reviews apps for leaders There’s probably a book one could write about all the apps that leaders might find useful with ‘how to’ guides, but the world doesn’t work that way anymore. Dynamic, fast-paced, ever-changing, new disruptive players in the market. By the time you’ve written it, it’s all moved on. So I have the pleasure of featuring a showcase app – what it is, why it’s good and how you could use it as a leader, and then a mention of some helpful apps you might want to consider alongside that on your tablet/mobile/ultrabook and, if you still use one, a desktop PC. I’ll start with the one I really hope all leaders are using: Evernote. How I survived before Evernote, I’ll never know. What is it? Evernote is a to-do list plus a note-taking and bookmarking tool. By bookmarking, if you’re pretty technology savvy you’ll have mastered creation of bookmarks and favourites on your browser (be it Explorer, Firefox or Chrome). Evernote takes saving great web content to another level. Cleaning the page of ads, you get the article/blog/thread alone with perhaps accompanying images/graphics. Why it’s good? When you need that quote, that report, that piece Malcolm Gladwell did on Steve Jobs, it’s in your Evernote account. Using search and related categories, Evernote is an augmentation of your brain with a shareable/ printable element to boot. Researching for that speech you have to give to your board at the AGM? Store the results of your search in Evernote and refer back to it on the train home, when you’re sat quietly late one night or over a coffee waiting for the next flight. How does it work? You have a basic function of to-do lists, making and storing your own notes and reminders. Alongside that, the jewel in the crown I use is the web clipper tool. It does grabbing at the click of a button on your browser and if you use another iOS app Penultimate (a handwriting/doodling app that Evernote acquired two years ago), it will save those sketches and mind maps to your Evernote account for future access. It synchronises across your devices and means when you have an internet connection, all your saved pages, notes and images are available to you. Storage space for the free app is ample (40Mb per month, which is reset each month) and you can upgrade to the paid Evernote Premium for even more space and functionality. Other apps of note Pocket (formerly ReadItLater) is a similar bookmarking/storage tool and Scoop.it is a news feature app that also allows you to store information you find on topics it knows you are interested in from past browsing habits. My tip for storing all that fab stuff you find that you may need, Evernote is a way to create your treasure trove of insight that is searchable, retrievable and ultra portable. Perry Timms is an independent HR/OD practitioner, writer and speaker, and is the CIPD advisor on social media & engagement. Follow him on twitter @PerryTimms
l