As promised, here’s an update on how things are going when it comes to using technology. If you have missed the first two posts, have a look at me taking stock of the tools and platforms I currently use:
One of the things I have taken as read so far is all things open, and what values inform my considerations when it comes to technology. When I think about work, it’s important to me that what matters to me shapes what I do and how I work.
What matters to me?
I love running my own business that reflects my values and generates a living, too. Having worked in the not for profit sector and with small businesses all my life, I have learnt how to harness the power of one to make a difference. That said, it’s hard to articulate sometimes how that works in practice, specifically in my work context, how do I put my values into action. Here are some examples that came to mind:
- my books and publications are open access and free to all, including this blog, where I have been publishing my thinking for nearly 20 years;
- professional, ethical practice is key to my coaching and my courses. That is why I am an ACC-level certified coach and a member of the International Coaching Federation and I continue to develop my practice and critical thinking around coaching and leadership;
- I offer 10% pro bono places for both my 1:1 coaching and courses, enabling folk to get the coaching they need or try it for the first time, absolutely free;
- My work is hybrid by design with digital wellbeing in mind, and I offer blended, hybrid and full online coaching and courses.
So, my technology choices should ideally align with my values around openness, ethical practice, good value for money, digital wellbeing and meticulous informality, which sums up my approach as a whole.
Video Conferencing
Now, my current tool, Zoom, doesn’t align well with most of these principles, but it does have the upside of being a familiar platform for many. That in itself helps me during coaches and courses as it enables my clients to focus on the work we are doing rather than the platform that facilitates it. That is valuable.
Current platform: Zoom
Cost: £15.59 per month
Pro: Personal meeting room, easy scheduling, familiar to most, no log-in required, reliable recordings
Cons: AI integration is on the increase, concerns about business model/data privacy, expensive
My current contenders for alternative tools are: Google Meet (easy for me, but not always a good option for folk because of log-in issues), and Whereby.
Alternative option 1: Google Meet
I’m very familiar with Google Meet and I have used it for years in previous roles.
Cost: included in my Google Workspace subscription and includes a free option, too
Pro: Integration with my calendar, easy scheduling, very robust, reliable recordings
Cons: AI integration is on the increase (but I have more control over it as a Workspace admin), sign in from other orgs/or no Google account can be glitchy
My sense is that trying this option with individual clients and personal meetings would be low risk, and could help establish whether this could scale up for me.
Alternative option 2: Whereby
I’m also quite familiar with Whereby and I have used it for years in across various organisations.
Cost: $8.99/month or $89.99 annually for the professional option
Pro: Personal meeting room, custom branding/background, no log-in required, reliable recordings
Cons: none that I can find as yet.
This feels like a really good alternative to Zoom for my purposes, and has in practice proven to be very reliable and easy to access for all. I also like the fact that this is a smaller platform dedicated to this purpose, rather than a complete workspace solution.
There are of course other options I considered, including Streamyard, but for my specific context these two options feel like the best fit.
Image: Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash