Request Professional Feedback & Coaching via Google Buzz

Coworkers.com now makes it easy for you to share your feedback requests via Google Buzz (in addition to Twitter & LinkedIn). Our Get Feedback tool helps you quickly configure a request for feedback regarding: your work performance, a document or deliverable, an event or milestone, or even just ask a simple question. With one click, you can share that request any way you want - via email, URL, Twitter, LinkedIn, and now Google Buzz!

To Buzz your request:

• Choose "Get Feedback" from the "Feedback" drop-down menu on the site
• In the "Ask Via..." options, make sure "Web..." is checked
• Finish setting up your request, and you'll be presented with one-click links that let you share your request via Google Buzz & other services (see screen capture below)

Happy buzzing

Use your LinkedIn Account to instantly Sign up for Coworkers.com

We're excited to announce that new website visitors can now use their LinkedIn account information to sign up instantly for a Coworkers.com account. This is made possible thanks to the recently announced LinkedIn API.

How does the sign up process work?

If you have not yet registered with Coworkers.com, you can do so quickly, without a password, by signing in to your LinkedIn account. Simply visit our Free Registration page, and click on the "Connect via LinkedIn" link at the top of the page. We will import some information from your LinkedIn profile, such as your name, location, and work experience - so you won't need to enter it again. After you have registered, you can log back in to Coworkers via LinkedIn.

What about people who already have a Coworkers.com account?

If you have already signed up with Coworkers.com but have not yet filled out your profile, you can do so quickly by clicking on the "Import from LinkedIn" link on the Account page. This will instantly transfer information such as your industry, company, and work experience from LinkedIn.

Over time, we plan to add tighter integration with LinkedIn to include features that will benefit existing Coworkers.com users. We will continue to develop simple and effective tools for analyzing and improving your work, while leveraging the networking and messaging capabilities of LinkedIn, as well as other sites. We will keep you updated as we roll out new integration features, so be sure to login in to your Account Settings and sign up for our newsletter by selecting the "Send me periodic web site announcements" option - if you haven't already done so.

What is the difference between Coworkers and LinkedIn?

We realize that professionals use a portfolio of online services and tools to advance their career. Coworkers.com and LinkedIn work well together. LinkedIn is primarily used for networking – finding and connecting with other professionals, with whom you may or may not have work experience. Coworkers is focused solely on the people you have close working relationships with.

While LinkedIn has the concept of "recommendations" which are focused on personal marketing, Coworkers greatly expands the range of collegial input you can receive and share, giving you privacy control, the option for anonymity, templates, analytics, and other features focused on professional development. Bottom line: LinkedIn and Coworkers have different missions and serve different purposes, and we think you should use both – which is why we've made it incredibly easy for you to do so!

Get Valuable Input, on Autopilot: Schedule Feedback Requests

Have a weekly meeting that you manage or attend? How about a monthly or quarterly milestone? Do you wish you could setup an annual or quarterly review request today, that will go out on a future date?

Coworkers.com PRO users can now Schedule Feedback Requests. This is a helpful way to get into the habit of collecting ongoing comments and ratings from your colleagues. Simply use our Get Feedback wizard and include the optional scheduling information. Set it up once and you can:

• Schedule a one time request to go out on a future date
• Schedule a recurring request to go out: daily, weekly or monthly
• As always, the feedback you receive can be private, and people do NOT need to be Coworkers.com members to respond to your requests

Find out more about Scheduled Requests and other great features included in our Professional Account.

Five tips for incorporating work feedback into your daily routine

The most effective individuals and companies share a common trait. They encourage frequent, honest feedback. The key to evolving beyond the dreaded periodic performance review, is to make workplace feedback more granular, recurring, and measurable. Here are some tips for leveraging professional feedback in order to improve the work you do.

1. Foster a feedback-friendly work environment. Tell your colleagues that you think an ongoing, open, honest, and informal peer review process is good for everyone. Don't be afraid to get the ball rolling without a formal process. Lead by example and start off by requesting feedback on a recent meeting, project, presentation or other current bit of work you have been involved with. Something specific and timely may be an easier starting point than than requesting a general work performance evaluation. Feedback should be exchanged frequently in all directions. When asking for feedback, focus on results and quality, not just on how hard you work or how nice you are.
2. Anonymity is your friend. When requesting feedback, try to share your request with as many people as is relevant to the question at hand. If possible, let people know that they are not the only one being asked, and allow them to respond anonymously. This helps people open up and underscores the non-threatening nature of the process. You are looking to gather unbiased constructive input, so do what you can to make people comfortable.
3. Be quick and proactive. If problems are exposed, don't let them fester, deal with them early. Don't complain about coworkers behind their backs. It is better to discuss concerns with them directly and get issues out in the open. Always try to resolve problems unofficially first. Only go to HR as a last resort, because then it becomes a matter of record.
4. Be honest with yourself. Get in the habit of doing regular self evaluations. You will often be your most honest and thorough critic. Taking the time to reflect on your work, a few times a week or month, is a lot easier than waiting every quarter or longer. No one is perfect, and your boss(es) will appreciate that you take the time to set the bar for yourself.
5. Analyze and learn. You can't manage what you don't measure. Repeat the process frequently, track the results. In reviewing your feedback over time, you will be able to spot strengths and weaknesses. You can keep an eye on trends, and set personal development goals more effectively. When you have greater insight into your abilities, you can present yourself with a confidence that gives you an edge.
   

'Tis the Season to Give & Receive (Feedback)

As 2009 draws to a close, it's important to look back and review the things that you and your colleagues have achieved. Reflecting on things that went well, or maybe not so well, can help you better understand how to make 2010 even better. If you're already sharing ongoing feedback with the people you work with - good for you! If not, make it a New Year's resolution that you will actively gather input in order to improve your career.

Give feedback to a colleague

Request feedback from the people you work with

P.S. Get 25% off your first year annual Pro subscription - only $29.95/yr while our promotion lasts (use discount code EARLY). At less than $2.50/mo for advanced workgroup features, analytics, and more, it's a great present for yourself that will last all 2010. Order Now or Compare Account Types first.

Coworkers.com Announces Professional Edition

Coworkers.com Releases Professional Edition of its Career Management Social Network Site; Subscription Version Provides Advanced Features, Including Tools for Workplace Collaboration

Coworkers.com today announced the launch of a subscription-based Professional service to complement its free, web-based suite of career management tools. The new enhancements give users the ability to attach documents for specific feedback, access more detailed performance analytics, and share materials and feedback within a group. They can be especially valuable to multi-site or global workgroups, virtual teams, and consultants.

“Our new Professional edition maximizes the site’s capabilities by providing Coworkers.com users with the premium experience that we've been planning for all along, including advanced and time saving features such as access to workgroup interactions, scheduling tools, and more sophisticated analytics,” explained Coworkers.com founder and president Jonathan Clay. "And of course Coworkers.com will continue to offer a powerful set of free tools that anyone can use to manage and advance their career, including the recently introduced Sharing and Network Activity features.” The Professional offering introduces the following new features:

• Workgroup Feedback Requests: Professional users can send out requests to a group of people and collect feedback that allows every participant to automatically access and track incoming responses.
• Scheduled Requests: Professional users can schedule recurring requests. For example, a user might schedule a feedback request to be sent out after a weekly status meeting.
• Attach Files to Requests: Professional users can attach files to their requests, such as: documents, presentations, spreadsheets, images, etc.
• Advanced Analytics: Professional users can access additional analytic charts and have the ability to view the underlying data used to develop the analytics.
• Ad Free: While Coworkers.com subsidizes its free user accounts by displaying a modest amount of advertising, Professional users do not see any ads.

An annual subscription to the Coworkers.com Professional edition is $39.95. For a limited time, users can receive a 25% discounted rate of only $29.95 for a one-year subscription. "The Coworkers.com Professional edition comes at a price that is nominal when you consider the potential return on your investment - landing that dream job, getting a promotion, closing on a big contract, or improving the dynamics in your workplace," continued Clay.

• See Coworkers.com Plans & Pricing
  
• Subscribe or Upgrade to Coworkers.com Professional Edition Today

Feature Update: Share Any Feedback You Receive

Privately & Selectively Share Any Feedback
with an Individual or Group of Contacts

One of the key strengths of Coworkers.com is that it allows you to send, receive and manage both Public and Private feedback. Public feedback is usually provided in the form of testimonials or ratings that are visible to all the people who visit your public profile page. Private feedback, on the other hand, is input that you receive from others that can only be seen by you.

In speaking with users, we realize that sometimes you will receive Private feedback that you wish to share with a select person, or group of people. That's why we are happy to announce that we've added robust Sharing controls to Coworkers.com.

Want to share received feedback with your boss, a recruiter, or colleague, etc.?

• Simply go to "My Feedback"
  
• View a particular entry
• At the bottom you will now see a new Sharing box that allows you to share with: a Group of contacts; and existing contact; or anyone with an email address - the people you share with will not be required to have a Coworkers.com account.