You probably know at least a few friends working from home these days. The trend is on the upswing, despite what headlines about companies pulling employees back into the office may suggest. Survey guru Gallup swizzled the numbers and found 43 percent of American workers were already part of the remote workforce, a number expected to hit 50 percent by 2020.
It’s thanks to mobile office technology that this swing toward offices without borders is even happening. Former desk jockeys are tapping into smartphones and laptops to access email, group chat apps, remote printing, instant messaging, screen and file sharing, videoconferencing, and VPNs—all from their kitchen tables or their beach houses.
Trends Transforming the Modern Workplace
Advances in technology and shifting workforce demographics are creating a more fluid work environment, redefining what productivity looks like, and empowering individuals to work smarter. With an influx of new talent that values experiences, continued learning, and collaboration over financial compensation, leadership will have to take a forward-looking approach to restructuring the workplace landscape.
Innovative technologies can help all organizations respond to workplace trends and create dynamic environments that incentivize and empower the next generation of employees.
Encouraging and accommodating remote workers
In the modern workforce, out of sight doesn’t mean out of mind. Modern businesses are evolving to better accommodate a wider range of business scenarios and work styles. For example, 43% of Americans reported spending at least some time working remotely – whether from their home offices or the local coffee shop.1
As teams become more widespread, keeping everyone engaged and informed is critical to the success of your organization. To promote teamwork and enhance efficiency, leadership must enable communication and support reliable connection between off and on-site employees.
Saying "Yes" is Easy - Saying "No" can be Hard
At The Computing Center, we work with many very busy people. Both in our work lives and volunteer lives, we're asked to do a lot. Sometimes, we say "Yes" when the real answer should be "No". Our friend James Shomar at the Startfast Accelerator recently wrote an excellent Blog post on "Opportunity Cost"!
If you're an ambitious person, it can be really hard to accept when something shouldn't be done. You have a new idea for a product, a feature, an event, an organization, or maybe even a far fetched sales lead and you can't help but get excited about it. You explore what it's going to take to pull it off and while it certainly isn't going to be easy, maybe it's not as impossible sounding as you first thought? When you begin to make the calculation about whether to pursue it, sometimes you'll find that the reason something shouldn't be done isn't because it can't be done, it's because of the opportunity cost.
It's a frustrating life lesson I was reminded of quite recently. I had a potential keynote speaker for Demo Day this year I thought was perfect. (Shameless plug: StartFast Demo Day is on Thursday August 9th. Sign up for our newsletter to find out more!) The prospect could easily draw a big crowd, I had a direct connection to get to him, and I even found our first sponsor. Things were shaping up well all things considered. It was at that point however that reality hit and things got aggravating. I had a conversation with one of my mentors who reminded me about opportunity cost.
Using Technology to Revamp Your Office
The Computing Center helps our clients revamp their businesses use of technolgy and better leverage it every day. How we work has dramatically changed over the last quarter century and a lot more change is on the way. Here are some newer technologies that will help us, but also affect how our businesses operate.
You’ve probably heard that every business is a tech business, but have you ever thought about how the innovative technology you use on a daily basis has impacted today’s workplace culture? Consider how talking on the phone has been almost entirely replaced by text and email or how work chats now take place through dedicated messaging platforms, like Slack. These applications changed the way everyone communicates—and now, tech wearables are popping up in the workplace, reinventing and enhancing office culture and productivity forever.
The latest innovative technology offers a compelling case study in how devices, gadgets, and wearable tech have the potential to change both the way you work and the culture of your company. As users begin to expect more from their IT departments, you need to pay attention to employee trends and how the latest technology can help your business achieve even more.
Honesty in the Workplace Starts with the Small Stuff
by Debra J. Schmidt
More than thirty-nine percent of employees report that their bosses have asked them to do something that is dishonest or unethical, according to an opinion poll conducted by Loyalty Leader Inc.
Kevin started out in a middle management position at his company. Although this salary was modest, he worked hard and diligently supported his boss on a variety of projects as the business grew. He was promoted to a senior management position and the CEO took notice of Kevin’s dedication and excellent work. He decided to promote Kevin to assistant vice president and the two began working together very closely.
One day the phone rang in the conference room where they were meeting. Kevin answered and said, “Just a moment.” He covered the mouthpiece, then turned to the CEO and said, “It’s Kurt in accounting. He needs some information regarding the upcoming merger.
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