Category: Blog Post

The spread of COVID-19 is forcing many companies to send employees home to work remotely. Some are loving it, some aren’t, but we all face an even bigger challenge of staying cyber-safe. Hackers are lurking in the shadows ready to steal both personal and business data. As you can imagine, it’s putting an incredible strain on both IT and security teams.

IT departments everywhere are using tried-and-true methods like setting employees up with cloud-based applications because the security is outsourced to vetted software programs. This allows IT to monitor it without needing access to an employee’s physical machine. Many departments have also set up BYOD and cybersecurity policies to include remote working, as well as multi-factor authentication and virtual private networks to ensure remote workers’ personal and business information is locked down and safer from attacks.

Technology aside, it’s the people element that’s really important. In addition to implementing IT measures, here are 3 simple tips that IT teams can easily put in place to keep employee and company data secure:

1. Employee awareness and training
   Keep in mind that 24 percent of data breaches are the result of human error. If you haven’t already, now is the time to set up security training protocols so employees know what to do and what to expect if they experience a security incident. If they do, it’s a good best practice to have an outlined procedure for reporting so employees know to immediately share any security threats and concerns with the IT team.
2. Regular check-ins
   Arrange for IT to have regular virtual check-ins with remote employees to keep them updated on the latest threats and best practices. Ensuring IT and remote workers stay in touch is a great way to keep people connected and aids in team building as well. Team accountability also helps keep people painfully aware that their home-based web and Wi-Fi systems are vulnerable.
3. Human virus VS. tech virus
   With the rapid growth of COVID-19, more and more scams are showing up in emails. Make sure that no one in your organization is tempted to click on them because, as you know, malware and other nasty viruses are being passed around like, well, the Coronavirus. Frequent reminders around data privacy considerations are not just a good suggestion but should be a company mandate.

We all know there’s no such thing as a perfectly secure workforce, but it pays to take proactive measures daily. And with the mass influx of new remote workers, it just makes security that much more vulnerable. Fortunately, most data breaches are preventable so, educate, educate, educate. Using safeguards and good communication gives you and your remote workers a clear path to reducing risk so they can breathe easy, and get the job done.

The team at LIFT regularly works with IT departments on how to implement communication plans and strategies to share their security initiatives and best practices with end-users. Reach out to us at info@liftinnovate to discuss how we can help you put a plan in place.

While some still consider it a dirty word, selling is becoming a make-or-break skill.

The competition is too fierce. The opportunities are too few. And time is running out on personal brands that don’t include sales capability.

If you don’t consider yourself a salesperson. If the idea of selling doesn’t agree with you. It may be time to think again.

Recently, I facilitated a session that brought together a dozen public and private organizations to discuss the future of business education. Held on behalf of Iowa State University, the session explored the question: Has an operational and functional understanding of selling and the sales process become a business education requirement?

Iowa State is not the only institution of higher education exploring the question and educational providers are not alone in recognizing the rising importance of sales capabilities. As the author of “Everybody Sells”— a book that advances the thesis that organization-wide sales engagement is becoming increasingly important to organizational success — my opinion has long been registered.

The groundswell of interest in selling extends far beyond the logical advantages of possessing basic sales skills. The ability to articulate ideas, influence resource allocations and garner and maintain the support of other people is of undeniable practical and tactical value. However, one might reasonably associate similar outcomes to other areas of focus, including leadership, entrepreneurship and marketing.

No, it appears that the rising interest in sales skills represents some deeper movement, some more fundamental change. Moving from the one-on-one to team-on-team; rejecting form, function and price in favor of value realization—each incremental change has altered what sales excellence means and what sales performance requires.

The table stakes are rising.

Sales success now requires the highest levels of product and service fluency, a deep understanding of client operations and the ability to harness and coordinate support from a broad range of internal and external resources. What better proving ground of tomorrow’s top executives?

If you’ve distanced yourself from the sales function because you still associate sales with manipulation, trickery, fast-talking or sleight-of-hand, you’ve missed a generation of maturity and development. And it may be time to join the club.

Selling matters—no matter who you are.

If COVID-19 has relocated you from the office to your kitchen table for the time being, you’re not alone. Many employers are mandating that employees work remotely as the outbreak of Corona Virus spreads.  Before you resign yourself to elastic-wasted pants and Netflix binges for the foreseeable future, LIFT’s Executive Director of Client Services, Amber Moore has put together some tips to boost your productivity and your mental well-being during this challenging time.

You just got the call.

You’ll be working from home until further notice.

Don’t panic!

Here are 5 tips to make your virtual work experience, work for you:

1. Find your space. Our homes are full of distractions.  There’s the pile of laundry, the news on TV, the dishes in the sink, the spouse who just wants to ask one little question, 12 times a day.  And of course, if you have kids, they’re famous for ignoring boundaries. Here’s what you do:
   • Create a space where you feel comfortable working
   • Somewhere other than a room with lots of foot traffic
   • Your space needs good lighting and solitude

WARNING:  Avoid trying to work from your bed or in front of the TV – you’ll think you can do it, but at the end of the day, you’ll wonder why you didn’t get anything done!

2. Plan for the camera. Video conferences are a part of the virtual office experience and help people stay focused and connected. When it’s your time to shine on camera, wear clothes that resemble your office vibe (avoid the grungy, slept in tee shirt look) and make sure your background doesn’t steal the scene! If dirty laundry and cleaning supplies are part of your set, think more about production values.
3. Follow a schedule. For most of us, getting and staying on a schedule virtually is tough. So, for your own sanity, and your family’s, share a schedule so that everyone knows when you’re on and when you are off the clock.  Have a family/roommate meeting, explain that you aren’t on vacation and share your plan. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if people stop by, ask for help or just chat. Your schedule should also include time for meals and breaks.  Go get some fresh air and take Fido for a walk.
4. Don’t forget to collaborate! These are tough times, made harder by the very thing that’s supposed to save us – social isolation. Because you are working on your own when working on your own – don’t let this happen to you. Become a digital connector and be the one that gets people collaborating virtually.  Schedule daily or weekly check-in meetings to ensure everyone’s voices are heard and use collaboration to digitally bridge the social distance you’ve been asked to physically maintain.
5. Get your family involved. Working from home is challenging for all involved, you and those around you. If you live with family members or roommate, they’ll be doing a lot of adjusting too and you’ll need their help to be successful. For example, during times you’ll be on a virtual meeting, discourage others in your home from doing high-bandwidth activities that may impact your audio and video quality.

As the only worker in your virtual office, you are a virtual lock for employee of the month (every month).

So, set an example by helping others whenever you can.

We’re all in this together and together we can get past this!

Oh, and put on some pants… seriously.