by Felicien | Aug 3, 2018 | Education
10 Effective Ways To Communicate In The Workplace
Communication is a very important aspect of any organization because it forms the basis of any work environment. Whether we’re talking about vertical communications between senior and junior employees or horizontal communication between team players, communicating effectively fosters good relations at the workplace. On the other hand, when there is a lack of good communication, there is often a high turnover of employees. You might also see poor work delivery and generally unsatisfactory results.
Here are a few tips to foster effective communication in the workplace.
Establish An Open Door Policy
This is a situation where team leaders make themselves available for consultations, discussions, inputs, contributions, clarifications, and even suggestions. When employees feel that they are always welcome to share what is on their minds, it helps to clear tension. Tension at the workplace leads to poor work delivery.
Conduct Open Meetings
This is a one-on-one kind of meeting unlike when meetings are held at online platforms or communication is done through email. This way, one is able to use other tools of communication such as gestures, facial expressions, tonal variation, and body language to put emphasis on important issues of discussion.
Use Simple Words
Choosing the right words to express a certain point is also important because the meaning could be lost in between. Some words when used in a certain context can easily come across as being offensive. Words used in communication must be simple and easy to understand. If you use hard and complex language you might need to explain yourself and in the process loose meaning during communication.
Listen
Listening is also a very important aspect when communicating. This is because communication is a two-way street. Encourage the team players to open up and air out their concerns. Ask questions. Ask for clarification if necessary. This way, everyone can offer some guidance and also feedback about whether you are making your point or not.
Use Visual Aids
The human mind is more visual and so things seen are more easily remembered than things said. That’s one reason why PowerPoint presentations are so effective. Add tables, images, charts, and graphs. This way your presentation is not boring and it is broken down into small portions for easy understanding.
Be Articulate
This a very important tool used by speakers. If you are not articulate, you end up losing your audience’s concentration and thus you fail to communicate effectively. Articulate simply means audibility, a good mastery of the language, and even a good understanding of the topic of discussion.
Encourage Modern Forms Of Communication
Depending on the information being presented, modern forms of communications such as the use of the intranet, social media platforms, and video conferencing may prove to be more effective than simple open meetings. Some employees would prefer discussions about certain issues to take place on social media platforms. This is also a way of encouraging interaction between employees, which is very important.
Organize And Participate In Social Events
Celebrate important occasions in the organization once in a while by sponsoring employee retreats, end-year parties, team building, and even employee promotions. This could be a good way to reward all employees across the board and also motivate individual employees to work harder in their stations. It offers a good change of pace and provides valuable time to rest and rejuvenate so as to improve productivity.
Orient New Employees
In order to ensure that new employees fit in properly, it is very important to take them through the basic structures of your organization. Introduce them to the other employees and also ensure that they are aware of the communication channels in place. The first day of work can be hectic for anyone. With effective communication, use of friendly gestures, and hospitality, the employer can make a new employee have an easy time settling into their new position. It’s not possible to take new employees through all there is to know about your organization. Be sure to make all your internal training documents available so they can read through these in their spare time. This will make it easier for them to adopt the organization’s culture and within no time they will become effective team players.
Assess Your Internal Communication Strategy
This can be achieved by seeking feedback from the employees. Ask them to forward their suggestions on how to improve the communication strategies in place. Employees know what’s going on at the grassroots level. They may be able to share a fresh point of view.
Conclusion
It is not possible to achieve 100% efficiency when it comes to communication in the workplace. This is simply because of various barriers such as cultural differences, languages, socio-economic differences, and many other obstacles. However, there are some important ways we can all improve the way we communicate with others.
by Felicien | Aug 3, 2018 | Education
5 Security Questions You Should Be Asking Your Team
Cyber threats are continuously advancing with new and more complex threats rising to the surface around the globe. In order for a business to meet its objectives and deliver its product and services, it has to be increasingly dependent on technology, including the Internet. While this increases cyber risks that could cause a disruption to your company, it is a manageable risk with the right cyber security solutions in place.
Businesses face a multitude of cyber threats, some with severe effects that will require strict security measures. As a business leader, you may not need a clear understanding of the technical details, but in this new age, you should know exactly what your IT team is doing to protect your company from cyber threats.
Your team may have security protocols in place, but have you looked deeper into your cybersecurity lately? Where are your biggest weaknesses?
This article provides key questions to guide you in your discussions about cybersecurity risk management with your team.
5 Questions Leaders Should Ask About Cyber Threats
How Is Our Top Leadership Informed About Cyber Risks to Our Company?
Consistent communication between the company head and those responsible for
managing cyber risks provides constant awareness of current risks affecting the company and the impact it can have on a business. Since the buck stops with you, the CEO is responsible to manage and oversee the business’ risk management. This
oversight includes the on-going evaluation of cybersecurity budgets, incident reports, risk assessment scores, and policy improvements.
What Is the Present Business Impact of Cyber Risks to Our Company, and What Is Our Plan to Address These Known Risks?
Cybersecurity does not necessarily mean applying a checklist of requirements. It is ensuring that your company is managing cyber risks to a satisfactory level. Managing cybersecurity risks keeps a strategic framework in place for your team that evaluates and manages cybersecurity risk throughout the company.
Identifying critical data and its impacts from cyber threats are crucial to understanding a company’s risk to exposure of a cyber-attack. Whether you look at it from a financial, competitive, reputational, or regulatory point of view, risk assessment outcomes and team feedback is important to identify.
Is Our Cybersecurity Program Applying Best Practices and Industry Standards?
An across-the-board cybersecurity plan leverages industry standards and best practices
to protect systems that house your company’s important data. Your plan should uncover impending problems before they arise. This proactive strategy enables your team to initiate a timely response if an attack were to occur. Keep a strong recovery plan in place that prevents you from making rash decisions due to panic.
Establishing a good baseline for compliance requirements helps to address specific vulnerabilities, but they do not sufficiently speak to new and active threats or sophisticated attacks. Using a risk-based approach to apply cybersecurity standards and practices will result in much more cost-effective and comprehensive management of these risks than simple compliance activities alone. Consistently asking “what if” questions will help you stay ahead of the attack.
What Types of Cyber Threats Does Your Security Team Identify Each Week?
Your IT department should be able to calculate how much malicious traffic is being stopped by your current security protocols. Awareness of your business’ cyber risk situation needs to involve the timely detection of data breaches, and an awareness of current threats and vulnerabilities to your company. Your IT staff should be consistently analyzing, gathering, and integrating risk data from different sources and participating in threat information sharing with your team. This will help you identify and respond to threats rapidly. The best scenario is to safeguard your network from attack in the first place.
How Far-reaching Is Our Cyber Incident Response Plan? How Often Do We Test It?
Do you have a network operations center reporting to you? They can provide real-time and trending data on current cyber threats. What about a manager who can identify deliberate risks, such as risks to the supply chain generated by third-party vendors? A high number of cyber-attacks involve third-party vendors who get careless.
An early response can constrain or even prevent an attack on your network. A significant piece of the puzzle includes your company’s cyber incident response preparation. Planning should be carried out in conjunction with other important entities that you interact with day-to-day. This includes incorporating cyber event response procedures with your current policies. A strong disaster recovery and business continuity plan should already be in place.
Some key players in this security planning could include the following:
Chief Information Officer
Chief Information Security Officer
Business Partners
System Operator Partners
General Counsel
Public Affairs
Wrap Up
When you go through these 5 questions with your team, you will be able to better measure the condition of your current security and ensure you have a plan to proactively manage cyber security for the future. Revisit these questions often to accurately address new cyber threats. Cyber security is a dynamic, ever-changing field that requires vigilance.
by Felicien | Aug 3, 2018 | Education
Windows 7 is being “put out to pasture” by Microsoft at the beginning of 2020. Not all Windows 7 users are aware of precisely what this means and how it can affect their day-to-day business. Because of impending issues, such as steadily degrading usability and increasing security vulnerabilities, Windows 7 users need to know what to expect and what their options are.
Quick Background On Windows 7
Windows 7 was released in October of 2009. Its purpose was to serve as an incremental upgrade to the not-so-well-received Windows Vista operating system. Windows 7 included some much-needed improvements to Windows Aero, the new user interface that Microsoft introduced with Vista, and with improved performance. Users responded far more positively to Windows 7 than they did Vista, primarily because it addressed so many of Vista’s deficiencies. The Windows 7 Service Pack 1 came out in 2011, and a platform update was released a few years later in 2013.
By 2014, however, Microsoft began preparations for the retirement of Windows 7 as they began stopping its retail sales. Next, mainstream support for the operating system came to a halt. In 2016, PCs were no longer shipped with Windows 7 pre-installed. Microsoft then announced that on January 14, 2020, extended support for Windows 7 would end. That was the official sunset announcement.
What Sunset Means
Sunset begins with Microsoft no longer offering extended support for Windows 7. It also means no more security updates, bug fixes, or service packs. That, in turn, means the usability, security, and performance of Windows 7 will begin to degrade with time. On the surface, applications and the operating system will generally perform all right, but there will always be exceptions. Over time, however, there will be a definite trend toward more issues, steadily poorer performance, and serious security vulnerabilities.
Why This Important to Windows 7 Users
Here is what a Windows 7 user can expect to see after sunset begins:
Software, utilities, and features may become incompatible
Applications no longer receive updates that apply to Windows 7
New devices (g., printers or webcams) may not be able to connect with Windows 7
Antivirus will not be updated, and third-party virus protection software will eventually stop supporting Windows 7
Software bug fixes are no longer patched, leaving the system open to exploitation
Online banking transaction systems may expire if their authentication and encryption methods cannot be supported by Windows 7
Also, incompatibility can quickly become a problem for companies whose customers or partners need them to use or interface with software that simply will not run correctly on Windows 7. Running a sunset operating system can also cause problems when attempts are made to add devices or install new software.
The most serious issues with sunsetting are those involving security. Hackers will know that Windows 7 has become vulnerable and will seek out ways to exploit those weaknesses. This leaves a system susceptible to malware, ransomware, and viruses. The probability of suffering from an attack that renders your computers unusable will continue to increase with time.
Options Available to Windows 7 Users
If you are running Windows 7, then now is the time to start migrating to a new operating system. The most straightforward upgrade path would be Windows 10, which still has some of the look and feel of Windows 7 with a plethora of new features and even better usability.
The other option for most businesses is switching to Mac OS. This means an entirely new work environment for traditional Microsoft users. This option can involve a steep learning curve. While some Microsoft packages, such as Office, are available for Mac OS, they work a bit differently and it will take some time for new users to become proficient. Macs can also be more expensive than a Windows-based computer system, but have a reputation for being more reliable.
Unless a business is heavily involved in video production or graphic design, Windows 10 is probably the best option.
Getting Ready to Migrate
Before migrating, perform an inventory of software and group each application into one of three groups: unwanted, optional, or required. Some software may require an upgrade to run on a newer operating system. Next, prepare a similar inventory of hardware. As with the software, some hardware may need to be updated or replaced to remain compatible with the new operating system. Also, check the requirements of the replacement operating system, paying special attention to available hard drive space, physical memory, and processor or CPU needs.
Please note that if a machine is already getting a bit outdated (e.g., 7 or more years old), it might make sense to purchase a new machine with Windows 10 pre-installed. The Trump tariffs will cause an increase in the price of computers, scanners, printers, servers and even their components. So now is definitely the best time to buy!
Conclusion
With the sunset of Windows 7 impending, now is the time to start the process of migrating to a new operating system, whether it be Windows 10 or Mac OS. Failure to upgrade will not only lead to issues with compatibility and performance, but will involve serious security risks.
by Felicien | Aug 2, 2018 | Education
My Health Record is Australia’s approach to centralising the digital health records of its citizens. It provides an online-accessible summary of a person’s key medical information, including data such as medical histories, prescriptions, and known allergies. While this type of program isn’t anything new to Americans, My Health Record has only been in use for six years in Australia. Today, almost 6 million citizens are included in the system. The opportunity to opt-out is ending on October 15, 2018. Many Australians are not pleased about its implementation, beginning with the opt-out situation.
Opt-Out or Opt-In?
Currently, Australia’s My Health Record gives people the opportunity to opt-out. This means that unless someone chooses to take the necessary steps to opt-out, then a digital health record will be established for them. While many supported digitising and centralising health records when it was proposed as an opt-in situation, more and more people are distressed about its implementation using opt-out. They feel that the default for an individual should not be the creation of a digital health record; it should be just the opposite.
Benefits Of My Health Record
Many individuals that struggle with chronic medical conditions could benefit from digitalising health records. These citizens require multiple medications and many have life-threatening allergies (especially medicinal allergies). The general feeling about having all medical records centralised is positive, regardless of this odd opt-in/opt-out situation.
Australians who travel a great deal view this as a good thing because, no matter where they go, their medical records will follow them. Individuals living in more rural areas are also expected to reap the benefits of centralised digital health records.
Many argue that access to records will improve the healthcare that individuals receive, especially in emergency situations. Better access to health records will help to eliminate dangerous medical mistakes that come from a lack of information about a patient. This can help medical professionals make more informed decisions on behalf of the patient. Healthcare groups and leaders also point to a better coordination of care and a significant reduction in duplicate testing.
Potential Issues
Privacy is a major concern for most Australians that are opposed to digital health records. Health records are a big target for hackers, and such records contain some of the most private information about an individual. There are concerns about exactly who has access to medical information and whether access might be overridden in the case of an emergency. Also, health professionals do not have to explicitly request patient information in order to upload it to the record system as long as the patient has not opted-out.
Children and babies are automatically being assigned digital health records unless the parents take the appropriate steps to opt-out. Even when parents opt-out, mistakes are being made as digital records are still being created for children in some instances. The digital file created for a child can be canceled later on, but in the original plan, it would not be deleted. All files are to be kept on hand for thirty years after a person’s death, and then they will be archived for an additional 100 years. Recent changes have been made regarding concerns about this.
Another issue that arises with regard to children is the use of a shared Medicare card for families. This can prove especially problematic for non-traditional families or parents that are in situations where they share custody of their children.
Responding To The Objections
According to the Australian government, these digital health records are very secure and safely backed up. There have been only 35 breaches in the past financial year, which is a tiny fraction of the almost 6 million users already contained in the system. However, in response to citizen concerns regarding privacy, the Australian government has agreed to allow records to be permanently deleted, even after the deadline for opting-out.
In addition, it has been clearly stated that government and police agencies will not have access to records without the person’s consent unless they have a court order. Finally, leaders insist that no one is being signed up without their consent (not even children) although it is possible that they (or their parents) may not have recognised that they were giving consent.
Conclusion
Many see the recent government response to user concerns as a positive thing. But other Australian leaders insist that the system is still evolving. While providing critical medical information for those suffering from chronic illness, serious allergies, or victims in emergency situations, Australian citizens still see My Health Record as a potential invasion of privacy and a target for hackers. It is hoped that this program will evolve to better address issues where parents share custody of children. Generally speaking, most Australians believe that children’s rights to privacy should be respected regardless of what happens.
by Felicien | Aug 2, 2018 | Education
With the business world rapidly moving towards the digitization of documents, mobile scanning apps are becoming necessary for both work and personal use. However, in our day-to-day interactions, we encounter entities, such as the government or doctor’s office that require old-fashioned forms that are printed on paper.
Sometimes we are handed a business card from someone with important contact information we need to retain. Because not everything has moved to digital media, the most useful resolution is to quickly transform any paper you’re handed into digital data, which you can store and edit on your computers and mobile devices. Once stored, you have them practically forever if need be.
Think about the amount of physical information you encounter daily that you need to retain for your professional and personal life: spreadsheets, software information, receipts, financial records, old photographs your parents have, etc. If you need to capture that data or images for future use, having a scanner at your beck and call is an efficient way to operate.
The availability of a mobile scanning app that runs off your smartphone and uses your phone cam to snap the image can allow you to capture more information. This gives you the freedom to correctly analyze and pull out the important stuff for later.
Let’s look at some of the best mobile apps out there. Some of these scanning apps are free, while others are highly affordable. Try to match up your needs to the right app.
What Are The Best Free Mobile Scanning Apps?
Microsoft Office Lens for Android
Microsoft recently launched Office Lens for Android, a scanning app that lets you shoot photos of written materials like notepads, printed documents, and whiteboards, converting printed words in the image to editable text through OCR. Microsoft has other mobile scanning apps such as Evernote, but they’ve added some remarkable functions to this new app. The Office Lens gives you the ability to scan documents, cards, and whiteboards with your Android phone, making them more readable and editable. Best of all, it’s a free app!
Evernote Scannable for iPhone
If you are already an Evernote user, this app scans anything you put in front of it and sends it to your Evernote account, or another place that you designate. It has the capability to share the files with other people very easily, as well. Imagine you’re in a meeting with a number of team members or clients. You can use the app to scan a few files from the meeting, and Scannable will instinctively ask you if you want to share the images with the people in your meeting. If you have already listed the attendees in a meeting invite and you’ve granted Scannable access to your calendar, it will send them the data immediately. How’s that for convenience?
Adobe Scan for iPhone
If you already have a paid Adobe Document Cloud or Creative Cloud account and use it regularly, this app is a no-brainer. Sometimes you have a piece of paper that you need to get into digital form. The Adobe Scan app can not only produce a PDF using your smartphone camera, but it can also employ optical-character recognition (OCR) to the scanned image so that you can freely edit its text. For an app that automatically detects, captures, and converts printed text to digital form, Adobe Scan is a perfect app. But once again, you need a paid subscription to get all its impressive features.
What Are The Best Mobile Scanning Apps Under 5 Dollars?
Abbyy FineScanner
Abbyy has been in the scanning technology business for a very long time, and that gives them a leg up on the new and robust competition. Experts have been impressed with its use on older high-end desktop scanners. Its mobile scanning tool Abbyy FineScanner, is impressive as well. FineScanner does a terrific job of scanning any type of printed document. It’s very fast at snapping the photo image and also gives the user the option of color or black-and-white.
The one downside to the Abbyy FineScanner is its price disclosure. You can download a free version, but the free version doesn’t support the software’s best feature, its optical character recognition (OCR). For this feature, you need to pay either $4.99 a month or $19.99 for the year. If you sign up through the website, a free month of premium subscription is available.
Intsig CamScanner
This mobile scanning application has a unique feature that sets it apart from other apps under $5. The Instig CamScanner will separate the document acquisition process (take a picture of the image and turn it into text) from the document management process. If speed is important to you, this app is very fast at taking the image and converting it for you. Intsig CamScanner’s optical character recognition (OCR) is not as accurate as some of the other apps. If accuracy is crucial for you, Instig CamScanner might not be the right scan app for you to download.
TurboScan
TurboScan, a $4.99 app for Android and iOS, is an unpretentious app that precisely saves documents and images for you to edit elsewhere. It is not the fastest, nor does it have a processing niche like the other featured mobile scanning apps. What it does have is consistency in both its accuracy and quality at an affordable price.
Wrap Up
Technology is moving forward at a lightning fast pace. Be sure to check often for the latest and greatest scanning apps and you might be surprised at what some tech guru has come up with.
