Mike McBride on Tech, eDiscovery and Mental Health - Issue #4
From the Blog
Just Doing What's In Front of You — www.mikemcbrideonline.com Let's face it, we all have things that we haven't had space for in the last couple of years. If you are holding off on using PTO because you can't make the big travel adventure happen right now, why not use that time to create that space? Personally, we had a couple of weeks in October scheduled for an anniversary trip overseas that has since been canceled. I haven't canceled the PTO for one simple reason, I still want to use those 2 weeks to create the space, mentally, to do some of the things I've been too busy to do, like figure out where I actually want my career to go instead of just doing the work that's in front of me, or indulge in some of those hobbies that have fallen by the wayside, or maybe even try and catch up with some friends virtually. We all need that space, and it keeps getting harder and harder to find it. There's nothing wrong with doing the work that is in front of us, professionally and personally. Frankly, if you can keep going and getting those things done in this environment, you are to be commended. On the other hand, just doing that prevents us from making changes and doing things differently. It keeps us stuck, and I know far too many people who are stuck right now, waiting for the space to make changes. Make that space, any way you can. Give yourself the PTO you deserve.
Do You Have Work Boundaries? — www.mikemcbrideonline.com t's also about being respected enough to allow our work to actually fit into the rest of our lives, as opposed to having it interfere with the rest of our lives. Human beings have boundaries between their work and the rest of their lives. Numbers on a financial sheet are generally not provided that level of respect and concern. Which one would best describe the people who work for you in the culture you have created? You might be very surprised to learn that it's not what you thought it was from your view in the C-Suite.
Linked: Forget ‘networking’ — just connect with people you find interesting — www.mikemcbrideonline.com Justin also has some good advice for how to "be a good hang" online and make friends. I know more than a few people who could use that advice to be a little less awkward online. (i.e. Compliment people's work, not their appearance, um yes!) Check it out at the link below, but if I was going to give my own take on that idea, is that for my own social media I usually try and consider what I have to offer the people who choose to follow me. I have this blog, obviously. I can share some other, useful, information, and even a laugh or two mixed in. For me, most of what I do online goes back to my background in training. I learn something, and I want to share that with others. So I do. And I try not to be "cringey". ;-)
Linked: Companies hope new benefits will solve your mental health issues. Don't fall for it. — www.mikemcbrideonline.com It's cool if your company wants to provide an assistance program or pay for access to an app that will help with meditation, etc. Good for them. But, if the source of your mental health issues is the day-to-day stress of working in an understaffed, toxic, environment, for far less money than you're worth, and they won't address that? How much do they really care? Fixing that is going to require a lot more, as the article below points out. How many organizations are willing to make those kinds of changes?
Legaltech is a Small World, There's No Reason to Be Rude Ever — www.mikemcbrideonline.com We've recently been going through some vendor vetting at work, which requires a lot of time meeting a lot of people and listening to a lot of things. The
Linked: The shortage of tech workers is about to become an even bigger problem for everyone — www.mikemcbrideonline.com The shift in tech skills is one of the contributing factors, but it's not that technology has been changing, because that ALWAYS happens. It's the insistence that employers can find people with a skill that didn't even exist 2-3 years ago instead of actually developing the people they already have, or hiring people who can continue to adjust and learn these skills. How many jobs are going unfilled because you're looking for someone with expertise in a technology that has only been around for the last 1-2 years? How do you expect there to be a bunch of experts on this technology? How do you expect recent graduates to be familiar with the technology that their college curriculum hasn't even caught up to yet? It's not possible. So you might want to start adjusting your hiring, recruitment, and staff development processes, because that's how you shrink the talent gap, by creating the talent yourself.
From Elsewhere
It’s not the ‘Great Resignation’ but the ‘Great Reprioritization’ — www.fastcompany.com Are workers really quitting en masse? Research from a Miami University professor surveying full-time workers says most are only “considering” leaving their jobs.
How to Talk to Your Grandparents About Cybersecurity | McAfee Blogs How to Talk to Your Grandparents About Cybersecurity — www.mcafee.com According to research from the FBI and FTC, cybercrimes against older adults cost more than $650 million in losses each year. Why? Unlike millennials In celebration of National Grandparents Day (Sept 12), this guide will teach concerned younger family members the top cybersecurity tips they should impart on their older relatives and talking tips on how to approach the subject.
World Suicide Prevention Day: Why mental health conversations in the workplace are more important than ever | The Independent — www.independent.co.uk Neil Laybourn talks to Abi Jackson about suicide prevention, and why mental health conversations at work can help us all
How to retain more women in law firms — www.abajournal.com The ABA Journal is read by half of the nation's 1 million lawyers every month. It covers the trends, people and finances of the legal profession from Wall Street to Main Street to Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Top 10 Things to Remember During eDiscovery Training — www.casepoint.com These are the top 10 things you should keep in mind for your next eDiscovery training.
20 tips for supporting team mental health | CIO — www.cio.com The mental health of each team member is vital to your organization’s performance. Leaders at every level must intentionally and continually commit to finding ways to improve the mental health of their teams.
Authenticating Communication Screenshots - CloudNine — cloudnine.com Text messages and social media evidence can offer a plethora of relevant data. However, screenshots are not a reliable form of authenticating digital communication. Whether its Slack, Facebook Messenger, or email, screenshots of digital evidence can be easily fabricated. Screenshot Failures in Court Rossbach v. Montefiore Medical Center: To substantiate claims of workplace harassment and …