Business on the Top, Party on the Bottom: Productivity Tips from Leadership Guru Kelly Quant5/4/2020 While we may be separated right now, that hasn’t kept the Young Business Leaders from learning and networking. This week, we hosted a Zoom Happy Hour with guest speaker Kelly A. Quant, Program Manager at Wings For Success Kennett Square, where she spoke about the importance of embracing the remote-working realities of the coronavirus age and provided tips on transitioning back into the office.
Zoom in on Your Meeting Etiquette Video conferencing is the new normal, but are you practicing proper Zoom etiquette? (Looking at you unmuted multitasker.) What to Wear Dress for the job you want, not the one you have. This is ever truer when working remotely. Be sure to put your best face forward by doing your hair and makeup and have a blazer at the ready for any pop-up meetings. When choosing your outfits, make sure your top contrasts with your background and always wear pants (see GMA video here: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/28/us/good-morning-america-will-reeve-no-pants-trnd/index.html.) Environment When it comes to creating the perfect space, think about lighting and what your background looks like. Make sure your light source is in front of you, ideally behind your computer or laptop. If your back is toward the light source, say a window, you will look dark and grainy. If you do not have a natural light source, grab a lamp and take off the lampshade and place it behind your screen. You can always increase the brightness on your computer screen as well. The key is to have the lighting illuminate your face. In terms of background, be sure there isn’t any clutter that could be distracting and try to find a quiet space. If finding a quiet space is an issue, use your smart device as a white noise machine which acts as a sound absorber. Technology Like any tech, be sure to test before use. Sign on early and make sure you have a strong wi-fi connection or cell phone signal. Try unplugging other devices in your home so that you have enough bandwidth. Consider wearing a headset to help with your sound and be sure to mute yourself when you are not talking. (Quick Tip: Press and hold down the space bar when using Zoom to temporarily unmute yourself.) If you are in a large group, remember to introduce yourself before talking, especially if the meeting is a phone conference with no video. If you are going to be late or can’t make a meeting, remember to reach out to your host beforehand. Now that you are a Zoom-master, here are some tips on how to work more efficiently at home. Work Smarter, Not Harder If you find that you have more down time, try and catch up on emails and reports. Stay in contact with your supervisor. Make sure they know you are keeping up with your daily tasks by sending an email highlighting what you accomplished that week. Keep learning. Attend webinars, explore social media and the virtual world. This is our “new normal” and what we accomplish now won’t be temporary. Be prepared to bring your new skills with you as you transition back into the office. Understand expectations. It is important to understand priorities and make sure you and your boss are on the same page. You may be working on new tasks and contributing in different ways, so consider asking your boss to update your job description to fulling envelop your role. So you finally mastered working remotely and just like that, it’s time to get back into the office. What will that look like, and how will it be different? Transitioning Back into the Workplace This will look different for everyone. Some people may have thrived working from home while others struggled and missed the social interaction. It may take time to rebuild workplace morale; don’t just dive back into normal routine, as it may take time to transition. Some companies will continue having employees working from home. A recent survey conducted by Global Workplace Analytics showed 41% of employees will likely work remotely at least some of the time post COVID19. They also found that 74% of CFO’s intend to shift some employees to remote work permanently, and 85% of businesses confirm that productivity has increased in their company because of greater flexibility. Workplace Policies When and if your workplace reopens, you will have different health standards as well as new policies and procedures to follow. Who knows when we will be able to shake hands again or how many people will be allowed in the office? Be sure your employer has a plan in place before returning to your office and that they are following CDC guidelines. Lastly, embed what you learned. Utilize those new skills and demonstrate that you are qualified to take on new projects. This is a time for growth and opportunity, so take advantage of your new skillsets and continue to be the rockstar that you are! Submitted by: Kelly Quant, Wings for Success https://wingsforsuccess.org/
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With the COVID-19 virus all over the news, many organizations are looking into better ways to help employees work remotely. News reports, CDC recommendations, WHO guidelines, and social media are sending mixed messages. The driving factors of quarantine, caution, fear, and convenience all have the same reality- maintaining security and efficiency are key requirements to keep networks healthy and data safe. We can’t lose sight of these basic necessities when implementing work-from-home protocols. Companies who have invested heavily in securing their environments could have their systems wiped out by one insecure remote connection, and the criminals know it. Employee expectations of ease of use and fast speeds must not be overlooked. To be effective, work-from-home needs to be seamless for employees. Here are some of the things we’ve configured for our clients at Pegasus: · VoIP phone service where employees can receive and make phone calls from anywhere using the same extensions and phone numbers they are assigned in the office · Video conferencing and screen sharing · Instant messaging, collaboration, and more, using Microsoft Teams and Slack · Encrypted cloud file synchronization, sharing, and backup · Two-factor authentication to protect remote access from password attacks · Remote Desktop Services wrapped in security protocols, so you can connect from PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks without software installed on remote computers · Office 365 Web Apps to edit and share documents from PCs and Macs without any software installed on your computer · VPN to encrypt traffic between you and your office · Cloud Print and Cloud Signature, so you can look professional and stay productive from any device You cannot be confident employee’s home networks and home computers are secure, but using some of the methods above, you can keep your data safe without worrying about management of home machines. Most traditional VPN solutions simply place the kids’ remote computer on your internal business network- scary, right? Other risks of work-from-home include: · Infections with malware, keystroke loggers, and more · Unauthorized access from other people in the home · Unsecure wireless networks, and unauthorized wireless guests · Unpatched machines · Unencrypted data · Expired, non-existent, or weak antivirus software · Lack of firewalls · Default RDP ports and other common access inviting attack It’s worth a conversation with your IT company to see how usable your remote access really is, compared to features available today. Don’t ask if it’s secure- instead ask how can you be more secure than your average company. Pegasus has infinite ways to make work-from-home better and more secure, so ask us for some advice today! P.S. Warn your employees to be on the lookout for COVID-19 phishing scams and work-from-home email bait! Don’t be a victim. Submitted by: Erik Gudmundson, 2019 Chairman of the Board (Pegasus Technologies, LLC) www.pegasustechnologies.com |
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