Remote employees have come a long way since the days when trying to work while away from the workplace was like a sentence in solitary confinement. Thanks to the Cloud, they no longer have to use cumbersome methods to access office computer files or receive access codes from special devices just to make a phone call. But, do your remote employees really feel like they are part of the team?
There’s a lot to be said for the sense of community formed by team members who are all in the same physical location. Here are four pitfalls of working remotely and how Microsoft tools can help employees from San Francisco to South Beach collaborate as if they are all sitting around the same table.
Access to files and software
When attending meetings, the people in the office conference room have an advantage over remote employees. As discussions shift from one document to another, remote attendees have to scramble to locate those files and get them on their screens. Too often, the discussion shifts to something else by the time they get a first glance at the previous file.
Improve Your Work-Life Balance
Many small business owners will tell you the rise of the internet has changed how they work. Newer entrepreneurs may not even be able to imagine moving about their day without email, social media or mobile banking.
But while these tools make it easier to do business in many ways, the pressure of always being “on” can amplify stress for small business owners. Time management can be particularly challenging for entrepreneurs who may be building a business while keeping another job, raising a family or pursuing education, just to name a few examples.
If you’re feeling the pressure, try one or more of these time-management techniques to help you balance work alongside everything else.
The Multigenerational Workforce - Ways to Foster Digital Change
Digital transformation is not all about tools or technology—it’s about people too. Today's workplaces are becoming increasingly multigenerational. Older employees are staying in the workforce longer and mixing with younger colleagues who are just starting their careers. As such, the range of ages in the workplace is naturally expanding.
A recent survey from executive development firm Future Workplace and Beyond, The Career Network, found that 83 percent of respondents have seen millennials managing Gen X and baby boomer workers in their office. However, 45 percent of baby boomers and Gen X respondents said millennials lack managerial experience, which could have a negative impact on a company's culture. More than a third of millennial respondents said managing older generations is challenging.
I became the CEO of a technology company in 2009, when I was 28 years old. I have experienced the challenges of managing four different generations in the workplace, including employees more than twice my age. To say the least, it requires a highly adaptable leadership style. Based on my experience, here are six practices that can help foster multigenerational collaboration and technical agility in any workplace environment.
Natural Language-The Future of Automated Writing
With apologies to the article's author Blake Snow, is he a human or a computer using a human pseudonym?
Can you tell the difference between what is written by a human and by algorithmic artificial intelligence?
You wouldn’t know it, but over the last few years, computers have increasingly (and quietly) written many of the sporting news, financial reporting, and weather forecasts you already read daily.
Don’t believe me? See if you can tell which of the below was written by a human and which by algorithmic artificial intelligence:
Example 1: “The University of Michigan baseball team used a four-run fifth inning to salvage the final game in its three-game weekend series with Iowa, winning 7-5 on Saturday afternoon (April 24) at the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of historic Ray Fisher Stadium.”
Ergo-whatics?
Many of us live at our desks during the workday. We're encouraging Computing Center employees who are mostly deskbound to move around several times a day. We're also providing better desk chairs and some workstations that can be used standing or sitting.
Wear the right shoes
Shoes make a bigger difference in the office than one might think and can directly affect the health of our knees, backs and more. The main culprit is high heels. The more often you forsake style in favor of lower heels and good arch support, the less likely you are experience pain later on down the road — especially if you use a standing desk.
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