Work-Life Strategies & Solutions

The Flipside Workspace user experience study is set to begin! Hence, I am providing full details about the procedure and reward for participating. For 40-45 minutes of participation time, which includes partaking in an interactive one-on-one meeting and successfully completing an online survey before the conclusion of the study on March 1, 2015 Pacific Standard Time, each participant is automatically eligible to receive a $25.00 Amazon.com e-gift certificate from Flipside Workspace as a token of appreciation.

Note that this study is limited to 10 participants so I will accept participants in the order in which participant agreement to consent form terms (a document emailed to each interested individual) is received. In other words, the first 10 people who choose to participate will be accepted. Others will be placed on a waiting list and, in the event that a participant does not complete the study, another interested participant will be notified and allowed to participate.

As a reminder, here are the prerequisites for participation:

• You are, or have been, a working professional
• English proficiency (spoken and reading comprehension)
• Previous experience using an online communication tool (e.g., Skype, etc.)
• Availability to participate in an interactive session during a 30-minute time slot in the afternoon or evening during Pacific Standard Time – to be pre-scheduled
• Have a headset or earphones to use during the interactive session

Also note that this is an independent study sponsored by Flipside Workspace and is unaffiliated with Better Collaboration. Contact Lynn Patra at ltpatra@gmail.com to indicate your interest in participating or if you have any further questions. Without further ado, here is the procedure for your consideration:

Procedure 

1. Tutorial (3-5 minutes) – You will set up a Flipside Workspace account (that is linked to the email address you provided) which will be set up to provide you with free access to Flipside Workspace. Download the Flipside Workspace platform onto your computer (note specifications below*). Log in and take part in the tutorial to ensure that you understand and are comfortable with Flipside Workspace’s features. You may do this at any time that is convenient for you. Let Lynn Patra (at ltpatra@gmail.com) know if you encounter problems or need further assistance with this. Once you have completed the tutorial, email Lynn Patra and list days and times (any day of the week to coincide with afternoons or evenings during Pacific Standard Time) for which she can schedule your meeting.

* Flipside Workspace is a browser-based application. First-time users are required to download two plug-ins, Unity (environment) and Vivox (VoIP). Headsets are strongly recommended for using voice in the environment. System requirements: PC: Windows XP / 7 / 8   |   MAC: OS X 10.4+ (Intel CPUs only).

2. Meeting (30 minutes) – You will participate in a one-on-one meeting in which we will discuss any subject related to work-life of interest to you. Hence, taking part in this meeting does not require any preparation work on your part. Please note that your privacy and confidentiality are assured. The content and specific statements made during this meeting will not be recorded in any way (audio or visual recording, written transcripts, etc.). Remember that you will need to plug in and wear a headset or earphones for this session.

3. Online survey (5-10 minutes) – After completing your 30-minute meeting, a link to an online survey (via Survey Monkey) will be emailed to you. Please complete this survey shortly after receiving the link to the survey to ensure that your responses reflect your experience using Flipside Workspace while it is fresh in your mind. However, if you need a break after the meeting, or at any time while taking the survey, please do so and return to the survey at your convenience. Once again, if you have any questions or experience any problems while taking the survey, contact Lynn Patra at ltpatra@gmail.com .

Thanks for your time and consideration. Once again, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me!