schedule packages to arrive only at certain times, or communicate your availability to your children and spouse. 

Tip: Turn off desktop notifications when doing deep work and set all applications settings on silent, especially when in meetings.

Stick to routines

The urgency of staying online and always being available increases when working from home. Just do as you would in the office: take time to get your coffee, spend a few minutes catching up with a colleague via chat, and respond to emails when you normally do. 

Home office allows more flexibility, however routines help in more than just sticking to a daily schedule. Some things to remember: Make sure to stick to your standard work hours, don’t skip the lunch break, and try not to work overtime.

Tip: Even with boundaries and routines, remember to stay flexible when things don’t go as planned. Humans aren’t robots and that’s a good thing. 

Get out and about (unless self-isolating)

Without the commute, we might spend most of our days enclosed in our houses. Make time for walks around the block, trips to nature parks, or even a quick drive to a local bakery for the morning coffee and breakfast fix. 

Additionally, fresh air and sunshine are great for both the mind and soul. Taking care of one’s health with enough physical activity and time for relaxation is perhaps even more necessary now when most of our daily interactions happen online.

Take regular breaks

Downtime is necessary for technology devices; the same goes for humans. Research states that brief diversions from a task can improve an individual’s ability to focus. When we take a short break from hours of deep work, we essentially reward our brain with a downtime. 

There are various techniques and systems on how to train yourself to focus. And though daily to-do lists are great, the essence of time blocking is to produce high-quality output within a specific amount of time. 

Check in with colleagues regularly

Because it’s not just always about work. Cultivating relationships help any employee to feel at ease and accepted within a company. Most of the time, we may not know what challenges our neighbor may be going through, even more so when we don’t work in back-to-back cubicles or a shared office space.

Even more reason to make it a habit to type your colleagues some greetings every now and then, or send them encouraging messages to make their day. That said, I hope you have a great day!

All remote work statistics are sourced from Review24’s Remote Work Statistics for 2021.

Image credits from Andrew Neel, Daria Shevtsova, Sarah Chai from Pexels;  AltumCode, Sigmund, and ThisisEngineering RAEng from Unsplash; and Giphy.

That’s a wrap! It’s exciting to see how much has changed in a short amount of time. What are your thoughts on the variety of modern working models? Our team has run on a hybrid model within the last year and have experienced the impact that digital collaboration tools have on team productivity and collaboration. We hope, as probably most other companies do too, to navigate back to more in-person meetings and workshops soon. How has your team navigated teamwork this past year? 

Cheers,

Jessica and the Zenkit Team

The post Home Office and Remote Work: How to Improve Team Collaboration appeared first on Zenkit.

So many things to do with so little time. Or maybe it just seems that way because we’re accustomed to our daily to-do lists, and the sticky notes on our work desk to remind us to buy apples for the kid’s lunches, pick up the dry cleaning after work, and the presentation that we need to finalize before Thursday’s meeting. 

Truth be told, a cluttered desk indicates a cluttered mind. What to do with all of your information? I can only recommend using note apps for both your personal and professional life. A few perks of using note apps as opposed to paper notebooks are that they are useful for taking notes on the go, are environmentally friendly, and bundle all of your information in a central location.

Don’t get me wrong, notebooks and bullet journals are as effective as ever if that’s your personal preference. But in the digital age, why not go digital? Hyperlinks, copy & paste, and file sharing are actions your favourite fountain pen simply cannot replicate. 

We’ve compiled a list of our top 10 note apps to help you find a note app suited to your needs and workflow. 

What is Note-Taking and Why Do We Take Notes?

Note-taking is the practice of recording information from different sources. What each note looks like and what notes are written down, stored, and organized are dependent on the user’s interests and requirements. 

For example, notes taken when writing academic papers differ from what most people quickly jot down on a sticky note or calendar. Nevertheless, whether you are writing down information from a webinar, a reminder to water the houseplants, or a daily to-do list, note-taking is the process of obtaining and compiling information. 

There is no singular method or technique for taking notes. Although the format may be restricted due to the material or tool you use, whether a digital app or classic pen and paper, you have the freedom to choose form and function. In general, notes can be in one of three forms: summary, paraphrase, or direct quotation. 

The Phenomenon of Note Apps: Legit Noteworthy or Just Hype?

Generally, the more information we consume, the more knowledge we have, right? Well, we may learn more information, but do we remember it? 

Educator Edgar Dale developed the Cone of Experience, a model associating learning activities with learning outcomes. The Cone of Experience compares the learning experience (whether by doing, hearing, reading, or observing) with the memory retention of an individual. 

According to Dale, a person remembers 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they see and hear, 70% of what they say and write, and 90% of what they do. 

Considering how much information we forget after two weeks, a credited conclusion from Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve, note apps can serve as a beneficial resource to collect and store important information. With next-level note apps bringing additional features to the growing market, the trend and necessity for note apps are climbing. 

Note Apps for Everyone: Who Is the Target Audience?

Safe to say note apps are for everyone, which calls for a happy dance. But not everyone takes notes the same way nor has the same requirements. That is exactly why most things are purposefully created or executed with a particular target audience in mind.

The needs of students and scholars vary from those of professionals and business collaborators. Creatives, for example, are more interested in having diverse formatting options and templates that allow them to visually work on projects. Writers, on the other hand, value features such as footnotes, colour-coding, rich text and markdown, above integration and collaboration requirements. 

Not solely tied to the professional sphere, digital tools are also great for personal knowledge management. Sometimes a simple feature can make a huge difference in the usability of an app. Structure and features can make hoarding information easier but your files can still be cluttered without an organization system. On the flip side, your digital file closet could finally look as organized as your personal wardrobe. 

List of Apps

It can be overwhelming figuring out which note app is best. Ultimately, the choice comes down to personal requirements and preferences. 

To give you a headstart to finding your favourite note app, we’ve collected a list of the top note apps of 2021. We provide the options, you merely have to make the choice! 

1. Hypernotes

Hypernotes is a note app focusing on knowledge management. As a tool with the purpose of being more than just a digital notebook, the features of Hypernotes such as bi-directional linking and a semantic graph help users intuitively connect ideas and information within the app. Built to address the needs of many different note-takers, the app enables the creation of a knowledge database following the Zettelkasten method, a type of note-taking system. Diverse integration options as well as with other productivity apps in the Zenkit Suite grant users flexibility and the freedom for personalized configuration. 

2. Microsoft OneNote 

Microsoft invented OneNote as a note-taking app for everyone. OneNote enables users to organize notes, convert them into to-do lists, share them with friends or colleagues, and upload files through the web clipper function. OneNote works offline and can be combined with every Office product. New notes can be created and revised using your keyboard, a text marker or a pen.

3. Evernote 

Evernote is one of the most versatile options when it comes to note apps. The app includes features that can accommodate the needs of casual note-takers as well as power users. Document scanning, formatting options you can personalize, and an intuitive search function are all noteworthy Evernote features. The vast integration and collaboration functions are also worth mentioning.

4. StandardNotes 

StandardNotes is a free, open-source, and encrypted note app. Created to support and encourage writers in their element, StandardNotes offers users unlimited notes and supports offline access. For users who enjoy more flexibility, the premium version Extended is packed with additional templates, formatting options, and markdown. Automated backups, infinite undo, and unlimited notes are key reasons we included this app on our list.

5. Google Keep 

Google Keep, the note app from Google, has the look and feel of Google Docs. Devoted Drive users have the benefit of keeping their files centralized. Color-coded notes, checklists, tags, pinned notes, and handwritten notes give the app a scrapbook-like feel. Although ideal for taking notes on the go, Google Keep isn’t recommended for writing prose.

6. Apple Notes

Similar to Google Keep, Apple Notes operates on the company product ecosystem enabling users access to their files from all devices. The use of folders makes organizing easier in Apple Notes. Shortcuts such as pinning notes, marking favourites or creating a note from the lock screen are the main reasons why the app is on our list.

7. GoodNote

GoodNotes turns every handwritten note into digital paper. Notes can easily be found using the search function or the folder structure. The app allows editing PDF files and turning handwritten notes into digital letters. The flashcard feature is especially useful for learning facts or practising knowledge retention. 

8. Notability

Notability is a note app to capture your thoughts, whether in written or graphical form. Users can experiment with different tools to create hand-crafted notes or sketches. Collaborative through device synchronization and PDF annotation, Notability helps bring projects to life.

9. Agenda

Agenda is all about date-focused note-taking for planning and documenting projects. Notes are organized in a project timeline while projects can be grouped into categories. Timely reminders and calendar synchronization make sure you never miss a deadline or forget to buy flowers for mother’s day. 

10. Nimbus Note 

Nimbus Note combines note-taking with task management. With templates for wikis, databases, and task lists, the app helps teams stay organized. The business/team account allows teams to work on personal and company projects simultaneously. For quick feedback loops or content revisions, Nimbus Note helps to ease the workflow of any professional.

Final Thoughts

Note apps are great tools, whether for online or offline use. Selecting a note app doesn’t have to be an either-or situation. You can use multiple tools, like me, depending on the purpose or requirement. The main point is, that whichever tool you use should help you be more creative and productive by taking on the onus of ‘remembering’ information for you.  

If your goal is to get from point A to point B, any car or public transportation should do. And if we’re being honest, most have spent the home office lockdown working in comfortable clothes rather than their elegant business attire. So choose what fits best according to your requirements, usability, and personality. 

Image credits from Markus Spiske, PngAAA and Giphy.

Have a particular favourite that didn’t make it into our list? We’re also curious to find out how and what you use your note app for. Let us know in the comments! 

Fans of pen and paper are welcome in our circle too. Our team uses digital tools as well as notebooks in staff meetings. We recommend you test tools out nonetheless, as, in the end, it’s all about finding what helps you be most effective and productive. 

Cheers,
Jessica and the Zenkit Team

The post Best Note-Taking Apps 2021 appeared first on Zenkit.

Productivity software for personal use is a topic of increasing interest and influence. For many, productivity apps are an everyday component in life both for work and leisure. The trend arguably gained attention and relevance around 2010 and the developments from corporate project management systems to apps for individual task management models grew. 

Personal productivity software is classified separately from the rest, with note-taking apps for personal productivity as a frontrunner. If you’re a bit of a scatterbrain or information-hoarder like me, you have probably tried several standard note-taking apps. With a varying feature set that includes design and formatting elements, collaboration options, and multi-functional usage, digital note-taking apps have become a vital part of the toolkit, alongside project management systems (psst… Zenkit!) and chat apps. 

On the lookout for a note-taking app that definitely follows the “work smarter, not harder” vibe and will help you level up in your workflow? Check out these 10 note-taking apps reshaping the future of note-taking. 

What Is Note-Taking?

I’m sure we’ve all used the term with little thought to what note-taking actually is. Most likely, our note-taking consists of to-do lists or inspirational quotes quickly jotted down. 

The skill of taking notes for research paper writing is another technique entirely, and many of us probably have gotten into the habit of using the notes section in our Google Calendar as a digital replacement for sticky notes. Sure, this may be a form of note-taking, but more often than not, it is an activity and practice wherein we waste a lot of time. 

So how can we properly define what note-taking is? In short, note-taking is the practice of recording information from different sources and platforms. When writing academic papers, note-taking is the process of obtaining and compiling information that answers and supports the questions and topic of the paper. Notes can be in one of three forms: summary, paraphrase, or direct quotation.

Note Apps: Is There a Difference?

From pen and paper to digital and multifaceted tools, note apps have come a long way. With user requirements becoming more complex, features such as intuitive autotype, organization, and collaboration requirements have become the standard. Apps with further technological integrations are taking the spotlight. 

Note: Just because a note app includes more features, doesn’t make the app better than the rest. The aim of any productivity software is to assist you in your personal workflow. 

That being said, note apps incorporating technological advances and built on intricate systems offer users a sweet upgrade. Equivalent to recent Apple features such as AirPlay or SharePlay, note apps with bi-directional linking and knowledge management systems just sweeten the user experience, whether the feature was a necessity (to you) or not. 

What Defines Next-Level Note Apps?

Saying ‘Goodbye’ to the classic, beloved apps such as Evernote or OneNote may not be your cup of tea nor of necessary importance for the way you incorporate note apps into your workflow. 

Productivity geeks and avid digital note app users likely remember when Notion gained relevance as an “all-purpose tool”. The combination of notes, calendar synchronization, and flexibility in stylization offered users requiring such features an upgrade. However, these note apps aren’t the perfect fit for content creators or users who do lots of ‘knowledge work’. 

Organization is (certainly) key when working with any relational database. The appeal of personal knowledge management systems expanded, leading to the development of note apps that enable users to shape the knowledge and information they store through a “tree of ideas” or a networked thought.

The note apps (re)shaping the future of taking notes for next-level working promote and manage knowledge as single defining ideas as well as connecting distinct observations into a web of knowledge. Inspired by the intricacy of the human brain, these apps replicate the practice of such a patchwork thought process.

List of Apps

Without further ado, let me introduce the 10 note-taking apps reshaping the future of note-taking: 

1. Hypernotes

Hypernotes is a knowledge management system created to be the new knowledge database. With features such as bi-directional linking, semantic graphs, as well as HTML and markdown, users can easily create a web of knowledge. Hypernotes takes care of organizing so users can stop taking notes and start creating knowledge, with automated connections easing the workflow. 

2. Notion 

Although classified as a note app, Notion is more versatile. Notion is basically three tools in one: a powerful note app (which is why it’s on this list), a task and project manager, and a reference wiki. Users use Notion for various use cases such as FAQs, data analytics of marketing costs, calendar tracking, and, last but not least, taking notes – all in just one platform.

3. Roam Research

Roam Research is a note-taking app for networked thought, creating groups of information and making knowledge associations naturally. Arguably, the comprehensive app made bi-directional linking popular for note-taking apps. Roam Research enables users an organized and personalized overview of all the notes taken. Known for their high user satisfaction, users new to these kinds of note-taking apps need to consider the pricing options as there is no free version. 

4. Obsidian 

Obsidian is a home-grown note app supporting every common form of Markdown. The app is a developer’s dream fulfilled as Obsidian enables visual presentation between notes with backlinks, graph views, and cross-referencing. Security and data privacy are important factors that Obsidian takes care of by running all of the data, whether coming in or out of the app, through an encryption process. Safe to say, Obsidian is systematized, intuitive, as well as secure.

5. RemNote 

What began as a research project at MIT developed into the software RemNote, a thinking and learning workspace to assist students in knowledge management. RemNote is a non-linear app enabling knowledge sharing. Particular useful features such as flashcards, references, and backlinks assist users in the practice and process of knowledge retention. Users who prefer revising or studying with paper versions or using Word.doc can import and export notes directly from Markdown and other approved apps.

6. Bear 

Bear is a breath of fresh air when it comes to note apps. Initially designed with prose in mind, Bear places a strong focus on typography. Organizing with Bear is done through the use of hashtags. Child tags can simply be created with the use of a slash ( / ). A clear favorite for programmers, Bear features syntax highlighting for over 20 programming and markup languages.

7. Zettlr

Zettlr is simply an open-source Markdown editor. The system authorizes various citation formats, includes theme customization and writing statistics, as well as supporting the Zettelkasten method. File and tag management permits user-friendly note organization. Noteworthy of Mem is that the app is available in 14 languages and notes can be exported in 40 different formats. 

8. mem.ai 

Mem is a note-taking app focusing on simplicity, quickness, and collaboration. The app allows users to capture, connect, and share information easily. It combines features such as lightning-fast capture, always-on search, and seamless collaboration. Powered by a collaborative graph database, Mem enables diverse organization formats. Sadly, bi-directional linking is currently not supported and users interested in testing Mem currently require patience due to a waiting list for the app.

9. Logseq 

The privacy-first, open-source knowledge base allows users to visualize every note through graphs. Knowledge grows and new ideas and thoughts are connected into a “tree of ideas”. With Logseq users can organize tasks and projects with built-in workflow commands. 

10. Amplenote 

Amplenote is an encrypted note-taking app. Notes can be labelled as tasks, scheduled in calendar view, and inspected in a daily log. Extensive embedding options include rich footnotes, screenshots, YouTube videos, Google Sheets, as well as hyperlinked note sections. Amplenote uses the Eisenhower Matrix, sometimes called the “Covey Matrix” to generate a “task score” that clarifies which tasks would be best to focus on. 

Why All the Buzz?

In order for even the casual user to befriend the structure and best understand the concept of these next-level note-taking apps, it’s integral to be familiar with the technical terminology. Let’s clear up the confusion on the most common buzzwords describing the systems.

What Is a Knowledge Management System?

A knowledge management system is simply a system that enables you to manage your knowledge. It’s most often used in business environments and used to refer to a multidisciplinary approach to achieving organisational objectives. Knowledge management (KM) is the process of creating, sharing, using and managing the knowledge and information of an organization (Wiki).

What Is Bi-Directional linking?

By definition, bidirectional is “involving, moving, or taking place in two usually opposite directions” (Miriam Webster). Bi-directional linking, therefore, is the connecting of associated content with one another. In practice, if an association or repetition of a particular topic or terminology is stored in a knowledgement management system, a bi-directional link will be generated by the system to both locations.

What Is the Zettelkasten Method?

The Zettelkasten method is a personal strategic process for thinking and writing. Invented by Niklas Luhmann, the method encourages you to connect the dots between different trains of thought and knowledge. The method could be described as the analogue version of bi-directional linking, although the Zettelkasten method is essentially the forerunner of the latter.

Deemed one of the most effective knowledge management methods, the Zettelkasten method is an organization system that helps you organize your knowledge while working. The method is versatile and suitable for digital nomads as well as paper and pen enthusiasts.

Interested in testing or implementing the method with your workflow? Check out A Beginner’s Guide to the Zettelkasten Method for further reading.

Images from Vlada Karpovich and Giphy.

Final Thoughts

I’m personally blown away at the rapid development of note-taking apps and try to keep up-to-date with the latest technological advances. Incorporating new systems takes time and there’s certainly a lot of trial and error in the process. Nevertheless, it’s exciting to have a front-row seat to experience as well as watch how productivity software grows into home-based systems for the ordinary user. 

We’d love to know what you think about the direction note-taking apps are headed. Have you tested or used a particular note app, adamant it’s better than the rest? Write us your thoughts and share your use cases with us in the comments!

Cheers,
Jessica and the Zenkit Team

The post Best Next-Level Note Apps for 2021 appeared first on Zenkit.

With plenty of note-taking tips and apps available, online and in paper form, it’s become extremely easy to take note of information, ideas, or thoughts. As simple as it is to write down an idea or jot down a quote, the skill of academic research and writing for a thesis paper is on another level entirely. And keeping a record or an archive of all of the information you need can quickly require a very organized system.

The use of index cards seems old-fashioned considering that note-taking apps (psst! Hypernotes) offer better functionality and are arguably more user-friendly. However, software is only there to help aid our individual workflow and thinking process. That’s why understanding and learning how to properly research, take notes and write academic papers is still a highly valuable skill.

Let’s Start Writing! But Where to Start…

Writing academic papers is a vital skill most students need to learn and practice. Academic papers are usually time-intensive pieces of written content that are a requirement throughout school or at University. Whether a topic is assigned or you have to choose your own, there’s little room for variation in how to begin.

Popular and purposeful in analyzing and evaluating the knowledge of the author as well as assessing if the learning objectives were met, research papers serve as information-packed content. Most of us may not end up working jobs in academic professions or be researchers at institutions, where writing research papers is also part of the job, but we often read such papers. 

Despite the fact that most research papers or dissertations aren’t often read in full, journalists, academics, and other professionals regularly use academic papers as a basis for further literary publications or blog articles. The standard of academic papers ensures the validity of the information and gives the content authority. 

There’s no-nonsense in research papers. To make sure to write convincing and correct content, the research stage is extremely important. And, naturally, when doing any kind of research, we take notes.

Why Take Notes?

There are particular standards defined for writing academic papers. In order to meet these standards, a specific amount of background information and researched literature is required. Taking notes helps keep track of read/consumed literary material as well as keeps a file of any information that may be of importance to the topic. 

The aim of writing isn’t merely to advertise fully formed opinions, but also serves the purpose of developing opinions worth sharing in the first place. 

What is Note-Taking?

Note-taking (sometimes written as notetaking or note-taking) is the practice of recording information from different sources and platforms. For academic writing, note-taking is the process of obtaining and compiling information that answers and supports the research paper’s questions and topic. Notes can be in one of three forms: summary, paraphrase, or direct quotation.

Note-taking is an excellent process useful for anyone to turn individual thoughts and information into organized ideas ready to be communicated through writing. Notes are, however, only as valuable as the context. Since notes are also a byproduct of the information we consume daily, it’s important to categorize information, develop connections, and establish relationships between pieces of information. 

What Type of Notes Can I Take?

• Explanation of complex theories
• Background information on events or persons of interest
• Definitions of terms
• Quotations of significant value
• Illustrations or graphics

Note-Taking 101

Taking notes or doing research for academic papers shouldn’t be that difficult, considering we take notes all the time. Wrong. Note-taking for research papers isn’t the same as quickly noting down an interesting slogan or cool quote from a video, putting it on a sticky note, and slapping it onto your bedroom or office wall.

Note-taking for research papers requires focus and careful deliberation of which information is important to note down, keep on file, or use and reference in your own writing. Depending on the topic and requirements of your research paper from your University or institution, your notes might include explanations of complex theories, definitions, quotations, and graphics. 

Stages of Research Paper Writing

1. Preparation Stage

Before you start, it’s recommended to draft a plan or an outline of how you wish to begin preparing to write your research paper. Make note of the topic you will be writing on, as well as the stylistic and literary requirements for your paper.

2. Research Stage

In the research stage, finding good and useful literary material for background knowledge is vital. To find particular publications on a topic, you can use Google Scholar or access literary databases and institutions made available to you through your school, university, or institution. 

Make sure to write down the source location of the literary material you find. Always include the reference title, author, page number, and source destination. This saves you time when formatting your paper in the later stages and helps keep the information you collect organized and referenceable.

In the worst-case scenario, you’ll have to do a backward search to find the source of a quote you wrote down without reference to the original literary material. 

3. Writing Stage

When writing, an outline or paper structure is helpful to visually break up the piece into sections. Once you have defined the sections, you can begin writing and referencing the information you have collected in the research stage.

Clearly mark which text pieces and information where you relied on background knowledge, which texts are directly sourced, and which information you summarized or have written in your own words. This is where your paper starts to take shape.  

4. Draft Stage

After organizing all of your collected notes and starting to write your paper, you are already in the draft stage. In the draft stage, the background information collected and the text written in your own words come together. Every piece of information is structured by the subtopics and sections you defined in the previous stages. 

5. Final Stage

Success! Well… almost! In the final stage, you look over your whole paper and check for consistency and any irrelevancies. Read through the entire paper for clarity, grammatical errors, and peace of mind that you have included everything important. 

Make sure you use the correct formatting and referencing method requested by your University or institution for research papers. Don’t forget to save it and then send the paper on its way.

Best Practice Note-Taking Tips

• Find relevant and authoritative literary material through the search bar of literary databases and institutions.
• Practice citation repeatedly! Always keep a record of the reference book title, author, page number, and source location. At best, format the citation in the necessary format from the beginning. 
• Organize your notes according to topic or reference to easily find the information again when in the writing stage. Work invested in the early stages eases the writing and editing process of the later stages.
• Summarize research notes and write in your own words as much as possible. Cite direct quotes and clearly mark copied text in your notes to avoid plagiarism.  

Take Smart Notes

Taking smart notes isn’t as difficult as it seems. It’s simply a matter of principle, defined structure, and consistency. Whether you opt for a paper-based system or use a digital tool to write and organize your notes depends solely on your individual personality, needs, and workflow.

With various productivity apps promoting diverse techniques, a good note-taking system to take smart notes is the Zettelkasten Method. Invented by Niklas Luhmann, a german sociologist and researcher, the Zettelkasten Method is known as the smart note-taking method that popularized personalized knowledge management. 

As a strategic process for thinking and writing, the Zettelkasten Method helps you organize your knowledge while working, studying, or researching. Directly translated as a ‘note box’, Zettelkasten is simply a framework to help organize your ideas, thoughts, and information by relating pieces of knowledge and connecting pieces of information to each other.

Hypernotes is a note-taking app that can be used as a software-based Zettelkasten, with integrated features to make smart note-taking so much easier, such as auto-connecting related notes, and syncing to multiple devices. In each notebook, you can create an archive of your thoughts, ideas, and information. 

Using the tag system to connect like-minded ideas and information to one another and letting Hypernotes do its thing with bi-directional linking, you’ll soon create a web of knowledge about anything you’ve ever taken note of. This feature is extremely helpful to navigate through the enormous amounts of information you’ve written down. Another benefit is that it assists you in categorizing and making connections between your ideas, thoughts, and saved information in a single notebook. Navigate through your notes, ideas, and knowledge easily.

Ready, Set, Go!

Writing academic papers is no simple task. Depending on the requirements, resources available, and your personal research and writing style, techniques, apps, or practice help keep you organized and increase your productivity. 

Whether you use a particular note-taking app like Hypernotes for your research paper writing or opt for a paper-based system, make sure you follow a particular structure. Repeat the steps that help you find the information you need quicker and allow you to reproduce or create knowledge naturally.

Images from NeONBRAND , hana_k and Surface via Unsplash 

A well-written piece is made up of authoritative sources and uses the art of connecting ideas, thoughts, and information together. Good luck to all students and professionals working on research paper writing! We hope these tips help you in organizing the information and aid your workflow in your writing process.

Cheers,
Jessica and the Zenkit Team

The post Smart Note-Taking for Research Paper Writing appeared first on Zenkit.

The enormous amount of data produced per day is mad. We consume so much information on a daily basis, it’s no wonder many suffer from information overload. 

Taking a tour through our brain would be like aimless meandering through a gigantic archive of information, files, and references. It’s no wonder that when we find interesting information we wish to retain, we either write it down on a notepad, put it on a sticky note on our desk, or save it in a digital file on our computer. 

What’s the Problem with Note-Taking?

Sadly, most of the time, those ideas and information get forgotten and lost. Without proper organizational structure, your data can quickly become a pile of chaos and due to the overwhelming amount, regularly sorting and organizing your notes is the only way to keep them usable.

Similarly, how often do we take notes intending to utilise the information in the future, only to forget they even exist later on? Pieces of information without a clear description of their original intent for keeping or collecting it in the first place results in an assortment of miscellaneous information without any connection to a train of thought. 

For those seeking to master knowledge building and transform their thinking, the Zettelkasten system is a great starting point.

What Is the Zettelkasten method?

The Zettelkasten method is a personal strategic process for thinking and writing. As one of the most effective knowledge management methods, it can best be described as an organization system that helps you organize your knowledge while working (studying or researching)

.

What makes the Zettelkasten method so great is that the system not only helps you store and organize your knowledge but also improves your memory and knowledge retention. Developing knowledge relationships significantly improves memory recall, and forming them also trains your mind to see patterns.

We need to understand how our minds work so we can work our minds better.

— Jim Kwik, mind coach and author of Mindvalley’s Superbrain Program

The Zettelkasten method encourages you to connect the dots between different trains of thought and knowledge. The steps facilitate our intrinsic ability to generate new connections between ideas and thus increase our knowledge and productive output.

The Zettelkasten method is good for when you want to:

• Systematically organize important information
• Find information again, even years later
• Develop your own ideas

In short, the Zettelkasten method is an integrated system for dealing with knowledge in your life and acts as an amplifier of your endeavors in the realm of writing and knowledge management.

What Is a Knowledge Management System?

Knowledge management (KM) is the process of creating, sharing, using, and managing knowledge and information. The main objective is to make the best use of existing knowledge.

When creating a personal knowledge management system, you ultimately develop a system and structure for organizing your ideas, thoughts, and information in a way that suits your thinking. In a way, you develop a web of knowledge and build up a “second brain” of all the information that you collect to help fuel an emergent approach to thinking. 

Set up your personal knowledge management system.
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Definition of Zettelkasten

Zettelkasten is a german word which translates to ‘note box’. The definition explains what material to work with and the filing system used. Let’s break it down into its parts:

A ‘zettel’ is a slip or note of paper. Information we wish to keep gets written on a Zettel. A classic form of a Zettel is a sticky note, an index card, or a piece of notepad paper for writing down your thoughts. 

The word ‘kasten’ literally translates to box. In this context, however, it’s specifically an index card box. Index card boxes allow for an organized filing system keeping like-minded notes or zettel grouped and categorized in one place.

Following the definition, the Zettelkasten method can be explained as an index card knowledge management system that helps you to retain information that resonates with you, which you then organize, identify, and categorize, to ultimately convert into creative output.

In short, a Zettelkasten is simply a framework to help organize your ideas, thoughts, and information. By relating pieces of knowledge and connecting information to each other (by way of hyperlinking), you are replicating a train of thought. By establishing relationships between pieces of knowledge, you are helping retain consumed information allowing your thinking process to grow organically.

Who Is Niklas Luhmann?

Niklas Luhmann is the brain behind the system. The german sociologist is the founder of the smart note-taking and knowledge management system, the Zettelkasten method. He was extremely productive in his career, writing 70 books and more than 400 scholarly articles!

As a researcher, Luhmann was constantly reading and learning. In order to build upon his existing knowledge, he developed the systems theory we know as Zettelkasten today. Luhmann focused on understanding the information he read and making connections to existing information. For this, he used a paper-based system to categorize all the information he read and collected. 

Luhmann collected information on a Zettel, categorized and filed it appropriately in his archive, which was indeed a piece of furniture with lots of drawers. He meticulously built a web of his knowledge that helped him retrieve information and develop new ideas efficiently.

To translate Luhmann’s Zettelkasten method to our digital age, his method of organization is an analogue system to what we now know as hyperlinking. Thus, the Zettelkasten system can be likened to or described as the first Wiki.

Zettelkasten Method Explained

How Does the Zettelkasten Method Work?

The Zettelkasten method helps you collect and organize your thoughts, ideas, and information in a structured or categorical way. Following the steps and technique, you can build upon your existing knowledge and create a knowledge archive of your files and information that are a near-enough replica of the system of how your brain works.

Zettelkasten method comprises three main types of notes:

1. Literature Notes
2. Reference Notes
3. Permanent Notes

Each note has a distinct objective and serves a specific function. Other types of notes include fleeting notes and hub notes.

Types of Notes

Literature Notes

Oftentimes when working or reading for leisure, there’s a particular text we either wish to highlight or jot down for future reference. Literature Notes are the notes you make as comments to the text you have selected or marked down. 

Taking literature notes adds context and helps you remember the thoughts you had when reading or writing down the information. The whole point of adding comments to the text you highlight is to help you summarize the point of the text, to include your thoughts and your key takeaways from it.

The worst feeling when researching and taking notes is finding notes you previously made without any helpful context as to why you wrote the information down in the first place. Taking good notes is important so you don’t ever have to double back on your work. 

Tip: It’s best to write down more information than later necessary. 

For research purposes, make it a habit to include the book title, author, chapter, and page number. If you find yourself needing further context than your comment and notes provide, you won’t have to search the entire book to find the exact location you referenced to. Instead, you can immediately open to the right chapter your note addresses. 

Reference Notes

The technique of grouping information, organizing ideas into categories, and creating tags to help you find grouped information at a later stage is the art of reference notes. When we reference something, it is safe to say that the topic or idea we are writing about is part of a bigger topic or is information accredited to someone or someplace else. We use this technique in various daily circumstances and the function is available on almost every software and app available today. 

Common ways we use referencing in everyday life include the use of the hashtag (#) on social networking platforms, attributing credit when writing a thesis paper, or when adding a hyperlink to the source location of a particular referenced media file such as pictures, GIFs, or videos. Using a search engine when interested in a particular keyword and tagging others or replying to messages in chat apps also constitutes referencing. Helpful ways to mark reference notes include applying a hashtag when using digital software, color coding, or including a unique ID address.

Permanent Notes

Permanent notes are stand-alone ideas that can be made without any direct context to other sourced information such as books, videos, or other available data.  

Permanent notes can be made as a recap or summary of the information just researched or learned, but can also be thoughts that popped into your brain while thinking over a myriad of information or while analysing any given context.

The aim of permanent notes is to process the notes you have made and analyze how they affect your interests, thinking and research. You then cherry-pick the notes that add value to your existing ideas and connect the new information to what you already know and have saved in your database.

Fleeting Notes

Because our brain works 24/7 and our thinking cannot be contained to a dedicated note-taking moment, we might take notes on the go. When you jot down the random ideas, thoughts and information that untimely flow through your mind, you are taking fleeting notes.

Fleeting notes are unstructured and unorganized notes. They serve as temporary holders of information for later use that you will need to organize into your system. In short, fleeting notes are temporary reminders of ideas.

Using the Zettelkasten Method to Take Smart Notes

There aren’t many steps in the Zettelkasten method, which makes it seem like a relatively simple system. Don’t be fooled by the numbers! The complexity and benefit are ultimately up to the quality and quantity of information you collect and input, and strongly based on the organization structure you choose.

Make sure to understand how your brain analyzes information best before adjusting your note-taking habits. You can certainly employ ‘learning by doing’, but you might end up backtracking, reorganizing, and renaming files to fit into the categorizing you later decided upon.

The Zettelkasten method is about optimizing your workflow of learning and producing knowledge. Figure out your learning and note-taking style and be consistent in applying the steps in the Zettelkasten method:

Step 1: Read and take smart notes

When working, write down your thoughts and the reason why you are taking particular note of a piece of information. This way, you will better understand the focus and reasoning behind the information you jot down. Even better, summarize the information and write it in your own words as much as you can.

Step 2: Rewrite your notes for the Zettelkasten 

Once you have collected and summarized the information, it’s time to highlight some key elements. Include index information like the author’s name, book location, or the link URL. For longer Zettels, highlighting the learning objectives or key points in a bullet list might be helpful. The main point is to write your notes in such a way that you will easily be able to quickly get the gist of the material when you come across it again.

Step 3: Adding a structure to your Zettel

The objective of using the Zettelkasten method is to make knowledge relationships. Add a particular #category or number-ID to the individual Zettels to help you link them to another in your system. Doing so will allow you to jump from a related idea or piece of information to the next without having to search through your archive for particular keywords.

You may come to a point where your database is filled with Zettels, expertly organized and linked to another, but you have lost the overview. In this case, you can create Hub notes to help you. Hub notes are Zettels about a certain topic with subtopics. They are similar to the index or the table of contents. Use hub notes as a reference or index for your work. Write down the list of topics in your Zettelkasten with a description and reference number to help you find and access information easier and quicker.

Step 4: Ask questions and review as a habit

Note-taking or note-collecting is great, but having access to a significant amount of information doesn’t make you smarter. Ask yourself questions when analyzing the information to help you develop your own ideas for the content or material. Make it a regular habit to review information in your Zettelkasten to jog your memory and encourage you to see patterns and create connections between ideas and information. 

How to Implement the Zettelkasten Method Into Your Workflow

As mentioned, the steps and techniques in the Zettelkasten method are to help you retain your knowledge and develop new ideas. This means that you can use tools and software and tailor the functions to structure how your thought process works. 

Selection of Zettelkasten method types:

1. Software-based Zettelkasten: It’s certainly super handy having all your notes in digital form. Instead of adjusting and renaming your folder structure on your computer, you could consider using a knowledge management software (psst, Hypernotes!) that uses the Zettelkasten method. Software-based Zettelkasten already have integrated features to make smart note-taking so much easier, such as auto-connecting related notes, and syncing to multiple devices.
   
2. Paper-based Zettel: You may enjoy the manual practice of writing down information and keeping index cards in a folder or designated filing cabinet in your home. Just because it isn’t digital, doesn’t mean you’re not going to be productive (Niklas Luhmann is proof of this!).
3. Archive / DocuWiki: If you’re not picky on the design or format and value the text-based information, using a DocuWiki as a Zettelkasten might be right for you. DokuWikis store plain text filled with simple markup locally in a folder on your computer and use the renaming function to create folders as document categories, just like drawers in a filing cabinet.

Whichever Zettelkasten type you choose, remember that there is no perfect note-taking system, only the best one suited for you. Just like when creating a second brain, the note-taking system needs to be suited to your personality and workflow to help you be productive and truly efficient.

Tip: Choose a system type that fits your personality and thought process, and is best suited for the type of work you do.

Images from Jan Antonin Kolar and Maksym Kaharlytskyi from Unsplash

Final Thoughts

The Zettelkasten method is an excellent system encouraging the emergent approach to working through information. Setting up a system and organizing a structure that suits you best is the hard part. After the first steps and with continuous practice, you’ll soon be a walking information archive and impress your family, friends and colleagues with your knowledge.

Everyone has a particular system they enjoy. We’d love to know how you take notes and work through your ideas. 

Wishing you a productive lifetime of smart note-taking!

Cheers,

Jessica and the Zenkit Team

The post A Beginner’s Guide to the Zettelkasten Method appeared first on Zenkit.

Without communication, there is no cake.

Communication is among the top concerns in the workplace. Ineffective communication or lack thereof can have significant detrimental effects on a project outcome and an organization. Just as flour is a key ingredient when baking a cake, good communication is a key ingredient for business. Communication in the workplace is necessary for any project or task, whether you are working alone or in a team.

Communication in the workplace is central to the success of any business. We spend a shocking amount of time, around 80% of our day, communicating. Workplace communication takes different forms: writing emails, phone calls, group meetings, company presentations, coffee break chats, task and project communication… and this list doesn’t even touch on non-verbal communication.

What Is Workplace Communication? 

Workplace communication is the manner by which employees exchange information and ideas within an organization. Communication is a crucial aspect to achieve organizational objectives and get any job done, whether in-person or virtually.

Workplace Communication Is More Important Than Ever Before

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes to work and workplace communication across numerous industries. More businesses find themselves in the process of navigating the effective transition from in-person to virtual business. 

Working from home (also known as remote work and telework) has become the “new normal” for many companies due to the pandemic. This accelerated digital shift also redefines the way we communicate and the function of workplace communication.

With many teams working from home, organizations (now) focus (more) on managing virtual workplace communication via the use of communication tools. The significant increase in businesses investing in communication technology due to the pandemic signals the direct connection between communication and productivity. 

Why Is Communication in the Workplace Important?

Data shows that businesses with engaged management and strong communication networks are more likely to achieve their organizational goals. Teams that have good communication help team members collaborate and participate effectively in achieving defined organizational goals. With everyone on the same page, a high-performance culture is created, all because of good workplace communication.

Interpersonal communication skills are what can distinguish a manager from a leader in the workplace. According to Robert L. Katz, an American social and organizational psychologist and creator of the concept of managerial skills, the three basic types of management skills are technical skills, conceptual skills, and human or interpersonal skills. 

Results of the 2017 GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey show that employers rank and consider communication skills, followed by teamwork and technical skills, most important when hiring new employees. According to the study, companies consider communication skills twice as important as managerial skills.

How to Have Good Communication in the Workplace

Workplace communication plays a vital role in the development of an organization and is a central aspect of completing any job. Without communication, there will be limited progress on tasks, projects, and the development of company goals. 

Productivity is strongly dependent on good communication. Where good workplace communication provides common goals, fosters teamwork, and creates company rapport, ineffective workplace communication can have detrimental consequences to a project or business partnership, such as production mistakes or missed deal-breaker meetings with investors. 

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What does good communication look like?

• Good communication provides purpose and a common goal.
• Good communication can prevent misunderstandings and avoid confusion.
• Good communication stimulates team building and boosts company culture.
• Good communication encourages employee engagement and improves morale.
• Good communication often results in a more productive and talented workforce.

Tips on how to have effective communication at work:

• Give clear instructions on tasks and state what results are expected.
• Encourage open discussion and feedback exchange.
• Communicate frequently and with transparency.
• Provide specific and descriptive constructive criticism.
• Schedule regular employee check-ins.
• Use the right tools for your business.
• Organize team building activities.
• Continually work on your communication development.

The pandemic has certainly brought a host of structural adjustments. Digital tools and revised approaches for the interpersonal exchange of ideas continue to play a part in today’s work environment and contribute to work culture. 

Helpful Tools to Foster Effective Team Communication

Communication tools and collaborative platforms are now, more than ever, integral parts of a company toolkit. Depending on the company and team size, structure, and needs, employees might use a handful of tools for internal and external communication. 

Choosing the right communication tool for your company hinges on various factors and required features which need to be addressed and defined before starting your search. Although team collaboration tools certainly are beneficial to team and project management, good communication and engaged employees are the top two elements of effective team collaboration, so in some cases, this should be something to work on prior to choosing a tool. 

There are companies that believe implementing a tool will automatically make the team and processes more efficient. Sadly, this is not the case; therefore, the effectiveness of team task management systems should be monitored over a period of time and adjusted if needed. 

The primary goal of any communication medium is to maximize connectivity. Many companies utilise diverse and distinctive tools for communication and collaboration. We’ve listed five standard tools used for workplace communication:

1. Email is here to stay

Probably the most common form of workplace communication is via email. Well suited for both internal and external communication, several companies have tried to replace email with chat. Employee intranet apps and chatbots have helped foster communication in sectors like customer service and sales, however, other sectors like press and business relations continue to be handled best via email and scheduled meetings. 

If your company requires an upgrade and centralization of email conversations for business, switching to an email provider with customer relationship management (CRM) features can help boost the performance of your email outreach. 

2. Project management tools are becoming common for personal and professional use

Many companies and individuals are riding the wave of the mindset of agile work. Project management has crossed from corporate to consumer use with plenty of software to choose from with unique features for every need. 

The use of project management tools is multifaceted. Most software is great for team collaboration (like Zenkit ;)) as well as a suitable tool helping keep University students organized and productive. If your team or company requires shared dashboards to keep tasks updated and team members informed of project progress, safe to say we recommend considering using a project management tool.   

3. Integrating chat into the workflow

It’s no surprise that chat is considered a standard form of communication. Plenty of teams have personal employee chat software where employees and teams can communicate and collaborate over anything work-related (or send pictures of their dog!). 

Corporate chat apps provide unique features best suited for the workplace environment. These tools are preferred by many to keep personal and professional communication separate. Company chat tools are common within international companies with dispersed teams and hubs. Nonetheless, chat apps are continuing to become more of a mainstream method of communication within any size or type of company. 

While some chat apps focus on communicating via channels and integrating a centralized location for workplace communication and data storage, others specialize in combining chat with task management (like Zenchat ;)). If your email inbox quickly gets overrun with a chat-like conversation, we think it’s time to acknowledge the need for a company chat tool.

4. Meetings get a makeover

Although many employees like to complain about sitting in meetings that could have easily been emails, meetings are an indispensable part of work life. Tools have no control over how meetings are run, but they certainly can provide opportunities and features that assist team collaboration and communication.

The pandemic has forced the world to go digital. And with this need, virtual meeting tools have quickly become part of the most used software for business and leisure. Due to the increasing demand for virtual meeting tools, developers have been working at full speed to meet demands for features that allow teams and individuals to replicate in-person meetings as best as possible. 

5. Storing everything in the Cloud

Classic search engines may have us believe that data is pulled from space, however, all our data is actually stored in the Cloud. We produce and store significant amounts of data. In fact, we collectively produce shy of 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day! On a normal day, 306.4 billion emails and 500 million Tweets are sent. (Techjury)

Companies with huge data centers ranging from sizes of football fields to small towns provide users with the ability to store, access and distribute data via the Internet. Upgrading to the Cloud is one of the most beneficial, if not essential, procedures companies should do and invest in. 

Photo credits: krakenimages and Surface via Unsplah, GIF 01 and GIF 02 via Giphy

Final Thoughts

As you can probably tell, good communication has an important role in the workplace. The pandemic has shifted the way in which we communicate and the role communication plays in our daily lives. Who would’ve thought that the entire world would begin to live a nearly virtual life, with working from home and online school becoming the “new normal”? 

Either way, we hope you are staying safe and able to continue life with the help of digital tools. Whether you use project management or team chat tools for professional or personal use, we’d love to know which are your favorite and why.

Cheers,
Jessica and the Zenkit team 

The post Tips and Tools for Effective Workplace Communication appeared first on Zenkit.

We spent most of our day-to-day communicating. Whether that be in the form of verbal communication to our loved ones before leaving the house, through written communication via emails or reading the news, or engaging in (virtual) conversation via chat apps. 

According to the Measurement of Time Spent Communicating, 50-80% of our workday is spent communicating and two-thirds of that time is spent talking. Now that’s a LOT of chatting, I’d say.

Conversation Is the Core of Life

Communication is at the heart of everything. Disagree with me? Communication is one of the most intrinsic parts of life. Life without the ability to communicate seems unimaginable. Even those who cannot communicate verbally have ways to communicate with others in society through, for example, sign language. 

Communication is the ability to interact with others and the world; to communicate is to live. We love to communicate and in the digital age use technology such as chat apps or social media to express ourselves, share our opinions, and engage in (digital) conversation.

Chat apps are considered an integral part of personal and business communication. Whether the use of chat apps in the workplace benefit employee productivity is a separate debate in and of itself. However, more often than not, the people we see glued to their phones have a chat app open. Even if they are currently reading the news or scrolling through social media, the (message and) share button and our intrinsic need to connect with others veer us toward sharing this consumed information with others (eventually).

“Human beings need a medium to communicate emotions, instinctive or intuitive feelings as distinguished from reasoning or knowledge.” – Dr. Suman Kumar Katsuri

Why Good Communication Isn’t a Given

Just like any skill in life, communication is an art form. You’d think that because we all communicate, we’d all be experts at it, but this is sadly not the case. Communication is very complex and incorporates the action and understanding of a variety of factors such as verbal communication, the act of ‘converting’ concepts such as ideas or emotions into words, our body language… 

There’s even a field dedicated to understanding how humans communicate called anthroposemiotics wherein experts analyze and aim to explain human interaction. The complexity of communication makes interaction difficult at times while simultaneously providing a variety of alternate opportunities to be creative and expand current knowledge. Good communication is therefore not a given, due to a diversity of factors rather than for lack of a predetermined system. The beauty of communication thus lies in complexity. 

Tools We Use to Communicate

Now that we’ve established that communication is an intrinsic part of life, let’s look at one of the most common forms we use almost daily to communicate with one another. We use tools like chat apps, email and other forms of media to communicate with family, friends, colleagues, businesses, and even strangers at times. Chat apps, however, take the cake as the number one preferred medium of communication for ease of use and accessibility.

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Chat apps have since upgraded from the original instant messaging (IM), and have surpassed the use of short message service (SMS) and multimedia message service (MMS) entirely. Alongside the development of new chat apps and mediums of communication, new and specific features have been developed to match users’ needs and demands. 

The rise of emojis, originally created in Japan in the 1990s, in conversation was a milestone for chat apps. Not being tied solely to a text-based conversation, emoticons, better known as emojis, allowed for further expression in conversation. Those who can remember manually typing a smiley face in conversation understand the limitations keyboard shortcuts had on facial expressions. Likewise, those who never knew a time before emojis have probably never written a message or email without using one. 

In the time span of a decade, chat apps have expanded to include voice and video messages, calls, and business or payment options incorporated as features in the app itself. 

Before we group chat apps into use cases, though, it’s important to define what a chat app actually is. 

Definition of a Chat App

A chat app (also known as a messaging app) is a private application or platform enabling communication, mainly transmitted via messages. A message, which may be delivered by various means, is a discrete unit of communication intended by the source for consumption by some recipient or group of recipients. (Wiki)

Messages sent via chat apps are secured by end-to-end encryption between two or more people. Many chat apps have developed into broad platforms to include news, business, payment, and other various networking functions.

List of Most Common Chat Apps and Alternatives (per Use Case)

Now that we’re all on the same page, let’s take a look at a variety of different chat apps according to their most common use case.

The most classic chat apps are far from standard considering the number of new features that have been rolled out in the last few years alone and the timeline of features to come. These chat apps have a high international user base and are considered the standard for chat apps.

1. WhatsApp

First and foremost we have WhatsApp, a free and reliable messaging and calling app allowing people to communicate and stay in touch with family and friends. With an approximate monthly active user base of 1.6 million, WhatsApp is considered the most-used instant messaging app on the market. 

Download WhatsApp: Android, iOS

2. Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger is the chat app of the social networking platform Facebook but has developed into an impressive standalone communication app users use to connect and communicate with one another. The most significant benefit is that Messenger interacts with other Facebook services giving users access to a variety of features outside of the standard feature set in chat apps.

Download Messenger: Android, iOS

3. Viber Messenger

A popular alternative that often seems to fall under the radar is Viber Messenger. Viber includes prized features such as the ability to edit and delete conversations and pictures, use a self-destruct timer to set disappearing messages, worldwide news, community building, and an extensive sticker library. 

Download Viber: Android, iOS

The Snowden revelations in 2013 set off a significant wave towards self-governance and data privacy. Where conversation is concerned, no one wishes their personal chat to be accessed by a third party. For users who wish to protect their privacy and data as much as possible, these privacy-conscious chat apps are the best alternatives. 

4. Signal

Arguably the most common chat app advertising privacy and data security is Signal. Built for security and usability, many users value Signal for its open-source, peer-reviewed and scalable encryption for conversation. Signal operates as an independent nonprofit, which truly makes it one-of-a-kind. 

Download Signal: Android, iOS

5. Telegram Messenger

A similarly strong competitor putting security and privacy above all else is Telegram. Aiming for accessibility and usability, Telegram’s features include heavily encrypted and self-destructing chats, the ability to customize the messenger to personal taste, and has no size limit for media and chats that can hold up to 200,000 group members.

Download Telegram: Android, iOS

6. Threema

Another popular chat app making its statement on security and data privacy is the Swiss-run app Threema. Apart from the standard open source and contact verification requirement, Threema enables anonymous chats, the use of distribution lists and polls, and the use of bots to send messages or interact with other applications.  

Download Threema: Android, iOS

Communication is integral for any business. Depending on the company size or sector and team makeup, investing in the use of a chat app for the company or an employee chat app can be game-changing. Chat apps created for business have diverse features and functions particularly geared toward business relations, whether internal or external company needs. 

7. Zenchat

Priorities for team messaging have shifted with the increase of remote teams and working from home. Zenchat is a team messenger with built-in task management aiming to solve the disorganized mess of chat and work to make team chat more productive.

Download Zenchat: Android, iOS

8. Slack

As one of the most popular chat apps for business, Slack is known for its channels and integration of third-party apps like Google Drive, Giphy, project management tools and other business products. Initially created as a replacement to email, Slack was designed for team communication promoting a better way of communicating and focusing on improving internal communications in the corporate sector, wherein Microsoft Teams is a strong contender.

Download Slack: Android, iOS

9. Skype

Probably one of the most recognizable apps for business is Skype. With extensive cross-platform support and reliable video and voice calls, even directly to phone numbers, the app continues to be a favorite in the corporate sector for team conversations and meetings.

Download Skype: Android, iOS

We all have individual wants and needs. For users looking for particular features closely tied to their niche or better fitting to their preferences, these chat apps with unique features stand out from the rest in their sector.

10. WeChat

With a strong monopoly in the Chinese market, WeChat is a dynamic all-in-one communication app. The cross-sector service with an estimated 1.1 million monthly active users includes features such as payment options, business connections, and other networking functions.

Download Snapchat: Android, iOS

11. LINE

Often referred to as the “Facebook of Japan”, the Japanese-developed chat app LINE positions itself as an all-in-one communication tool. Additional features include an extensive sticker library, in-app games, worldwide news, and payment options. LINE prioritizes integrating networking functions to enhance users’ ability to communicate and interact with one another.

Download LINE: Android, iOS

12. Discord

A current popular choice for users outside the gaming community is Discord. The chat app is organized into topic-based channels and likens to YouTube, wherein users produce content for community engagement. While Discord is gaining popularity amongst the younger generation, it is important to note that the platform does not use end-to-end encryption for its messages.  

Download Discord: Android, iOS

You’ve hopefully been able to gain a concise overview and understanding of how chat apps seem to govern our day-to-day, whether at work or in our free time. Although all types of chat apps have the classic required feature set, not all chat apps share a similar focus. If we truly communicate so much every day, it certainly pays off to choose the type of chat app that allows you to communicate the way best suited to your personal needs. 

Photo credits: Adem Azys and Robin Worrall via Unsplash

Final Thoughts

I have become more and more aware of how often I communicate personally with colleagues, friends and family via chat apps. I use a variety of chat apps for both work and personal communication. Do you also use more than one chat app? I’d love to know what your preferences are and why.

Cheers,
Jessica and the Zenkit Team

The post Chat – The (Digital) Replacement for Conversation appeared first on Zenkit.

It’s hard to believe there was a time before messenger apps. Considered an integral part of personal and business communication, working without the use of chat applications in the workplace seems an absurd, almost alien concept.

Indeed, the innovation of instant messaging and the introduction of messenger apps has changed the game. The way in which we communicate with one another, whether for personal or professional use, is heavily influenced by real-time communication. 

Chat allows us to communicate with anyone on anything in real time. This presents a bunch of benefits such as increasing the speed at which we get information, the efficiency and capacity of our work performance, and the opportunity and convenience of remote work. 

But is this movement of working better, faster, stronger (with the use of messenger apps and other communication tools) actually making us more productive at work?

Having been trained and conditioned to instant communication, we often find ourselves spending more time communicating over tasks rather than getting work done. Is it therefore possible that messenger apps, hailed as the genius invention to boost productivity through communication, could actually be producing a decline in productivity? 

What Are Messenger Apps? 

The way in which we communicate relies on an interactive exchange of messages, verbal or nonverbal, that form a conversation. 

A message is a discrete unit of communication intended by the source for consumption by some recipient or group of recipients. A message may be delivered by various means (Wiki)

A messaging app (also known as a chat app) is a private application or platform enabling communication, most of which is secured by end-to-end encryption between two or more people. Many chat apps have developed into broad platforms to include news, business, payment, and other various networking functions.

Chat apps are preferred by most consumers and have become the standard by which users communicate, replacing short message service (SMS) and multimedia message service (MMS). In contrast to SMS, messenger apps operate via instant messaging (IM), which requires an internet connection to enable mobile phone users to communicate. 

Use of Messenger Apps

Communication apps are the most widely used mobile apps affecting the way people use their devices to communicate and how people communicate in the workplace. 

The popularity of messenger apps supports our need for constant and instant communication between family and friends. New chat apps provide rich services offering all kinds of interactions with others and various chat apps initially specialized for distinct audiences and use cases have since developed into cross-sector platforms.

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Because communication is necessary to get any work done, messaging apps are especially helpful for contacting and sharing information with family or coworkers, and working in groups or teams, whether distributed in different time zones or only an hour’s drive away from one another.

Enterprise messaging applications are a staple tool in the workplace used to facilitate and boost teamwork, communication, and collaboration. Corporate messenger apps function as an all-in-one communication, collaboration, and control tool. 

There is no globally recognized ‘best chat app’ considering people’s personal and professional requirements and preferences. For this reason, the best messenger app is the one all of your friends and family use, although it’s highly likely that you’ll end up using more than one chat app. 

Where enterprise messaging is concerned, the best corporate messenger app will be the one that fulfils all of the company’s professional requirements through its specific feature set. At Zenkit, a productivity software-suite company, we use Zenchat as our enterprise messenger particularly because of the task management feature to keep team members updated on individual tasks or stages in both the project and product development. 

Team members use a variety of chat apps such as WhatsApp, Line, and Kakaotalk outside of the office when communicating with family and friends. Their choice of personal chat apps is strongly dependent on their personal network pool.

(Overview of) 10 Messenger Apps for Business*

*in no particular order

1. WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a free and reliable messaging and calling app, initially created to be an alternative to SMS. The messaging service’s desire is to allow people to communicate and stay in touch with family and friends, anytime and anywhere in the world. WhatsApp is the most-used instant messaging app with approximately 1.6 million monthly active users.

2. Facebook Messenger

Initially known as the chat app of the renowned social networking platform for its users to connect and communicate with another, Facebook Messenger has developed into a standalone communication app. Messenger enables anyone to communicate and connect through text, audio and video messages and calls. Facebook Messenger interacts with other Facebook services and has an estimated 1.3 million monthly active users.

3. Slack

Slack is a web-based instant messaging service that was created as a replacement to email. The productivity platform is designed for team communication. Promoting a better way of communicating with one another or in groups, Slack has established itself as an authority communication service for teamwork in the workplace. The service is widely used in the corporate sector because the service focuses on improving internal communications.

4. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a chat-based collaboration platform designed to facilitate effective team communication. MS Teams’ deep integration with Office 365 supports team communication and collaboration within the corporate environment. Through MS Teams, individual teams and businesses have a central collaboration platform that simultaneously integrates with other Microsoft services.

5. WeChat

WeChat is an all-in-one communication app for text, voice and video calls, and file sharing. The chat app monopolizes the Chinese market with an estimated 1.1 million monthly active users. Since its launch in 2011, WeChat has developed into a cross-sector service to include business, payment, and other networking functions.

6. Zenchat

Zenchat is a free team messenger with a built-in task management part of the Zenkit Suite. Aiming to combine chat and task management for a richer communication experience, Zenchat focuses on the conversion of tasks in conversation. The messenger app seamlessly integrates with the other Zenkit services promoting a more productive and efficient workflow.

7. Telegram

Telegram is a free, cloud-based mobile and desktop messaging app with a primary focus on platform speed and security. With features such as file sharing, broadcasting to unlimited audiences, and contact filtering, Telegram is a combination of SMS and email.

8. Discord

Initially designed as a free chat app specifically for video gamers Discord has widened its scope since its launch in 2015. Servers are organized into topic-based channels allowing users to connect based on common interests. The platform’s atmosphere is similar to YouTube, delivering high community engagement and ease of market entry however the platform does not use end-to-end encryption for its messages.

9. LINE

The Japanese-developed communication app LINE is often referred to as the “Facebook of Japan”. Most popular for its massive library of stickers, the app also has a variety of additional features which include in-app games, storage space, payment options, and news. With a focus on staying connected and thus integrating networking functions on top of the standard communication features, LINE positions itself as an all-in-one communication tool for family and friends, coworkers, and like-minded users with shared interests.

10. KakaoTalk

Similar to WeChat and LINE, KakaoTalk is a fast and multifaceted instant messaging app. Korea’s number one communication app includes additional features such as news, payment options, a calendar and other networking opportunities. Out of the estimated total of 52 million active users worldwide, more than 45 million KakaoTalk users are based in South Korea.

The History of ‘Messenger’

Status Quo of Messenger Apps

According to a January 2020 statistic from Global Web Index, the monthly use of messenger apps and social networking apps from internet users aged 16 to 64 on mobile devices each amount to 89%. In accord, the Global Digital Overview 2020 by We Are Social Inc. shows that WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are the most internationally used messenger apps, despite the fact that WeChat dominates the Chinese market.

How Did It All Start?

The introduction of instant messaging in the 1960s paved the way for the evolution of communication applications and platforms. Messaging services rose to prominence in the early 2010s, quickly replacing SMS-based texting due to their convenience and ability to add enhanced features. Nowadays, “over 41 million mobile messages are sent in an online minute”, according to a September 2020 Statista report. Messenger apps are used in recreation and business alike to communicate and collaborate in efficient and dynamic ways.

Use of Messenger Apps at Work

Communication, whether verbal or nonverbal, is necessary to get any work done and enterprise messaging apps are the mode of choice to provide the dialogue. The use of chat apps as a normal or even necessary part of work has been rising in recent years.

Considering that Millennials represent the largest segment of today’s working population with Gen Z nearing their entry, future workforce predictions state an increase and standardization of remote work by 2028. With more and more people working from home, chat has consequently become an essential part of teamwork and an inescapable tool of the modern workplace.

According to a September 2020 Statista report, “There was a more than 100% increase in the number of enterprise devices installed with collaboration apps at the end of March 2020 compared to pre-COVID level, and a 176% increase in mid-May, 2020.”

The use of messenger apps in the workplace offers more than just quick team messaging. Depending on the chat app of choice, a variety of benefits for corporate communication exist, allowing employees and team members to collaborate in an efficient manner.

“People love to chat. It’s human nature. But chat apps don’t provide the structure needed for sustainable productivity like lists and Kanban boards do” says Zenkit CEO Martin Welker. 

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The Dilemma of Messenger Apps and Productivity

Chat apps are wonderful fundamentally because they fulfil their purpose – enabling people to communicate with one another. But solely talking about work doesn’t equate to getting work done.

Good communication is about saying the right thing at the right time. When communicating at work, whether through messenger apps or during meetings, the aim of communicating is to assist in the action of work.

Face-to-face discussion is often the best way to foster connection between team members and build culture, however, a fixation on the act of conversing may prove a risk to productivity rather than an opportunity to make progress. Sometimes important information and tasks can be forgotten simply because of the lack of formal (meeting) documentation. Using a messaging app doesn’t necessarily solve this problem either. Tasks may get lost and forgotten about merely because the effort to relocate them in a chat thread can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Ultimately the question asked is whether being connected outweighs being productive.

While the use of communication apps to provide weekly status updates or quick peer opinions be a conservative, low-intensive practice, the pressure to stay connected is not. To suffice an ingrained request that our responses be as instant as the sending of a message through chat apps, there is a risk of a decline in productivity when new message notifications and demand to answer messages takes urgent priority over the work. Instant messaging is indeed instant, provides ease of use, and allows cross-team and remote team communication. But the swift and efficient method in sending and receiving information doesn’t equate to meaningful and productive communication for working.

And rather than utilizing messenger apps as tools to assist employees with their work, real-time communication can easily become the default response merely because communicating about work is easier than doing work.

This happens when the workplace values staying connected versus staying productive. Real-time, synchronous communication is disruptive and a productivity killer for employees who engage in deep work such as writing code, working creatively and solving complex problems.

Does Being Connected Outweigh Being Productive? 

There’s no debate that instant messaging is a genius innovation that enables swift and efficient communication across any real or virtual distance whether for personal or professional use. The creation of messenger apps changed how people communicate with one another, arguably for the better.

That said, good communication is good because of the quality of the communication. By switching to communicating via chat apps, the mode has merely been replaced with technology. Company policies can define the use of messenger apps in the workplace, but users still have ultimate control in deciding how their workflow is influenced by the various apps and guidelines. Users decide whether to let their workflow and their capacity of producing quality work be influenced by communication apps, whether in the office or at home. 

Finding the right balance between messenger apps benefitting teamwork and project progress, and risking a decline in workplace productivity is a difficult task. It’s a fine line that needs tuning through trial and error, no matter the size or experience of the company.

Further reading:

• Do productivity tools actually make you productive?
• How to ensure productivity software is actually making you productive

Final Thoughts

We regularly use chat in replace of email in our workplace. Using Zenchat allows our team to keep track of tasks in conversation, which is particularly helpful when working in project management. We all use this feature passionately in our chat app whether for updating our content calendar, marking our progress on marketing activities, or simply documenting developer stages. Which type of messenger app does your team use and why?

Cheers, 

Jessica and the Zenkit Team

Image credits: Canva Studio via Pexels, Global Digital Overview 2020 by We Are Social Inc., Chat GIF, Kim’s Convenience GIF

The post Messenger Apps: Genius Invention or Productivity Curse? appeared first on Zenkit.

The modern art of project management has evolved from its pioneer stages, and the various processes have become widely implemented across assorted industries. Numerous methods, techniques, and frameworks have since been developed to solve specific problems while others primarily serve as an alternative visual presentation to ease and facilitate workflow, collaboration, and delivery.

Digital task and project management tools like Zenkit offer Kanban, Wiki, Mind Map, Gantt, and more views to suit the individual’s or team’s interests and needs. We’d like to introduce to you another model and visual presentation used in software development: the Feature Model!

Betcha you didn’t think of using Zenkit to create a Feature Model! In this article, we’ll show you how. 

But first things first…

What Is a Feature Model?

A Feature Model (sometimes also known as a Feature Tree or Feature Diagram) is a simple, hierarchical diagram that visually illustrates the features, and their dependencies, of a solution in a production line. 

The model was introduced in 1990 by Kyo C. Kang, a professor at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and author of Applied Software Product Line Engineering, in the Feature-Oriented Domain Analysis (FODA) feasibility study for software product lines. It was originally developed as a solution to an increasing need in software development to create a visual representation of multiple, similar software products. 

Since then, Feature Models or Feature Diagrams have become an established routine in software development and are used during the whole product line development process. Due to the complexity of the process of data modelling, software engineers use specialized tools such as Eclipse’s EMF Feature Model or IBM’s InfoSphere Data Architect to create feature models.

In short, Feature Models are hierarchical models that display the commonalities and variabilities of product variants in a Product Line. 

Key Features of a Feature Model

• Each Feature Model contains a root feature
• Feature Models contain mandatory, optional, and alternative ‘or’ variables (as shown in the diagram above)
• There is no single standard for the graphical notation of a Feature Model

Take note:

It is important that Feature Models are organized in such a way that you can present what is common and what differs between the desired range of applications and their inter-dependencies in a simple visual manner. 

Even though Feature Models tend to have a distinct look, there is no defined standard for visual presentation. This means that there is room for creativity and flexibility to use different tools for the same function (psst! like Zenkit).

When mapping out the model, it is vital to specify which features are to be included and label each variant according to its feature groups. Because not every project or team is the same, the terms used are subject to the scope and goal of the product and project. 

How to Make a Feature Model in Zenkit

Zenkit is a project management tool that allows you to view your information in multiple views – 8 different views to be exact (for now!). To make a feature model in Zenkit, we recommend using the mind map view. You can create the diagram with either existing data or you can create a new collection from scratch. Alternatively, you can use the hierarchy view to help structure your map.

Need a little help getting started? 

Use our article on how to create a mind map in Zenkit as a reference to get you started. If you are wanting to start with a more condensed visual presentation, you can read through our article on how to use subitems and hierarchy in Zenkit to start building your  feature model . 

Want to get started right away with a step-by-step guide? 

Tutorial videos are great resources, but sometimes it is also nice to have text-based guides too. Check out the Knowledge Base for detailed guides to mind map and hierarchy view to help you create and manage feature models in Zenkit. 

Need separate functions to help map out the product features and modifications for a more complex project? For projects with a bigger database, we recommend using the subitems and reference field features to break down larger tasks and to connect items and tasks in the same or in separate collections. These features make it easier to organize tasks and features into categories and display product variations and modifications. 

Other helpful articles:

• A Beginner’s Guide to Mind Mapping in Zenkit
• How to Make a Mind Map
• Introducing Subitems and Hierarchy View in Zenkit

Image Credits: Morning Brew via Unsplash, Journal of Information Technology

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoy learning about different formats to help you and your team in your workflow as much as we do! There’s no limit to creativity when it comes to thinking and working ‘agile’. 

The world has steadily been moving away from single-use gadgets to multifunctional technology. This is also our passion and with Zenkit we aim to provide a multifunctional tool suited for, well… everyone! Be it the biggest companies, rising startups, high school students, or stay-at-home mothers. 

Have you been using a specific tool or format for your business or just for your personal tasks? I would love to hear about them!  

Cheers,

Jessica and the Zenkit Team

The post How to Make a Feature Model in Zenkit appeared first on Zenkit.