Thought-provoking Things Worth Sharing - Issue #125
Working Asynchronously
Earlier this week, I dug into a Microsoft Teams app called Updates for my M365 newsletter subscribers.
It’s a neat app because it lets you create easy ways for team members to keep each other and their manager updated on the progress and status of various projects by submitting updates when convenient for them. So, instead of trying to schedule a meeting with team members across multiple time zones to get updates, you can ask for them. It can be a one-off update or a regular cadence of updates.
Welcome to this week’s collection of thought-provoking things. Each week, I’ll share information about careers and workplace culture, mental health in the workplace, talent development, and important information about privacy, security, and legal tech.
You can find out all about me here - Mike McBride Online.
The interesting thing to consider with an app like that is what meetings it could replace or improve. Do we need huddles or stand-up meetings multiple times per week if we have a decent project management tool and a way for our people to communicate updates to the rest of the team above and beyond the PM tool?
I think the challenge isn’t the technology any longer. People’s attitudes and laziness come from knowing you can wait until the meeting to share your updates, mark tasks as complete, etc. Why update the PM tools on Monday afternoon if the next project meeting isn’t until Thursday? But if your manager needs an update on Wednesday, they must track you down to ask for it. No one enjoys that, so we’ll meet every day instead.
And then complain about how many meetings we have. 😉
Careers and the Workplace
Speaking of the meetings, we still need to have:
Please, dear god, - Make a Promise to Conduct Better Meetings In the Year Ahead.
There isn’t any evidence that people in offices improve the bottom line. Who would have thought? - RTO mandates don't work: Study
While employees and executives remain divided on in-office work, a new study finds that RTO mandates did not boost companies' financial performance or value.
Some hard truth: The worst part of tech layoffs? The corporate bullshit.
Linked - Survey: Employers face more turnover in 2024 as confidence in leadership dips.
The interesting thing about this is the fact that there's a lack of confidence in the employer because I think many employers brought that on themselves. Layoffs might make the financials look good with that cut in expenses, but they are also an admission that management screwed up. When your management screws up and people have to be let go, the ones who are left behind don't see company leadership in a sparkly light.
Training and Development
Generative AI is all over the news, but can your employees take advantage of it?
Maybe start with a couple of these - 20 Ways Managers Can Create A Culture Of Continuous Learning.
Mental Health in the Workplace
Linked - Attaining Work-Life Balance in an Era of Burnout
Clear, realistic expectations. Clearly defined roles. Open communication. Fair treatment.
This shouldn't be that difficult, and yet here we are.
I suspect quite a few burnt-out attorneys are in our midst - Becoming a Burnout-Proof Attorney: 5 Steps.
I have to assume that just working in security is stressful, but it’s more than that- The study exposes the hidden mental health toll of ransomware.
Privacy, Security, and Legal Tech
Easy Prediction - AI Will Eat Most of the Ways We Get Our News
The ability of anyone to create an avalanche of content capable of overwhelming any algorithmic curation is here. It exists, and it is happening. It's only going to get worse. Fake profiles sharing fake stories from AI-written content farms will eventually overwhelm the number of people online and make every network worthless. If you think there aren't already thousands and thousands of these, you haven't been paying attention. ChatGPT just made it easier to do.
The only thing we'll be able to fall back on is trusting the people we know personally. Assuming we can tell the difference.
I could see this being costly - How Delaying Third Party Discovery Can End Up Costing You Dearly.
https://infosec.exchange/@lerg/111727985792846965
I’m still not doing it, but you might be interested - How to Organize Your Tech and Purge That Random Box of Cables.
That’s all, folks. If you found something interesting in this week’s newsletter, please share it with your friends. It’s the best way to help support the effort I put in each week to share this with you.