It’s no secret that embracing cloud technology is no longer a groundbreaking move; it’s just the next logical step in the IT evolution. Most progressive companies are already riding the high wave of advanced cloud services. Yet, there’s a catch: Maintaining robust governance and ensuring data security is a lot like trying to solve an ever-changing, complex puzzle. Maintaining data security is similar to working on a puzzle that constantly evolves. It requires ongoing attention and adjustments to stay ahead. This field demands a high level of alertness and the ability to quickly adapt to threats and changing regulations.

Stakeholders often fall into the trap of thinking the cloud works just like their familiar on-premise environments. But the reality is, it’s a whole new world up there.

It’s not just about moving to the cloud; it’s about reshaping the way we think about IT governance and security.

Just like an explorer in uncharted territory, we need a new map to navigate this complicated cloud landscape.

The Importance of Cloud Governance

Cloud governance is all about setting up a control center for managing your company’s cloud journey. It involves specific processes, rules, and management strategies that help transition to and maintain a cloud environment. Think of a cloud governance committee as your cloud control team. Their job includes:

• Designing cloud management processes.
• Selecting the right tools and vendors.
• Providing overall supervision.
• Managing costs.

Effective cloud governance leads to increased productivity, enhanced security, easier compliance with regulations, and, ultimately, improved innovation and business growth.

Risks of Neglected Cloud Governance

That all sounds great, right? But what are the risks if you fail to incorporate governance into your cloud strategy?

Let’s break it down: skipping out on cloud governance is like sailing a ship without a rudder. It’s a risky move that can lead organizations into stormy waters, both reputationally and financially.

Without proper governance, your cloud journey could take a turn for the worse. In the fast-paced world of tech, keeping your ship steady and on course is crucial. That’s why cloud governance isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s your lifeline to safe and successful digital sailing. Without proper governance, you might encounter:

1. Security Vulnerabilities and Data Breaches

No matter how sophisticated software becomes, there are always bad actors threatening cloud platform security. Cloud governance establishes rules and protections that prevent cybercriminal activity.

2. Unexpected Cost Overruns

Cloud sprawl, the uncontrolled growth in cloud technology spending, occurs when businesses fail to monitor their cloud environment. Duplicate tool purchases across teams can lead to inefficient spending and uncontrolled scaling without proportional value.

For instance, in building automation, if each team chooses a different method, companies end up with dozens of paths to solve the same problem. Multiply this by 10, 20, or 100, and it becomes clear how this can snowball into a much larger problem.

3. Compliance Violations

Playing fast and loose with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (or PCI DSS) can hit your wallet hard. Think fines ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 every month.

When it comes to data security, the stakes are high — even large corporations aren’t immune to the fallout.

Consider the case of the DNA testing company 23andMe. Hackers accessed ancestry data of 6.9 million users, resulting in damage repair costs between $1 million and $2 million for the company. Another example is Managed Care of North America, a provider of dental benefits and services for state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs. This breach affected almost 9 million individuals, with stolen information including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, health insurance details, and government-issued ID numbers.

4. Inefficiencies

Companies that don’t have oversight often struggle to determine priorities and goals and develop strategies. Without a governance committee to implement and oversee processes, your company might miss critical targets and key performance indicators, ultimately leading to a loss of profit.

5. Difficulty Updating Tech

Lack of cloud governance also makes it difficult come time for a technology consolidation or turnover, as each “technology island” has different support needs.

Poor Governance Next Steps

According to a survey of IT professionals and engineers, 86% of respondents said that “enforcing cost, compliance, and security policies tends to be a pivotal inhibitor to cloud adoption.” If you are feeling the effects of poor governance or cloud chaos, you’re in the right place. Here are some practical steps forward:

Create Independent Committees

Shifting to the cloud requires many decisions because, just like any business process, it is constantly changing. To stay optimized, you need an independent committee to own cloud migration and maintenance processes.

Carefully Consider Your Cloud Governance Committee

Cloud governance committees are instrumental in developing and enforcing security protocols, compliance standards, and operational guidelines. As such, cloud experience and knowledge should be a prerequisite for members.

Focus Your Cloud Governance Committee on Specific Objectives

Organizations transferring to the cloud may have existing governance or architecture review boards. Despite the potential overlap, your cloud governance committee must function autonomously or as a sub-committee to ensure key objectives are prioritized.

Get Outside Help

Moving to cloud computing demands considerable expertise and experience, as each organization often adopts a unique approach. Without skilled guidance, you may encounter unexpected and costly setbacks. Seeking external expertise can offer fresh perspectives, moving the business away from the traditional “we’ve always done it this way” mindset.

Implement a Strong Executive Sponsor

A governance committee needs a pragmatic and decisive executive sponsor with authority to enforce decisions. Unless a committee can act, everything they put forward will be suggestions. The goal is for everyone to move quickly in the same direction.

Don’t Wait to Implement Cloud Governance

Many times, we see new leaders brought into organizations to rectify the above issues, when in reality, implementing cloud governance earlier would prevent disruptive financial and organizational overhauls.

Especially for companies under the watchful eye of compliance and regulatory standards, governance isn’t just a good idea — it’s essential. It’s the key to dodging risks and keeping operational performance in top gear. Proper governance is the core component of a well-oiled cloud computing machine.

The post From Chaos to Clarity: The Power of Cloud Governance appeared first on ReadWrite.

In communication technology, Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) has emerged as a pivotal tool, enabling businesses and individuals to engage seamlessly across various channels. However, as the world becomes increasingly interconnected and reliant on data-driven insights, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is poised to revolutionize CPaaS. In this comprehensive exploration, we will delve into the fascinating future of CPaaS, where AI and IoT converge to redefine how we communicate.

The Current State of CPaaS

To grasp the potential of the future of Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS), it’s essential to comprehend its current state. CPaaS, at its core, empowers users to incorporate real-time communication features, such as voice, video, messaging, and chat, into their applications and services. It acts as a vital bridge between traditional communication networks and the demands of modern digital platforms.

CPaaS: A Transformative Force

CPaaS has made substantial strides in redefining communication. It seamlessly integrates various communication channels into a unified platform, offering businesses and individuals unprecedented flexibility and connectivity. This foundational technology has already revolutionized sectors such as customer service, telehealth, and remote collaboration. However, an in-depth examination of its current status reveals both its achievements and challenges.

Achievements of CPaaS

1. Real-Time Communication Integration

CPaaS has successfully blurred the lines between communication channels, providing users with versatile means of communication within a single platform. This versatility empowers businesses to engage with their customers and clients in the most convenient way possible.

2. Improve User Experiences

The ability to personalize communication experiences has been a notable achievement of CPaaS. Users can enjoy tailored interactions, timely responses, and efficient engagement with businesses and services thanks to the adaptability of CPaaS.

Limitations and Challenges

Despite its achievements, CPaaS faces several limitations and challenges that necessitate ongoing innovation and improvement:

1. Limited Personalization and User Engagement

While CPaaS has enhanced personalization to some extent, there is room for growth. The challenge lies in creating even more tailored and context-aware communication experiences, ensuring each interaction feels genuinely customized.

2. Security Concerns in an Increasingly Connected World

Security concerns have emerged as CPaaS becomes more intertwined with our daily lives and businesses. Ensuring the privacy and integrity of data in an interconnected world is an ongoing challenge that requires advanced security measures and vigilance against potential threats.

3. The Need for More Efficient and Data-Driven Communication

Efficiency is the lifeblood of modern communication, and CPaaS must continue to evolve to meet this demand. Businesses require data-driven insights that enable them to optimize their communication strategies, ensuring that each interaction is productive and meaningful.

Understanding AI in CPaaS

To fully comprehend the transformative potential of AI and IoT in CPaaS, it’s crucial to explore the pivotal role of Artificial Intelligence in enhancing CPaaS capabilities. AI encompasses a spectrum of technologies, from machine learning and natural language processing to computer vision and predictive analytics. In the context of CPaaS, AI serves several critical functions, each contributing to a richer and more efficient communication experience:

The Role of AI in CPaaS

1. Chatbots and Virtual Assistants

AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are at the forefront of enhancing user interactions within CPaaS platforms. These intelligent entities are revolutionizing customer support, engagement, and user experiences in numerous ways:

• Instant Responses: AI chatbots provide swift responses, ensuring users’ inquiries are addressed promptly, regardless of the time of day.
• 24/7 Support: With AI-driven virtual assistants, businesses can offer round-the-clock support, meeting the demands of a global and always-connected audience.
• Personalized Recommendations: AI-powered chatbots analyze user data to deliver tailored recommendations and content, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.
  AI chatbots and virtual assistants are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with the ability to handle complex conversations, simulate human-like interactions, and even provide emotional intelligence in responses.

2.  Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Natural Language Processing is a cornerstone of AI’s impact on CPaaS. It enables CPaaS platforms to understand and interpret human language, making communication more intuitive, efficient, and context-aware:

• Contextual Understanding: NLP algorithms analyze user messages to grasp the context, enabling more coherent and relevant responses.
• Multilingual Support: NLP facilitates communication in multiple languages, breaking down linguistic barriers and broadening the reach of CPaaS platforms.
• Sentiment Analysis: AI-powered NLP can discern user sentiment analysis, allowing businesses to gauge customer satisfaction and respond proactively to concerns.

The integration of NLP into CPaaS not only improves the quality of user interactions but also enables the automation of routine tasks. For instance, CPaaS platforms can use NLP to automatically categorize and prioritize incoming messages, ensuring that urgent queries are addressed promptly while less critical ones are handled efficiently.

3. Predictive Analytics

AI-driven predictive analytics are a game-changer in CPaaS, harnessing vast datasets to anticipate user behavior, preferences, and communication patterns. This predictive power empowers CPaaS platforms to engage users more proactively and meaningfully:

• Anticipating User Needs: Predictive analytics analyze historical data to forecast user needs, enabling CPaaS platforms to offer relevant services and information in advance.
• Proactive Engagement: AI-driven predictive models identify trends and opportunities, allowing businesses to initiate communication or offer assistance before users even realize they need it.
• Customized Content Delivery: By understanding user preferences, predictive analytics ensure that content and messages are delivered at the most opportune moments, maximizing their impact.

The power of predictive analytics in CPaaS extends beyond user engagement. It also aids businesses in making data-driven decisions, optimizing their communication strategies, and achieving greater operational efficiency. These analytics can provide insights into communication patterns, such as peak usage times or preferred channels, enabling businesses to allocate resources effectively.

4. Advanced AI Features

Beyond the fundamental roles of chatbots, NLP, and predictive analytics, AI’s presence in CPaaS extends to advanced features:

• Image Analysis: AI can analyze images shared within communication channels, recognizing objects, scenes, and even sentiment in visual content.
• Real-Time Translation: AI-powered translation services break down language barriers, facilitating global communication in real-time.
• Voice Recognition: Voice recognition technology enables voice commands and transcription services, making voice interactions with CPaaS platforms seamless.
• Content Recommendations: AI algorithms recommend relevant content and products based on user behavior, enhancing cross-channel marketing efforts.

As AI continues to evolve and become more deeply integrated into CPaaS platforms, the potential for innovation and improvement in communication experiences is boundless. AI’s capacity to adapt and learn from user interactions promises to create increasingly sophisticated and valuable interactions.

The Internet of Things (IoT) in CPaaS

The IoT is not merely a technological advancement; it’s a transformative force that extends connectivity beyond traditional devices to everyday objects, machines, and sensors. The integration of IoT into Communication Platform as a Service introduces a paradigm shift in communication, ushering in a new era of possibilities and context-aware interactions. Let’s explore the profound impact of IoT on CPaaS in greater detail:

IoT and CPaaS: A Seamless Integration

The marriage of IoT and CPaaS represents a symbiotic relationship that offers immense value to businesses and users alike. It’s about turning data from the physical world into actionable insights and meaningful communication:

1. Real-time Data Exchange

One of the hallmark features of IoT is its ability to generate a continuous stream of real-time data. This data is the lifeblood of IoT applications, enabling devices and sensors to provide up-to-the-moment information. When integrated with CPaaS, this real-time data exchange takes communication to a new level:

• Instant Insights: IoT devices continuously collect data on everything from temperature and humidity to machine performance and customer behavior. When this data is seamlessly integrated with CPaaS, businesses gain instant insights that can drive timely actions and decisions.
• Faster Response Times: With IoT in the CPaaS ecosystem, businesses can react rapidly to changing conditions. For example, in logistics, real-time tracking of shipments via IoT sensors allows for proactive route adjustments and delivery optimizations.
• Optimized Operations: Industries like manufacturing benefit from IoT-CPaaS integration by monitoring equipment health. When a machine reports an anomaly, the CPaaS system can instantly alert maintenance personnel, reducing downtime and improving efficiency.

“IoT and CPaaS integration is the future of customer engagement. It allows businesses to connect with customers in ways we couldn’t have imagined before, providing real-time, context-aware interactions that drive value.” – John Smith, CEO of TechConnect Inc.”

2. Enhanced Contextual Communication

IoT enriches communication with contextual information, making messages and alerts more relevant and timely. This context-aware communication is pivotal in providing users with valuable, personalized experiences:

• Location-based Services: IoT sensors can determine a user’s location, enabling CPaaS to provide location-specific information or offers. For example, a retail app integrated with IoT can send discounts when a customer is near a store.
• Environmental Data: IoT can provide information about environmental conditions. For instance, a weather sensor integrated with CPaaS can trigger alerts and recommendations for businesses affected by adverse weather conditions.
• Healthcare Monitoring: In healthcare, wearable IoT devices can continuously monitor vital signs. CPaaS can notify healthcare providers when anomalies are detected, enabling prompt interventions.

IoT-enabled contextual communication is a powerful tool for businesses seeking to engage users more meaningfully and personally. It not only enhances user experiences but also drives customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Synergy Between AI and IoT in CPaaS

The true magic of the future of CPaaS lies in the seamless synergy between AI and the IoT. These transformative technologies complement each other and amplify their capabilities, opening up new possibilities and redefining the communication landscape. Let’s delve deeper into the captivating synergy between AI and IoT in CPaaS:

1. Intelligent Data Processing

One of the most profound impacts of this synergy is the ability to harness and make sense of the vast data streams generated by IoT devices. AI-driven analytics acts as the bridge between the raw data collected by IoT sensors and actionable insights:

• Data Transformation: AI algorithms can process and transform raw IoT data into meaningful information. For instance, in a smart city context, IoT sensors measuring air quality and traffic flow can provide real-time data that AI algorithms interpret to optimize traffic signals and improve air quality.
• Anomaly Detection: AI’s analytical prowess shines when it comes to identifying anomalies in IoT data. This can be crucial in sectors like industrial IoT, where the early detection of equipment malfunctions can prevent costly breakdowns.
• Data Fusion: AI can integrate data from various IoT sources, creating a comprehensive situation view. For example, in agriculture, IoT devices measuring soil moisture, weather conditions, and crop health can be combined by AI to provide precise irrigation recommendations.

“AI and IoT are not just technologies but catalysts for innovation. Together in CPaaS, they enable businesses to create highly personalized and efficient communication experiences that drive loyalty and revenue.” – John Smith, CEO of InnovateX

2. Predictive Communication

The synergy between AI and IoT enables predictive communication—a capability that anticipates and fulfills communication needs based on real-time IoT data:

• Proactive Notifications: AI can analyze IoT data to predict events or conditions that require user attention. For instance, if a connected vehicle’s diagnostics indicate an issue, AI can automatically schedule a service appointment and notify the owner.
• Automated Responses: In scenarios where immediate action is necessary, AI can trigger computerized responses. For example, if an IoT sensor detects a water leak in a smart home, AI can shut off the water supply and send an alert to the homeowner.
• Optimized Communication: AI can optimize the timing and channel of communication based on IoT data. For instance, if an e-commerce platform detects a user near a physical store via their IoT-connected smartphone, it can send a real-time offer to encourage an in-store visit.

Improved Customer Experiences

The convergence of Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things within CPaaS not only revolutionizes communication but also redefines customer experiences. This synergy empowers CPaaS to provide unparalleled levels of personalization, proactivity, and value to users:

1. Personalized Interactions

AI’s analytical capabilities delve deep into user behavior and preferences, enabling CPaaS to deliver tailored and personalized interactions:

• Behavior Analysis: AI algorithms meticulously analyze user behavior patterns, helping CPaaS platforms understand individual preferences and trends. This allows for delivering content and messages that resonate with users on a personal level.
• Recommendation Engines: AI-driven recommendation engines leverage historical data to suggest products, services, or content that align with users’ interests and past interactions. This not only enhances engagement but also drives conversions and customer loyalty.
• Contextual Conversations: AI in CPaaS fosters contextual understanding, ensuring each interaction feels relevant and meaningful. By interpreting user queries in context, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants provide more accurate and valuable responses.

3. Proactive Support

The fusion of IoT data and AI predictions equips CPaaS with the ability to offer proactive customer support, addressing issues before they escalate:

• IoT Data Insights: IoT sensors generate a wealth of real-time data. This data can be harnessed when integrated with AI to anticipate potential problems or opportunities. For instance, wearable IoT devices in healthcare can alert healthcare providers to deviations from normal health metrics, enabling early intervention.
• Predictive Maintenance: In industrial settings, IoT sensors on machinery can send data to AI algorithms. These algorithms predict when equipment will likely fail, allowing for preventive maintenance that minimizes downtime and reduces costs.
• Event-triggered Notifications: IoT-triggered events can prompt CPaaS to send automated notifications to users. For example, in in-home security, if an IoT sensor detects unauthorized entry, CPaaS can immediately alert the homeowner’s smartphone and contact the security service.

Security and Privacy Considerations

As the world of communication evolves and becomes increasingly data-centric, security and privacy concerns take center stage. Safeguarding user data and ensuring privacy is paramount in the realm of AI and IoT integration within Communication Platforms as a Service. Let’s explore the critical aspects of security and privacy in this transformative landscape:

1. Data Security

AI plays a pivotal role in bolstering security measures by actively monitoring and protecting against threats within the vast streams of data generated by IoT devices:

• Anomaly Detection: AI-driven anomaly detection systems continuously analyze IoT data streams for irregularities or suspicious activities. This proactive approach allows for the swift identification and mitigation of potential threats.
• Predictive Threat Intelligence: AI leverages historical data and machine learning algorithms to predict potential security threats. AI can fortify IoT networks against emerging risks by recognizing patterns indicative of cyberattacks.
• Behavior-Based Authentication: AI-based authentication systems evaluate user behavior to determine identity. This approach enhances security by identifying unusual behaviors, such as unauthorized access attempts, and prompting additional authentication measures.

“Security isn’t just about protecting data; it’s about protecting trust. Users need to trust that their data is safe and used responsibly in AI and IoT-driven CPaaS.” – David Miller, Chief Security Officer at CyberShield Inc.”

2. Privacy Protection

Striking a delicate balance between delivering highly personalized experiences and safeguarding user data privacy is essential. CPaaS platforms must implement robust privacy protection mechanisms:

• Data Encryption: Data encryption is fundamental in safeguarding sensitive information. IoT data transmitted via CPaaS should be encrypted to ensure confidentiality and protection against interception.
• User Consent Mechanisms: CPaaS platforms should provide clear and transparent user consent mechanisms. Users should have control over how their data is used and shared, with the option to opt in or out of specific services.
• Data Anonymization: AI can assist in anonymizing user data. By removing personally identifiable information from datasets, CPaaS platforms can harness the power of data while minimizing privacy risks.
• Privacy by Design: Privacy considerations should be integrated into the design and development of CPaaS systems from the outset. This approach ensures that privacy is not an afterthought but a foundational element of the platform.

Future Trends and Innovations

As we peer into the future of Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS), it becomes evident that AI and IoT integration will continue to drive transformative trends and innovations. These technologies are poised to shape the CPaaS landscape in revolutionary and exciting ways. Let’s explore some of the emerging trends and innovations that await us:

AI-Powered Voice Assistants and Smart Devices

1. Voice-First Experiences

The rise of AI-powered voice assistants is set to redefine how users interact with CPaaS platforms:

• Voice Commands: Users will increasingly rely on voice commands to navigate CPaaS applications, send messages, initiate calls, and perform various tasks.
• Natural Language Understanding: AI-driven voice assistants will excel in natural language understanding, allowing for fluid and intuitive conversations.
• Multi-Modal Interaction: Voice interactions will seamlessly integrate with other modalities, such as text and visuals, creating multi-modal communication experiences.

“Voice will be the interface of the future. CPaaS providers must prepare for a voice-first world where users expect seamless voice interactions with their applications. – Maria Rodriguez, Voice UX Designer at VoiceTech Innovations”

2. Smart Devices Integration

CPaaS ecosystems will extend their reach into the realm of smart devices, enabling innovative use cases:

• IoT-Driven Automation: Smart devices in homes, offices, and industries will be integrated with CPaaS to enable automation and remote control via mobile apps and voice commands.
• Healthcare Monitoring: Wearable IoT devices will provide real-time health data to CPaaS platforms, allowing for continuous monitoring and proactive healthcare interventions.
  {In healthcare, the remote patient monitoring market, which heavily relies on IoT devices, is projected to reach $117.1 billion by 2027, as reported by Fortune Business Insights, highlighting the significant role of IoT in healthcare communication}
• Connected Vehicles: CPaaS will facilitate communication between connected vehicles, enabling features like traffic updates, remote diagnostics, and in-car entertainment.

3. The Ethical and Regulatory Landscape

As AI and IoT become increasingly integrated into CPaaS, ethical considerations and regulatory frameworks will evolve to ensure responsible and secure usage:

• Data Ethics: The responsible handling of user data, including consent, anonymization, and transparent data usage policies, will be a cornerstone of CPaaS ethics.
• AI Fairness: Efforts to eliminate biases in AI algorithms will gain prominence to ensure equitable and fair user experiences.
• Privacy Regulations: Compliance with data privacy regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA, will continue to be a top priority, with potential new regulations emerging.

4. Innovations Beyond Communication

CPaaS will extend its utility beyond traditional communication, paving the way for novel applications:

• Telehealth and Remote Medicine: CPaaS will facilitate telehealth services, connecting patients and healthcare providers seamlessly for remote consultations and monitoring.
• Smart Cities: IoT-driven CPaaS will play a pivotal role in smart city initiatives, enabling efficient traffic management, waste management, and public safety.
• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): CPaaS platforms will integrate AR and VR for immersive communication experiences, such as virtual meetings and remote collaboration.

“The future of CPaaS is a connected one, where AI-driven personalization, IoT-enabled automation, and innovative use cases converge to create a communication ecosystem that transcends traditional boundaries. It’s a future where users enjoy personalized, secure, and highly efficient communication experiences, all at their fingertips.”

Conclusion

In the future of CPaaS, it’s evident that AI and IoT integration will be a driving force behind transformative change. The synergy between these technologies will usher in hyper-personalized, secure, and context-aware communication. From healthcare to logistics and beyond, the possibilities are boundless. Now, The question is whether AI and IoT will redefine CPaaS but how swiftly this transformation will occur. As users and businesses alike prepare for this exciting future, one thing is certain: the way we communicate is on the verge of an extraordinary evolution.

Featured Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Thank you!

The post The Future of CPaaS: AI and IoT Integration appeared first on ReadWrite.

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Monday.com is a powerful project management and work operating system (Work OS) designed to help teams of all sizes plan, track, and deliver their work efficiently. With an extensive range of functionalities and a user-friendly interface, The project management software has become a favorite tool amongst project managers, marketers, software developers, and agencies. This article will explain its key features, capabilities, alternatives, and pricing options to give you a clear understanding of how Monday.com can transform your team’s productivity and workflow.

Featured Partner for Workplace Productivity Learn More on Monday's website Free Version: FREE FOREVER Starting Price: $8 / monthly Integrations: Outlook, Teams, Slack, Zoom, Excel, Zapier, LinkedIn...

Pricing:

Monday.com offers various pricing plans to suit the needs of individuals, teams, and enterprises:

Individual Plan (Free):

This plan offers basic functionalities such as 2 boards with unlimited items, 1 GB storage, and 2 automation recipes per board.

Basic Plan ($8 per seat/month):

This plan includes features such as unlimited boards, 5 GB storage, 5 custom workflow recipes per board, and 1 dashboard. It’s a great option for smaller teams.

Standard Plan ($10 per seat/month):

This plan provides additional features such as 20 GB storage, 10 custom workflow recipes per board, 3 dashboards, and the ability to invite unlimited guests. It’s ideal for mid-sized teams with complex projects.

Pro Plan ($16 per seat/month):

With 50 GB storage, 25 custom workflow recipes per board, and 10 dashboards, the Pro plan offers advanced features like integration with private apps, time tracking, external access, and chart view. It’s suitable for larger teams with more complex needs.

Enterprise Plan:

Enterprises can contact Monday.com for a customized plan with features such as increased security, custom onboarding, and tailored reporting to fit their unique requirements.

Featured Partner for Workplace Productivity Learn More on Monday's website Free Version: FREE FOREVER Starting Price: $8 / monthly Integrations: Outlook, Teams, Slack, Zoom, Excel, Zapier, LinkedIn...

Interface Screenshots

Key Features:

• Visual task and project management: Monday.com offers a flexible and intuitive interface that allows you to visualize your team’s projects and tasks on customizable boards. You can create multiple groups, columns, and rows to provide a clear overview of the project’s progress.
  • Monday was even featured in Entrepreneur.com as  one of the. “top apps for team management.”
• Automation and integrations: The software allows you to automate repetitive tasks and actions by setting up custom rules and triggers. You can also seamlessly integrate Monday.com with a host of other popular tools, such as Google Drive, Slack, and Microsoft Outlook.
• Collaboration and communication: With Monday.com, your team members can collaborate effectively by commenting, tagging, and updating task status within the platform. It also supports file sharing, thus eliminating the need for external communication platforms.

Time tracking and reporting: The software offers a built-in time tracking feature and customizable reports that will help you analyze your team’s performance and productivity.

Featured Partner for Workplace Productivity Learn More on Monday's website Free Version: FREE FOREVER Starting Price: $8 / monthly Integrations: Outlook, Teams, Slack, Zoom, Excel, Zapier, LinkedIn...

Capabilities:

• Scalable for businesses of all sizes: Monday can accommodate the changing requirements of businesses as they grow, with customizable features that suit both small teams and large enterprises.
• High customization options: The platform allows users to create their own custom work processes by building tailored boards, dashboards, and automations.
• iOS and Android mobile apps: Monday offers mobile apps for both iOS and Android devices, enabling users to manage tasks, projects, and collaborate on the go.
• Security features: Monday has an extensive range of security features, including GDPR compliance, TLS encryption, and adhering to global security standards, ensuring that your data is safe and secure.

Featured Partner for Workplace Productivity Learn More on Monday's website Free Version: FREE FOREVER Starting Price: $8 / monthly Integrations: Outlook, Teams, Slack, Zoom, Excel, Zapier, LinkedIn...

Pros and Cons

Key Competitors and Alternatives

1. Asana:

Asana is another popular project management tool that offers a flexible platform to manage tasks, projects, and collaborations. It has a simple interface, making it great for smaller teams.

2. Trello:

Trello offers a visual approach to project management with its card-based system. It’s great for teams that prefer a more visual interface for project organization.

3. Basecamp:

Basecamp offers additional features for teams, such as file storage, chat, and team collaboration tools. It’s an ideal solution for remote teams and businesses that require a comprehensive yet simple project management system.

Featured Partner for Workplace Productivity Learn More on Monday's website Free Version: FREE FOREVER Starting Price: $8 / monthly Integrations: Outlook, Teams, Slack, Zoom, Excel, Zapier, LinkedIn...

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What are some alternatives to Monday.com?

A:1 Some popular alternatives to Monday include:

1. Asana
2. Trello
3. Basecamp
4. Wrike
5. ClickUp
6. Smartsheet

It’s important to compare the features, pricing, and user interface of each tool to find the perfect fit for your team’s needs.

Q:2 Is there a free trial available?

A:2 Yes, Monday offers a 14-day free trial that allows you to test out all the features and functionality without any commitment. No credit card information is required to sign up for the free trial.

Q3: Can Monday be used for remote teams?

A:3 Absolutely! Monday is designed to support remote teams, helping them collaborate effectively and stay organized, even when working from different locations. Features like real-time updates, file sharing, communication tools, and integration with popular third-party apps make it an excellent choice for distributed teams.

Q:4 Is it suitable for small businesses or startups?

A:4 Yes, it is well-suited for businesses of all sizes, including small businesses and startups. Its scalable, flexible features can accommodate growing teams, and its pricing plans offer options for various budgets.

Q5: What integrations does Monday offer?

A5: The company offers integrations with many popular third-party apps and services, including Google Drive, Slack, Dropbox, Zapier, Microsoft Teams, and more. This enables seamless communication and collaboration across tools, making it easy to centralize all your work in one place.

Q6: How secure is Monday.com?

A6: The company prioritizes data privacy and security. It is compliant with industry-leading standards such as ISO 27001, GDPR, SOC 2 Type II, and the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework. They also employ measures like encryption for data at rest and in transit, two-factor authentication, and single sign-on (SSO) to protect user data

Featured Partner for Workplace Productivity Learn More on Monday's website Free Version: FREE FOREVER Starting Price: $8 / monthly Integrations: Outlook, Teams, Slack, Zoom, Excel, Zapier, LinkedIn...

Conclusion:

Monday.com is a powerful and highly customizable project management tool designed to maximize productivity and streamline workflows for teams of all sizes. Its wide range of features, integrations, and pricing options make it an excellent choice for businesses looking to optimize their operations effectively. By understanding the key aspects of the project management software and comparing it with its alternatives, you can make an informed decision about the best project management tool for your business.

The post Monday.com | Pricing, Review, Alternatives, FAQ appeared first on ReadWrite.

In a monumental shift towards the future, Google has made an astonishing realization that has spurred the company to realign its approach to artificial intelligence (AI). Recent reports indicate that Google Assistant, one of the most widely used virtual assistants, is undergoing a generative face-lift, harnessing the power of the latest large language model (LLM) technology. This strategic move reflects Google’s ambition to explore the immense potential of a supercharged Assistant, revolutionizing the way users interact with this groundbreaking technology.

According to an internal email leaked by Axios, the Assistant team leads see a tremendous opportunity to leverage the capabilities of cutting-edge LLM technology and transform Google Assistant into a more robust and intelligent virtual companion. This shift in vision signifies Google’s determination to catch up with other companies that have already demonstrated the power of generative AI in their own products. However, this transformation is not merely a cosmetic upgrade; it entails a series of organizational changes and technological advancements that will shape the future of Google Assistant in the months to come.

Virtual assistants like Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, and Apple’s Siri have played a pivotal role in simplifying digital interactions. These assistants acted as efficient interfaces where users provided specific commands, akin to filling in the blanks of a Mad Libs game. While this approach might not have encompassed the true essence of artificial intelligence, it proved to be immensely practical in facilitating everyday tasks and queries.

Large language models (LLMs) have garnered significant attention in recent years as a promising avenue for enhancing the capabilities of virtual assistants. LLMs possess the unique ability to follow the flow of a conversation and generate responses that are contextually relevant and linguistically coherent. This advancement holds immense potential for enhancing the user experience and making virtual assistants more conversational and intuitive.

However, the deployment of LLMs in virtual assistants is not without its challenges. While these models excel at generating creative and contextually appropriate responses, they sometimes fall short in addressing specific user queries. For example, users may not desire a philosophical discourse when asking about the duration of a drive to the beach. Striking the right balance between conversational AI and providing practical information remains a crucial challenge in the development of generative virtual assistants.

One possible solution to address the limitations of generative AI is to create a versatile interface that can seamlessly transition between conversational and fact-based modes. Google, with its vast resources and expertise, is placing its bets on developing an Assistant that can cater to both user preferences. By harnessing the power of LLM technology, Google aims to create a virtual assistant that can effortlessly handle casual conversations as well as provide accurate and concise information when required.

Contextual relevance is a critical aspect of virtual assistant technology. While traditional virtual assistants relied on specific commands and queries, generative AI enables virtual assistants to understand and respond to natural language inputs in a more nuanced manner. This capability allows users to engage in more dynamic and interactive conversations with their virtual assistants, greatly enhancing the overall user experience.

However, striking the right balance between context and relevance is paramount. Users expect their virtual assistants to comprehend their queries accurately and provide precise responses. A highly context-sensitive virtual assistant might impress users with its ability to generate poetic weather forecasts but could quickly wear out its welcome if it fails to deliver timely and accurate information.

While generative AI has immense potential, it may not be the ideal solution for all use cases. For instance, users typically expect their navigation systems to provide concise directions rather than engage in lengthy conversations about the merits of different types of seafood. In such scenarios, a versatile interface that seamlessly transitions between conversational and fact-based modes could ensure that users receive the information they need without unnecessary detours.

Google’s decision to pivot towards generative AI for Google Assistant is a testament to the company’s commitment to remaining at the forefront of technological innovation. By capitalizing on the latest advancements in LLM technology, Google aims to create a virtual assistant that can cater to the diverse needs and preferences of its users. This strategic move also positions Google to compete effectively with other tech giants that have already made significant strides in the realm of generative AI.

In summary, the transformation of Google Assistant into a generative AI-powered virtual assistant marks a crucial milestone in the evolution of AI technology. By integrating large language models and harnessing the capabilities of generative AI, Google aims to create a virtual assistant that can seamlessly navigate between casual conversations and providing accurate information. This shift in vision reflects Google’s commitment to enhancing the user experience and maintaining its position as a leader in the tech industry. As Google Assistant undergoes this remarkable transformation, users can expect an even more intelligent and intuitive virtual companion that will redefine the way they interact with technology in the future.

First reported on TechCrunch

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the recent shift in Google Assistant’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI)?

Google Assistant is undergoing a generative face-lift, harnessing the power of the latest large language model (LLM) technology. This transformation reflects Google’s ambition to explore the potential of a more robust and intelligent virtual assistant.

Why is Google making this transformation?

Google aims to catch up with other companies that have demonstrated the power of generative AI in their products and revolutionize the way users interact with Google Assistant.

What does the leaked internal email reveal about Google Assistant’s future?

According to the leaked email, the Assistant team sees a tremendous opportunity to leverage cutting-edge LLM technology and transform Google Assistant into a more intelligent virtual companion.

What is the role of large language models (LLMs) in enhancing virtual assistants?

LLMs enable virtual assistants like Google Assistant to follow the flow of a conversation and generate contextually relevant and linguistically coherent responses, making them more conversational and intuitive.

What challenges are associated with deploying LLMs in virtual assistants?

One of the challenges is striking the right balance between conversational AI and providing practical information. Sometimes, LLMs may generate creative responses but fail to address specific user queries accurately.

How will Google address the limitations of generative AI in Google Assistant?

Google aims to create a versatile interface that seamlessly transitions between conversational and fact-based modes. This will allow the Assistant to cater to both casual conversations and provide accurate information when required.

Why is contextual relevance crucial for virtual assistant technology?

Contextual relevance enables virtual assistants to understand and respond to natural language inputs in a nuanced manner, leading to more dynamic and interactive conversations with users.

How will Google ensure the balance between context and relevance in Google Assistant’s transformation?

Google’s aim is to develop an Assistant that can handle both conversational queries and provide precise and accurate information when needed.

Is generative AI the ideal solution for all use cases in virtual assistants?

No, generative AI might not be suitable for all scenarios. In some cases, users may prefer concise and factual responses rather than lengthy and creative conversations.

What does Google’s pivot towards generative AI for Google Assistant signify?

Google’s decision showcases its commitment to technological innovation and creating a virtual assistant that caters to diverse user needs and preferences.

How will Google Assistant’s transformation impact the overall user experience?

By integrating large language models and harnessing generative AI capabilities, users can expect a more intelligent and intuitive virtual assistant that can seamlessly navigate between conversations and providing accurate information.

Featured Image Credit: Unsplash

The post Google Assistant Is Getting a Major Upgrade appeared first on ReadWrite.

In the digital landscape of today’s business world, graphic design has become a fundamental element in effectively conveying messages and values. Whether it’s for creating compelling social media posts or designing presentations, the visual component is critical. Online design tools like create.vista.com/create/storyboards/ guide their users and help them create polished-looking designs.

However, tools alone are not enough. This article intends to present a comprehensive overview of fundamental tips to enhance your designs, especially if you are new to the field.

Understand the Basics of Design Principles

All good design starts with a solid understanding of the fundamentals. Before you jump into creating designs, it is essential to understand the basics of design principles.

Composition and Layout

Ever glanced at a design and felt your eyes naturally drawn across the page? That’s likely due to a strong composition and layout. Principles like the rule of thirds, grid systems, and visual hierarchy all contribute to creating a balanced design that guides the viewer’s eye. Remember, your design should tell a story – so arrange your elements in a way that makes it easy for your audience to follow along!

Color Theory

Colors can be powerful storytellers. They evoke emotions, grab attention, and even influence behavior. Understanding color psychology and the art of choosing harmonious color palettes is critical for creating visually appealing designs. Experiment, play around with different hues and tones, and watch your design come alive.

Typography

Typography is much more than just picking a pretty font. Different typefaces convey different feelings and messages, and they can significantly impact your design’s overall look and feel. The golden rule here? Keep your typography consistent and legible. And remember, less is often more when it comes to fonts!

White Space

Don’t underestimate the power of white space! It gives your design room to breathe and helps important elements stand out. Use it wisely to improve clarity and create focus in your designs. Think of it as the pause in music; it enhances the overall composition.

Prioritize Simplicity and Consistency

In the realm of design, simplicity often triumphs over complexity. Clean and uncluttered designs not only provide ease of comprehension but also offer visual delight. When unsure, remember to keep it simple! Eliminate any extraneous elements and allow your design to speak for itself.

Consistency, in turn, establishes a sense of familiarity and trust among your audience. This entails maintaining a cohesive style and visual language throughout all your designs. Whether it’s through consistent color schemes, typography choices, or graphic styles, embracing consistency unifies the elements seamlessly.

Pay Attention to Details

Alignment and proportion are the unsung heroes of a good design. When elements are aligned and proportions are maintained, it brings harmony and balance to your design. It’s visually pleasing and guides the viewer’s eye across the page.

Always use high-resolution images and graphics in your designs. This way, your work looks professional and sharp, no matter where it’s displayed.

Consider User Experience

Effective design encompasses more than just aesthetics; it also prioritizes clarity and comprehension. Ensure that your designs are easily legible and accessible to all by employing suitable font sizes and contrast ratios. 

In today’s fast-paced, multi-device landscape, responsive design is indispensable. Your designs should exude excellence and perform seamlessly, whether accessed via smartphone, tablet, or desktop. Always subject your designs to comprehensive testing across various devices to guarantee a fluid user experience.

Seek and Implement Feedback

Getting feedback from peers, coworkers, or online communities can provide valuable insights and fresh perspectives. It’s an opportunity to view your work through someone else’s eyes and make necessary improvements.

Design is a process, not a one-and-done deal. Feel free to revise and refine your designs based on the feedback you receive. Each iteration brings you a step closer to a design that looks good and effectively fulfills its purpose.

Finding Inspiration for Your Designs

Usually, you can easily find inspiration with templates offered by graphic design tools. But when you need to create something from scratch, here are some other to look for ideas:

Online Platforms

The internet is a treasure trove of creative works from artists around the globe. Websites like Behance, Dribbble, and Pinterest allow designers to showcase their work, providing a vast library of ideas at your fingertips. Instagram also houses an immense community of graphic designers whose innovative works can inspire your next project.

Nature

Nature has been an inspiration for artists since time immemorial. The colors of a sunset, the patterns on a leaf, or the symmetry of a snowflake, nature is filled with intricate designs waiting to be discovered. Try taking a walk outdoors or browsing through nature photography to stimulate your creativity.

Books and Magazines

Printed materials are another great source of inspiration. Graphic design books not only provide insights into the principles and techniques of the craft but also feature inspiring works from renowned designers. Magazines, on the other hand, offer a wealth of typography, layout, and color scheme ideas.

Art and History

Art history is a goldmine of design inspiration. Different art movements, such as surrealism, minimalism, or pop art, each have unique aesthetics that can inspire modern designs. Visiting an art museum or gallery can expose you to a variety of styles and mediums.

Everyday Life

Inspiration can strike at the most unexpected moments. It could be from a catchy billboard on your commute, the packaging of a product you purchased, or even the color palette of a movie scene. Keep your eyes open and your mind receptive to the designs around you.

Design Challenges

Participating in design challenges can also spark creativity. These challenges, often hosted by online design communities, provide prompts that can push you out of your comfort zone and inspire innovative solutions.

Conclusion

Regardless of what you need to create, these fundamental tips will surely make the graphic design process easier for you. They serve as a starting point, providing a solid foundation for creating effective designs. 

We encourage you to take these tips and apply them to your design projects. Experiment with different layouts, play around with color theory, choose your typography carefully, and pay close attention to the user experience.

The post Essential Graphic Design Tips: Elevate Your Designs with These Fundamentals appeared first on ReadWrite.

Shopify, a leading ecommerce platform, is constantly pushing the boundaries of technology to provide its merchants with innovative solutions. One such solution is Shopify Sidekick, an AI-powered assistant that is revolutionizing the way ecommerce merchants run their businesses. In this article, we will explore the capabilities of Shopify Sidekick and how it is redefining the ecommerce landscape.

Shopify Magic is Shopify’s catchall brand for generative AI. It encompasses a wide range of features that leverage the power of artificial intelligence to assist merchants in various aspects of their business. With Shopify Magic, merchants can now access a suite of tools that generate tailored content, provide intelligent answers, and even assist in decision making.

One of the standout features of Shopify Magic is its ability to generate content that is tailored to the needs of individual merchants. Using a combination of proprietary Shopify data and large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Shopify Magic can now generate blog posts, product descriptions, and marketing email content. This means that merchants no longer have to spend hours crafting engaging content – Shopify Magic does it for them.

But the real star of the show is Shopify Sidekick, a conversational AI assistant trained to “know and understand all of Shopify.” Sidekick acts as a virtual assistant for merchants, answering questions and performing tasks related to their business. Whether it’s setting up a holiday sale or segmenting customers for targeted marketing, Sidekick has the answers.

Sidekick can also summarize information across sales documents, perform basic product research, and even modify a merchant’s shop design. From adding product collections to suggesting themes and copy for a hero banner, Sidekick is a versatile tool that streamlines the ecommerce experience.

The capabilities of Shopify Sidekick are made possible by harnessing the power of AI and sophisticated language models. By combining Shopify’s proprietary data with cutting-edge language models like ChatGPT, Shopify Magic achieves a level of customization and intelligence that is unparalleled in the industry.

With Shopify Magic, merchants can personalize their content like never before. Whether it’s generating blog posts for specific events or customizing the tone of voice for marketing emails, Shopify Magic empowers merchants to create content that resonates with their target audience. Additionally, merchants can translate content into different languages, expanding their reach to a global market.

While AI has the potential to generate content automatically, Shopify understands the importance of maintaining control over the final output. That’s why merchants have the opportunity to review and modify the content generated by Shopify Magic before it goes live. This ensures that the content meets the merchant’s standards and aligns with their brand identity.

Shopify’s commitment to AI goes beyond just providing merchants with convenient tools. The company believes that AI has the potential to revolutionize the way businesses are built and grown. As Miqdad Jaffer, Shopify’s head of product for AI, puts it, “We believe that there isn’t any corner of the internet that will benefit more from AI than the pursuit of people building and growing their own businesses.”

Shopify is constantly evolving its AI features to meet the needs of its merchants. Features like Sidekick are continuously updated and improved to provide merchants with the most relevant and useful information. As technology advances and new trends emerge, Shopify is at the forefront, ensuring that its merchants have access to the latest tools and capabilities.

One of the key objectives of Shopify Magic is to make the power of AI accessible to businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a small online store or a large enterprise, Shopify Magic provides you with the tools you need to compete in the ever-growing ecommerce landscape. With Shopify Sidekick by your side, you can focus on what you do best – running your business – while leaving the AI-powered tasks to the experts.

First reported on TechCrunch

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is Shopify Sidekick?

A: Shopify Sidekick is an AI-powered assistant developed by Shopify, a leading ecommerce platform. It acts as a virtual assistant for merchants, providing intelligent answers to questions, generating tailored content such as blog posts and marketing emails, and assisting in various tasks related to running an ecommerce business.

Q2: How does Shopify Sidekick leverage AI to assist merchants?

A: Shopify Sidekick utilizes generative AI and large language models (LLMs), such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, to provide intelligent responses and perform tasks based on the merchant’s needs. It leverages Shopify’s proprietary data and cutting-edge language models to offer a level of customization and intelligence that sets it apart in the industry.

Q3: What tasks can Shopify Sidekick perform for ecommerce merchants?

A: Shopify Sidekick can assist merchants with a range of tasks, including setting up promotions and sales, segmenting customers for targeted marketing, summarizing sales documents, performing product research, and even modifying the shop design. It is a versatile tool that streamlines the ecommerce experience.

Q4: Can merchants personalize the content generated by Shopify Magic?

A: Yes, Shopify Magic allows merchants to personalize the content generated by AI. Whether it’s blog posts, marketing emails, or other content, merchants have the opportunity to review and modify the output to align with their brand identity and meet their standards.

Q5: What is the vision behind Shopify Magic and Shopify Sidekick?

A: The vision behind Shopify Magic is to provide merchants with a suite of AI-powered tools to enhance their ecommerce operations. Shopify Sidekick, as part of Shopify Magic, aims to be a virtual assistant that knows and understands all of Shopify, empowering merchants to run their businesses more efficiently and effectively.

Q6: How does Shopify ensure that merchants have control over the content generated by AI?

A: While AI can automatically generate content, Shopify recognizes the importance of maintaining control over the final output. Merchants have the opportunity to review and modify the content before it goes live, ensuring it meets their standards and aligns with their brand identity.

Q7: How does Shopify Sidekick benefit businesses of all sizes?

A: Shopify Magic, including Sidekick, is designed to make the power of AI accessible to businesses of all sizes. Whether a small online store or a large enterprise, Shopify Sidekick provides the tools needed to stay competitive in the dynamic ecommerce landscape.

Q8: How does Shopify continue to evolve its AI features?

A: Shopify is committed to continuously improving its AI features like Sidekick to meet the evolving needs of merchants. The company updates and enhances the capabilities of its AI tools to provide merchants with the most relevant and useful information, keeping them at the forefront of technological advancements in ecommerce.

Q9: What is the long-term impact of Shopify Sidekick on the ecommerce industry?

A: As the ecommerce landscape continues to evolve, Shopify Sidekick’s AI-powered capabilities are poised to revolutionize the industry. By streamlining operations, generating tailored content, and providing intelligent assistance, Shopify Sidekick empowers merchants to thrive in the digital age and stay ahead of the competition.

Q10: How can merchants benefit from embracing the power of AI with Shopify Sidekick?

A: By embracing the power of AI with Shopify Sidekick, merchants can focus on running their businesses while leaving AI-powered tasks to the experts. With its ability to generate content, provide intelligent answers, and streamline operations, Shopify Sidekick enhances the overall ecommerce experience, helping businesses achieve success in the highly competitive online market.

Featured Image Credit: Unsplash

The post Shopify Sidekick: The ChatGPT of Ecommerce appeared first on ReadWrite.

The Browser Company has recently made an exciting announcement: the Arc browser is now available to everyone. After being in invite-only mode for over a year, the company has decided to open up access to their browser, marking this launch as version 1.0. Alongside this release, The Browser Company has also unveiled a revamped website to promote the public availability of Arc.

Arc browser is built on the Chromium architecture

The Arc browser, developed by The Browser Company, is built on the Chromium architecture. This choice allows users to easily transfer their saved bookmarks, logins, and extensions from other browsers. While this may be a convenient feature for those already accustomed to Chromium-based browsers, new users might face a slight learning curve due to Arc’s unique approach to tabs.

In Arc, tabs are treated more like applications, resembling a “nerdy” product that caters to users who prefer navigating through the browser using keyboard shortcuts. To facilitate this, Arc offers a range of customizable shortcuts for different actions, providing a tailored browsing experience for power users.

One of the standout features of Arc is its ability to create different “Spaces” for organizing tabs. Users can create spaces such as “Work,” “Entertainment,” “Vacation,” and “Notetaking” to categorize and store tabs related to specific activities. This allows for quick and easy access to relevant tabs without the clutter of keeping them all open simultaneously.

Users can pin up to six standard tabs in each space

Within each space, users can pin up to six common tabs, ensuring easy access to frequently used sites across spaces. Additionally, tabs can also be pinned individually within each space. This organizational structure promotes efficient multitasking and a streamlined browsing experience.

Arc incorporates built-in note-taking and whiteboard tools beyond the traditional browsing experience. These features enable users to jot down ideas, take notes, and collaborate in real-time without leaving the browser. This integration of productivity tools within the browser sets Arc apart from its competitors.

The Browser Company has rolled out several updates and features in the past few months to enhance the Arc browser’s functionality and user experience. Let’s explore some of these notable additions.

Arc introduced a fun and innovative feature called Boosts.

With Boosts, users can customize the theme and layout of websites without any coding skills. This includes ability to remove specific sections and buttons, tailoring the browsing experience to individual preferences. This level of customization empowers users to create a personalized environment within the browser.

To enhance usability, The Browser Company introduced a toolbar sitting atop the browser window. This new addition provides easy access to the URL bar and site settings, eliminating the need to navigate through the sidebar. This streamlined interface simplifies the browsing experience and improves overall efficiency.

Arc has picture-in-picture support for Google Meet

Arc now offers picture-in-picture support for Google Meet, allowing users to continue participating in video conferences while browsing other tabs. Additionally, the browser has made notable improvements to multi-window support, enabling users to manage multiple browsing windows seamlessly. These enhancements contribute to a more flexible and productive browsing experience.

Many popular browsers in the market have integrated AI assistants, and Arc is also exploring the possibility of incorporating AI technology into its browser. The company has showcased a demo highlighting how AI could assist users in modifying elements of websites. While these features are not currently available, The Browser Company plans to ship updates and new features in the future, potentially including AI integration.

Feedback from users is expanding the product exponentially

As The Browser Company continues to develop the Arc browser and gather feedback from users, the future looks promising. With plans to launch a Windows version later this year, the company aims to expand its user base and provide a seamless browsing experience across multiple platforms.

With its unique approach to tab organization, built-in productivity tools, and customizable features like Boosts, Arc stands out as a browser that caters to power users seeking a highly tailored and efficient browsing experience. As updates and new features are introduced, Arc has the potential to become a formidable competitor in the browser market.

Stay tuned for more exciting developments from The Browser Company and the Arc browser as they strive to redefine the web browsing experience with innovative features and user-centric design.

First reported on TechCrunch

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the Arc browser, and what sets it apart from other browsers?

The Arc browser, developed by The Browser Company, is a Chromium-based browser that offers a unique approach to tab organization. It treats tabs more like applications, catering to users who prefer navigating through keyboard shortcuts. Arc allows users to create customizable “Spaces” to organize tabs and offers built-in note-taking and whiteboard tools for productivity. The browser’s innovative feature, Boosts, allows users to customize the layout and theme of websites without coding skills, providing a highly tailored browsing experience.

Q. How does Arc’s tab organization work, and what are Spaces?

Arc’s tab organization treats tabs as applications and offers customizable “Spaces” to categorize and store tabs related to specific activities. Users can create Spaces like “Work,” “Entertainment,” and “Notetaking” to access relevant tabs quickly. Each Space can have up to six standard tabs pinned for efficient multitasking.

Q. What productivity tools does Arc offer within the browser?

Arc integrates built-in note-taking and whiteboard tools, allowing users to jot down ideas, take notes, and collaborate in real-time without leaving the browser. This unique feature enhances productivity and streamlines the browsing experience.

Q. What does The Browser Company introduce some recent updates and enhancements to Arc?

The Browser Company has rolled out several updates to enhance Arc’s functionality and user experience. Notable additions include Boosts, which enable users to customize website layouts without coding skills, and a new toolbar for easy access to the URL bar and site settings. Arc also introduced picture-in-picture support for Google Meet and improved multi-window support for seamless multitasking.

Q. What are the future plans for the Arc browser?

The Browser Company plans to launch a Windows version of Arc later this year, expanding its user base and providing a seamless browsing experience across multiple platforms. Additionally, The Browser Company is exploring incorporating AI technology into the browser to enhance user experience and customization options further.

Featured Image Credit: Nasa; Unsplash; Thank you!

The post Introducing Arc Browser: A New Web Browsing Experience appeared first on ReadWrite.

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work and hybrid work have encroached their way into normalcy. Now that many people have gotten used to this arrangement, with some of those people thriving in it, it’s unlikely that remote or hybrid work will ever go away.

But remote work is starting to lose momentum.

Why is this the case?

The End of the Pandemic

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies worked fervently to develop new policies and transition to a fully remote environment to maintain public health and comply with regulations and recommendations from authorities.

There were certainly people working from home long before the pandemic, and working from home was on an upward trajectory before this virus began to spread. The dawn of the pandemic was a flashpoint that sparked millions of businesses and individuals to adopt a policy they may not have been ready for. It’s no surprise that the end of the pandemic would inspire them to revert to old ways.

There are a couple of complicating factors here. First, what day did the pandemic end? Most of us witnessed a slow and ambiguous transition from borderline apocalyptic conditions to a return to everyday life – and this unfolded over the course of a couple of years. With no official end date and lingering pandemic uncertainty, many organizations are only now feeling comfortable reverting back to office work.

Second, many companies handled the transition to working remotely in a sloppy and improvised fashion. They pretty much had to. Some tech startups were able to plan a fully functional, remote business from the ground up, but most businesses simply took work in the office and tried to shoehorn it into a work-from-home model. Unfortunately, this sloppy and improvised approach probably led to inferior remote work results, prompting leaders to assume that remote work was the root cause of the problem. Accordingly, sentiments toward working from home have shifted.

The Complicated Question of Productivity

Does working from home make you more productive?

It’s a complicated question. In the mid-2010s, we saw a slew of new scientific studies that suggested working from home increased productivity, but even those were questioned; was it working from home that made people more productive, or were people trying extra hard to prove that working from home was a benefit worth retaining?

In reality, the simple answer is that working from home makes some people more productive and some people less productive. There are too many variables, including contradictory ones, to come up with a concise and universal explanation.

For example:

Workspaces.

The nature of your workspace can make a big impact on your productivity and mindset. Some people even chose to work outside, sprucing up the outdoor setup with a full outdoor kitchen and a set of comfy patio furniture. Some people upgraded a room in their house to serve as a fully functional and isolated office. These spaces facilitate higher productivity. But other people simply chose to work on the couch, or at the dining room table, and some people barely had enough living space to work comfortably. These options aren’t conducive to long-term productivity.

Personal autonomy.

Typically, working from home means having more personal autonomy. You may have more scheduling flexibility, and you’ll certainly have more leniency with how you work. For some people, this is a godsend, enabling them to tap into their true potential. For others, freedom is a double-edged sword; they may find it harder to focus or stay on task when left to their own decisions.

Isolation from distraction.

Are there more or fewer distractions when you work from home? It depends. Some remote workers were able to create an environment where they were completely free from distraction, isolated from both coworkers and family members. But for others, working from home increased the number of distractions preventing them from working productively. Loud children playing, access to the TV, and noisy traffic are just a few examples. It’s also worth noting that some distractions can be valuable; having access to a break room or participating in conversations with coworkers can be a meaningful opportunity to destress and decompress.

Access to resources.

It’s hard to make the argument that an average person has access to more resources in a remote work environment than they do in a traditional office environment. With access to coworkers, better technology, and more support, most people thrive in a traditional environment over a remote one. But some remote workers were able to afford (or were granted) an environment that could at least come close to what they had previously.

Digital collaboration tools.

Do digital collaboration tools make us more productive or less productive? Again, it all depends. Some people take to these tools better than others, and some tools are strictly better than others. Project management platforms, shared document editors, and similar tools enhance our capabilities – but they’re rarely a complete substitute for traditional forms of collaboration.

Virtual Meeting Fatigue

Remote work motivated the development of novel technological innovations, including sophisticated video chatting tools that turned virtual meetings into the “new normal.” Virtual meetings are often better than not meeting at all, but they pale in comparison to in-person meetings. Between technological hiccups, awkward interruptions, audio issues, and lessened effects of body language and tone, millions of people are now suffering from virtual meeting fatigue.

Stagnated Development

Some corporate leaders, managers, and other authorities are beginning to grow concerned about stagnated development. Junior and inexperienced employees tend to thrive more in environments where they’re constantly interacting and engaging with peers and mentors. After witnessing stagnated skill development, remote work is looking less attractive.

Loneliness and Isolation

Remote work doesn’t have to be lonely, but it often is. Despite the fact that most people celebrated the opportunity to get away from bosses and coworkers, the reality is, human beings are social creatures that thrive in groups. The novelty of alone time at work quickly wore off for millions of people. Additionally, it was replaced by loneliness, and sometimes, depression. It’s true that people can find substitute forms of social interaction, spending more time with friends and family members or engaging in public groups, but for many, interacting in a traditional work environment feels like a practical necessity.

Incentives and Demands

There are many possible motivations for corporate decision makers to reestablish a traditional office environment. Some might flatly desire the old way of doing things, for no other reason than personal preference. Whatever the motivations are, these leaders are prepared to make demands and/or offer incentives. This way they get people back into the office by any means necessary.

The Future Is Hybrid?

If remote work is no longer the universal future we thought it was, then what about hybrid work? In this flexible arrangement, companies can have some of their employees working traditionally, with others working from home; they can also allow working from home only during certain days or certain periods.

We’d argue that the hybrid model has the potential to grant companies and employees the best of both worlds, maintaining some of the advantages of remote work without completely abandoning the traditional office model. But it remains to be seen whether the hybrid model is going to be the most popular adoption.

Regardless of whether you prefer traditional office work or remote work, there’s no ambiguity in the fact that many companies are starting to transition away from the remote work model. If you’re a remote worker who would like to keep those benefits, you’d better start preparing a good pitch. And if you’re dying to get back into the office, rejoice – your ideal transition may be just around the corner.

The post Remote Work May Never Die, But It’s Losing Momentum. Here’s Why. appeared first on ReadWrite.

First reported on The Verge

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered tool developed by Microsoft that provides real-time assistance during phone calls and chat messages. Using natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, Copilot generates summaries, identifies key points, and extracts important information from conversations, making communication more efficient and effective.

Q. How does Microsoft Copilot work?

Microsoft Copilot analyzes the conversation in real-time during phone calls and chat messages and identifies key points, names, and dates. It then generates a conversation summary, allowing users to refer back to important information later. Copilot can also suggest next steps based on the conversation, making it easier to follow up with clients and colleagues.

Q. What benefits does Microsoft Copilot offer?

Microsoft Copilot offers several benefits to users. It allows individuals to stay focused on the conversation rather than taking notes, as it generates real-time summaries. Copilot also helps users stay organized by extracting key information, making it easier to follow up with clients and colleagues and provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions.

Q. How is Copilot useful for Teams phone calls?

Copilot for Teams phone calls is particularly useful for salespeople and individuals dealing with multiple clients. During calls, Copilot can generate summaries, capture relevant questions, and suggest the next steps, facilitating better communication and ensuring essential details are not missed.

Q. What advantages does Copilot bring to Teams chat?

For teams working across time zones or engaging in extensive chat conversations, Copilot in Teams chat is highly beneficial. The tool easily extracts key conversation points from chat threads, making catching up on missed conversations convenient. Additionally, Copilot can extract vital information to create lists or tables, aiding in organizing important details.

Q. Is Microsoft Copilot widely available?

Microsoft Copilot is currently undergoing testing with approximately 600 customers before its broader launch. Early access program participants have access to both Copilot for Teams phone calls and Copilot in Teams chat. Although there is no exact launch date, Microsoft has indicated that it will be priced at an additional $30 per user per month on top of existing Microsoft 365 commercial subscriptions.

Q. What does the future hold for Microsoft Copilot?

The future of Microsoft Copilot looks promising. As more users adopt the tool, Microsoft will likely continue to enhance it and introduce new features. Possibilities include integrating Copilot with other Microsoft tools like Word and Excel, and simplifying the process of creating follow-up emails and reports based on conversations. Furthermore, Microsoft may expand Copilot’s availability beyond Teams, making it accessible on other communication platforms.

Q. Is Microsoft Copilot worth considering for improving communication efficiency?

Microsoft Copilot is a valuable tool to consider if you aim to improve communication efficiency and effectiveness. Its AI-powered features make it easier to stay focused on conversations, extract crucial information, and engage in seamless follow-ups with clients and colleagues. While currently limited to Teams, its potential for growth and integration with other Microsoft tools makes it an attractive option for enhancing communication across the board.

Q. How does Microsoft Copilot differ from other communication tools?

Microsoft Copilot stands out from other communication tools due to its AI-powered capabilities. While many communication platforms offer basic messaging and calling features, Copilot takes it a step further by providing real-time assistance during conversations. Its natural language processing and machine learning algorithms enable it to generate summaries, identify key points, and extract important information, making communication more efficient and productive.

Featured Image Credit: Turag Photography; Unsplash; Thank you!

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Monday.com and Asana.com are two popular project management tools that help teams manage their workflows and collaborate seamlessly. While both platforms offer similar features, such as task management, visualization, and automation, there are some differences in user experience and customization abilities.

Monday.com is known for its Work Operating System (Work OS), which enables users to create custom, board-based workflows for different types of projects. Its user interface is visually appealing and easy to navigate, with features like drag-and-drop functionality, and searchable boards allowing users to manage tasks and deadlines easily. Additionally, Monday.com provides robust automation and integrations, making it a versatile choice for teams looking for a customizable and adaptable solution.

Asana.com, on the other hand, offers a more straightforward task management solution with features such as multi-device project views and the ability to track team progress with detailed reports.

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The platform allows users to create tasks and sub-tasks, assign team members, and set deadlines. Asana’s goal-oriented approach helps teams focus on their objectives. Its clean interface keeps things simple with a smaller learning curve, making it ideal for teams that need a no-frills, efficient project management tool.

Pricing Plans

In terms of pricing plans, both Monday.com and Asana.com cater to a wide range of budgets, offering multiple pricing tiers, as well as free plans. Monday offers four pricing tiers: Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise. The Basic plan starts at $8 per user per month and includes main features such as unlimited boards and 5 GB storage.

As users move up through the pricing tiers, additional features, and storage capacities are unlocked. The Enterprise plan provides even more advanced features and account customizations tailored to meet the needs of large organizations and comes with a custom pricing structure.

Asana also offers four pricing options: Free, Premium, Business, and Enterprise. The Free plan allows up to 15 users to collaborate on projects with basic features like task lists, Kanban boards, and calendar view.

Upgrading to Premium, which starts at $10.99 per user per month, provides features such as custom fields, advanced search, and timelines.

The Business plan, priced at $24.99 per user per month, caters to teams that need more control and customization with additional features such as rules automation and app integrations. Like Monday.com, Asana’s Enterprise plan offers enhanced security, support, and custom pricing to meet the requirements of large organizations.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Is Monday.com or Asana.com better suited for project management?

A1: Both monday.com and asana.com are effective project management tools that facilitate seamless organization and execution of tasks. The choice between the two depends on your team’s preferences, desired level of customization, and specific business requirements.

Q2: How do the pricing models differ for Monday.com and Asana.com?

A2: monday.com provides a free trial and offers four pricing plans: Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise. Prices start at $8 per seat per month. Asana, on the other hand, offers a free basic plan for up to 15 users, with a premium package starting at $10.99 per user per month. There is also a Business and Enterprise plan available.

Q3: Are both platforms user-friendly?

A3: Yes, both monday.com and asana.com have user-friendly interfaces that make them easy to navigate and understand. monday.com has a more visually appealing dashboard with a customizable board view, while Asana focuses on simpler list-like views with drag-and-drop functionality.

Q4: Can I integrate other tools with Monday.com and Asana.com?

A4: Yes, both platforms offer a wide range of integrations with popular tools like Google Drive, Slack, Trello, Microsoft Teams, and more. Each platform has its own unique integrations, ensuring flexible and personalized support for users’ existing workflows.

Q5: Can both platforms handle large teams and projects?

A5: Yes, both monday.com and asana.com are designed to support projects and teams of all sizes. Both platforms offer scalable solutions and collaboration tools suitable for small teams as well as large enterprises.

Q6: Do Monday.com and Asana.com offer reporting and analytics?

A6: Both platforms provide in-built reporting and analytics options to help users monitor project progress and team performance. monday.com has a strong emphasis on data visualization with graphs and charts, while Asana focuses on data-rich reporting with customized project views.

Q7: Are both platforms available on mobile devices?

A7: Yes, both monday.com and asana.com offer downloadable mobile applications for iOS and Android devices, ensuring users can manage and access their projects on-the-go.

Q8: Is my data secure on Monday.com and Asana.com?

A8: Data security is a top priority for both platforms. monday.com and Asana employ stringent security measures like encryption, regular backups, and monitoring systems to safeguard user data. Both platforms also comply with GDPR and other data privacy regulations.

Featured Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Thank you!

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Monday.com and Jira are two popular project management and team collaboration tools that offer a varied range of features to help businesses streamline their work processes. While both platforms possess task management, communication, and reporting functions, they have different focuses and unique features.

Monday.com is known for its intuitive and visually appealing interface, offering a greater sense of customization with boards, columns, and widgets. This makes the platform more suited for creative teams and marketing initiatives.

On the other hand, Jira caters specifically to software development teams with a comprehensive set of features that facilitate agile methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban. It provides robust issue-tracking and bug-reporting capabilities while integrating seamlessly with popular development tools such as GitHub and Bitbucket.

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Product Images

Monday

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Jira

Table Comparison

Pricing Plans

When it comes to pricing plans, both Monday.com and Jira offer various options tailored to different team sizes and budgets. Monday.com has a tier-based system comprising four pricing plans: Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise. The Basic plan starts at $8 per seat per month, where users can benefit from essential features and limited customization options.

Meanwhile, the Standard and Pro plans, priced at $10 and $16 per seat per month, respectively, expand on integration capabilities, customization, and automation. The Enterprise plan is customized to the user’s specific requirements and offers the most comprehensive feature set along with priority support.

In contrast, Jira’s pricing structure focuses on the number of users, with the first tier accommodating up to 10 users for a flat rate of $10 per month. For companies with 11 or more users, Jira utilizes a per-user pricing system that gradually decreases as the user count increases. The exact cost per user is specific to the range of users needed and can be determined through their pricing calculator.

Additionally, Jira offers a Data Center plan for enterprises seeking advanced features, robust scalability, and enhanced support. Overall, both platforms offer competitive pricing options, allowing potential customers to select the best plan according to their requirements and budget constraints.

Pricing Table

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How does the user interface of both tools compare?

A: Monday.com features a visually appealing and user-friendly interface that can be easily customized according to user needs. It offers drag-and-drop functionality and different board views such as timeline, calendar, and kanban. Jira.com has a more complex interface designed for technical users and focuses on issue tracking and detailed reporting. Its interface might take some time for new users to get accustomed to.

Q2: Which tool is better suited for non-technical teams?

A: Monday.com is better suited for non-technical teams as it offers an easy-to-use and intuitive interface. It caters to a wide range of industries, and its flexible setup allows for managing different types of projects, including marketing campaigns, HR processes, and more. Jira.com, on the other hand, is tailored towards technical teams, particularly in software development.

Q3: How do Monday.com and Jira.com compare in pricing?

A: Both Monday.com and Jira.com offer different pricing tiers based on the number of users and features. Monday.com has a Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise plan, starting at $8 per user per month when billed annually. Jira.com offers a Free tier for up to 10 users, and its Standard and Premium plans start at $7 per user per month when billed annually, with an Enterprise plan available in a quote-based system.

Q4: Can Monday.com and Jira.com be integrated with other tools?

A: Yes, both Monday.com and Jira.com provide integrations with a variety of third-party tools. Monday.com integrates with popular applications like Google Drive, Slack, Zoom, and more. Jira.com also offers integrations with tools like Confluence, Bitbucket, and numerous other Atlassian products, as well as a marketplace for additional third-party integrations.

Q5: Are there mobile apps available for Monday.com and Jira.com?

A: Yes, both Monday.com and Jira.com have mobile apps available for iOS and Android devices, allowing users to manage their projects and collaborate with teams on-the-go.

Q6: Which tool should I choose between Monday.com and Jira.com?

A: The best tool for your needs will depend on your specific requirements and the type of projects you manage. If you are looking for a simple, user-friendly, and flexible tool for non-technical teams, Monday.com would be the ideal choice. However, if your focus is on software development, issue tracking, and detailed reporting, Jira.com would be more suitable. It is recommended to start with free trials or demo versions of both tools to determine which one suits your needs best.

Featured Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Thank you!

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The term “cyberloafing” isn’t new, but it got the precise attention of the corporate world in recent years. The entry of pandemic culture, when we all went online, is to blame for that.

No wonder.

Companies lose around $85 billion every year because of cyberloafing. They consider it a billion-dollar waste of time and the main reason for procrastination and productivity loss at work. Since the pandemic event — when employees worked from home, and there was no one to monitor what employees were doing — the issue of cyberloafing has risen with renewed vigor.

We are now cyberloafing more than usual. With everything available and possible to operate online, how we perceive and practice day-to-day work has changed.

But is cyberloafing really so dangerous and destructive? Let’s sort it out.

What is cyberloafing?

Cyberloafing is a universal term to describe the actions of employees using the Internet at a workplace for personal needs.

It relates to any activities other than work such as:

• scrolling social media
• checking personal emails
• ordering items online
• booking travels
• watching YouTube videos, etc.

With remote work on the rise and a tendency to search for any information, including job search, online, no surprise that cyberloafing is only increasing. According to statistics, Millennial and Gen Z employees spend 2+ hours per workday using the Internet for personal needs.

The reasons for cyberloafing during working hours are many. The most common are:

1. Boredom. Struggling with the same monotonous tasks at work, you look for something entertaining online.
2. Ostracism. When feeling lonely and excluded from peers at work, you seek refuge online.
3. Mental breaks. The human brain works in such a way that we need to pause work occasionally to refresh our minds.
4. Competitive tasks. Challenging tasks consume tons of mental effort, and you take short breaks online to reduce stress and burnout.
5. Non-competitive tasks. Getting the role and duties that aren’t challenging enough for you, you push them away for later and spend time on non-work online activities.
6. Upskilling. Enrolled in online courses from top companies, you spend time learning.
7. Internet addiction. Embracing the “reel” life to gain satisfaction and validation from the community, you get addicted and give up real life and time for it.

The benefits of cyberloafing

So, how can distracting yourself from work — at work benefit you?

The boost for numerous studies on this comes from American and Israeli scientists. They researched cyberloafing as a coping mechanism that helped employees deal with boredom at work. After examining 463 university employees of different occupations, they concluded the positive effect of cyberloafing:

When a person gets distracted from current tasks and takes a break from relaxing content on social media, the brain starts a new cycle of information processing. It looks for a place to define this information and how to save it.

The benefits of such distraction are many:

• A positive effect on mood and mental health
• Easier switching between routine tasks thanks to the brain’s “relax” and restart
• Enhanced activity of the brain’s temporal lobes responsible for long-term memory
• Improved concentration and productivity
• Enhanced creative thinking, thanks to healthy procrastination and its effect on imagination, memory, and idea generation.

So, what’s the truth about Cyberloafing? Long story short

Cyberloafing brings more good than harm. It helps the brain to recharge and makes it cope with tasks faster and more efficiently.

More recent studies examining cyberloafing behaviors among university students confirm these findings:

Non-study activities like accessing online content and gaming affected students’ psychological well-being positively. Such results emphasize the importance of evaluating both pros and cons cyberloafing can bring, as well as developing appropriate policies to manage the level of Internet misuse in class or online education.

If so, then what’s the problem?

Internet addiction is destructive, and nothing good will happen if cyberloafing starts taking all the time allocated to work or study.

Potential harms of cyberloafing:

1. Stress and anxiety, especially if you prefer aggressive content, focus on the negative news, or discuss issues you can’t influence.
2. Low self-esteem, especially if you constantly compare yourself to others and believe everything you see on social media.
3. Bad mood and frustration as a consequence of the previous two points.
4. Insomnia and other sleep problems, especially if you spend time with a smartphone or a laptop late into the night. The screen light interferes with melatonin production, a hormone responsible for sleep.

How do you find the right balance between work and cyberloafing? When is it okay to distract by non-work-related activities without harming but benefiting your work efficiency? How to prevent internet addiction, after all?

Using cyberloafing for good

First, find out how much time you spend online to assess the potential harm of your cyberloafing.

• Examine the statistics of your visits and time spent on social networks.
• Study your smartphone activity.
• Track your time online resources with tools like DeskTime, Toggl, Time Doctor, and others.

The study from Hootsuite says that an average internet user spends 2 hours and 28 minutes per day on social media. It’s about 17 hours per week, 74 hours per month, or 37+ days per year! But:

It’s also critical to consider the practical component of this time.

For example, you exercise with YouTube videos daily, which is good for your health. Or, you listen to a podcast that can help you with self-growth. Such cyberloafing is hard to call destructive, agree?

Online courses, e-books or audiobooks, online language learning, and other content encouraging your upskilling can justify cyberloafing. Indeed, sometimes it’s faster to surf an answer online than distract colleagues from work.

Business communities on social media aren’t to blame for destructive cyberloafing, either. Articles, videos, or reviews you find there can help you take a break and learn something new at the same time.

How to balance work and cyberloafing for better productivity:

Take a 5-10 minutes break every hour. The ideal variant would be to spend them on physical exercises. However, if you need an emotional recharge, social media could be a good option, too.

Find content that relaxes you personally. Thus, images or videos with cats will hardly inspire or cheer up those who love fighting dog breeds.

Give preference to content that is soothing rather than stressful. Simply put, views of nature are better than disaster videos, especially if you are a news editor watching those disasters regularly due to your professional duties.

Answer the question, “Do I feel better after a cyberloafing session?”

If blaming yourself for it and moan that you don’t have enough time to complete tasks now, do your best to limit your non-work-related activities at the workplace. But if 10-15 minutes of chatting with friends make you feel inspired and vigorous to continue working, there’s no need to ban such cyberloafing pastime.

In a word

Now that you have a better idea of cyberloafing and its positive impact on your work, it’s time to practice it for stellar productivity.

While many employers or independent specialists limit cyberloafing and use specific tools to manage it, it’s critical to understand the thin line between taking a mental break and destructive procrastination. When used right, cyberloafing brings nothing but benefit and pleasure — and the productivity employers are seeking in the first place.

Featured Image Credit: Artem Podrez; Pexels; Thank you!

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There has been a dramatic transition toward remote and hybrid work arrangements as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. People all across the world have discovered the benefits of working remotely, including a better work-life balance and higher output from their jobs. Adapting to the changing requirements and expectations of employees is essential for businesses in 2023, and it’s evident that remote and hybrid work are here to stay.

Okta and Statista performed a study to determine whether or not employees would prefer flexible work arrangements. This move toward more adaptable working conditions is indicative of a larger workforce trend. Employees appreciate having the freedom to work when and where it best suits them, since this helps them achieve a better work-life balance without sacrificing productivity.

However, there is a huge chasm between what workers would like and what they actually have in terms of their working conditions. Only 43 percent of workers are given the option to work remotely. The “preference gap” of 28 points shows how difficult it is for workers and companies to agree on what constitutes remote and hybrid work. The benefits of having a happy, hardworking staff are at danger for businesses that don’t embrace and facilitate flexibility.

There are several benefits to hybrid work arrangements for employers and workers alike. It helps workers save time and money on commuting, lessens the toll on their health and well-being, and gives them more freedom to manage their personal and professional lives as they see fit. Ivanti found that 71% of business leaders feel that allowing employees to work remotely has a good effect on morale.

However, there are several difficulties associated with making the shift to hybrid work. According to Ivanti’s analysis, this alarming trend is especially problematic among younger workers and knowledge workers. More than a quarter of office workers under the age of 40 are considering leaving their jobs within the next six months, and one-third of those who have “quiet quit” have done so. Workload-related burnout and subsequent declines in mental health are often mentioned as the primary causes of this outlook.

Organizations must invest in critical areas to support their employees and create a more inclusive and productive work environment in order to handle these difficulties and fully embrace the potential of hybrid work.

Hybrid work can only be done efficiently if companies invest in tools that facilitate communication and coordination among employees. It’s important to go beyond traditional methods of communication and think of process-oriented solutions that enable workers to do their jobs effectively from anywhere. Distributed teams can benefit greatly from a streamlined service management solution that is implemented across the firm.

New security risks have emerged as a result of the rise of remote and hybrid work. The Ivanti report stresses the importance of a risk-based remediation plan to lessen the negative effects of remote employment. Businesses should implement company-wide security measures to safeguard confidential information and guarantee legal adherence. By questioning the status quo of security and taking a more proactive stance, businesses can protect their assets while giving their workers the freedom to work securely from anywhere in the world.

It is critical for businesses to put the health and happiness of their employees first in order to reduce IT burnout as they deal with the challenges of hybrid work. By streamlining processes and reducing the number of tools needed, IT departments can function more smoothly and for longer. In order to avoid burnout and foster a positive work environment, business leaders must understand the significance of reducing complexity and provide the necessary assistance to IT staff.

Organizations can close the trust gap between employees and management by actively seeking out employee input and implementing new technology to increase employee agency. Remote and hybrid workplaces can benefit from the use of dynamic collaboration technologies, automated workflows, and AI-powered bots to increase productivity and efficiency. By utilizing these resources and encouraging employee feedback, businesses may foster a more welcoming, enthusiastic, and fruitful workplace for everybody.

As we go into a future of hybrid work, it will be crucial for companies to embrace these changes in order to build a strong and stable workforce. The full potential of remote and hybrid work models can be realized when companies prioritize employee wellness, invest in technology, and develop a culture of cooperation and inclusiveness.

First reported on: CloudTech

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A business brand wants to stay highly productive; it needs to monitor and evaluate employees’ engagement at regular intervals by using employee engagement surveys.

The performance of a company depends on how well-engaged its employees are. Employees with a below-average interest in the company’s goals will record lower productivity ratios. And no employees want that.

In general, the majority of employees send a resignation notice because they are not satisfied with how the company is running or because they aren’t paid sufficient time off.

Any other reasons could be so insignificant that the company’s management overlooks them. Any such issues could lead to the loss of valuable workers.

And therefore, for such reasons, you really want an employee engagement survey to gauge the commitment level of your employees.

Making a successful, effective engagement survey using survey software, however, requires more than just writing down a few sentences with question marks.

Here in this article, we have mentioned a few valuable steps that need to be considered while drafting your survey and how to appropriately boost the data information.

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What is an Employee Engagement Survey?

An employee engagement survey consists of a series of questions that are aimed at collecting data anonymously from your workers. Generally, these questions include all those factors that influence the work productivity of your employees. A few of the things to be considered are:

• Whether your employees understand their role or not?
• Whether they are ok with their work environment?
• What relation do they have with other workers?
• Whether or not your employees are able to easily communicate with your company’s management?
• Are your employees getting the recognition they deserve after achieving a feat?
• Will they recommend their colleagues to join your company?
• Are there any company practices that need to be changed?

These are a few of the factors you need to look at when creating a survey and determine how satisfied and aligned your employees are. The important thing is that the information that will be gathered will help you fix some vital gaps between your workers and encourage a comprehensive perspective on the organization.

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How Does an Employee Engagement Survey Help Improve Company Culture?

An employee engagement survey is the important first step to understanding and improving your company culture. It provides an aerial view of your company’s strengths and areas of opportunity and feedback that is important for identifying where you should focus your attention and action.

An employee engagement survey, when conducted using a survey tool, likewise gauges how much your representatives feel motivated and energized by their work, your organization, and its central goal — and where you can make changes to develop organizational culture further.

A Simple-Step Plan to Create an Effective Employee Engagement Survey

It is very easy to write some arbitrary questions and have them printed out for your employees and ask them to answer those. However, if you want to create a survey that would benefit your company, you must follow the steps provided below:

Set Up A Goal

Before you start creating a survey, you must characterize your expectations from the information you have collected. Only this will help you set the right benchmark, you will have to include the proper questions and prioritize sections that are even more important today.

Try not to overpopulate your survey list with various types of why and how questions. Put forth your boundaries and know the specific data you plan to gather from your employees. You ought to fixate your survey objectives on your organization’s vision and values. Trust, respect, alignment, fulfillment, transparency, and communication are fundamental qualities to consider.

At the point when you have organized these qualities, set a benchmark that will direct the consequence of the survey. Follow through with something like this:

Respect: If something like 75% of our representatives say they feel appreciated working, then we have a high worker respect score.

Satisfaction: If something like half of our workers feel happy with their compensations and additional advantages, then, at that point, we have a high satisfaction score.

Notice the utilization of the if-then statement and how it permits you to make relative determinations. You really want to set explicit rates to facilitate the assessment of the data gathered.

Have Discussions With Top Executives

The commitment status of workers in your organization is the sole worry of both the inside and outside stakeholders. You want to talk about the review content and goals with the top leaders to form a successful strategy.

You ought to include supervisors, group leads, and such, as it additionally helps how they might interpret the data you eventually collate. An aggregate effort in making and breaking down the review result is exceptionally helpful for devising enduring solutions for the areas where they are needed.

At the point when you include the top leaders in your organization, it shows that you esteem their viewpoints — and will pay attention to their ideas. This is an effective method for building compatibility and, what’s more, trust between the workers and the administration.

Moreover, remembering them for the interaction provides them with a superior comprehension of what goes into an engagement survey and what it can mean for the organization overall.

Create Relevant Yet Interesting Questions

To receive honest feedback from your employees, you will have to give them relevant questions and direct questions depending on the values you curated. This step is another important reason why involving the executives may be a good choice.

Now, creating questions that are not generic to your employees can be a hassle. And this is where AI will come in.

You can try utilizing Jasper AI (a leading GPT-3 tool) to develop questions related to your company’s values. All that you have to do in the interphase is input your topic, crowd, and tone for the simulated artificial intelligence to generate relevant poll answers and questionaries for your company.

Prior to recovering the questions, you can, in any case, change the input outputs to steer Artificial Intelligence in the right redirection.

You can cautiously examine the brief I gave it – “Produce some captivating Employee Engagement Survey Questions for a software HR firm.”

Continue to produce an ever-increasing number of questions, and later you can pick just the best ones to remember for your survey.

As opposed to thinking about what to incorporate, figuring out what to utilize is a superior spot to be in.

Keep the Survey Short and Share it With Employees

The main thing here is that you need to make a short study that keeps up with significance and anonymity. However, keep in mind that the surveys must not take more than 10 to 15 minutes.

Once you have completed doing the employee engagement survey, the time has come to impart it to your workers using survey software.

You must give your workers adequate time to process and answer these surveys. A one–week time with a deadline from the date of distribution would be a good start. If the submission time is too short, then there’s a high chance of getting insincere results. But if the submission deadline is too long, the survey might lose its relevance.

In addition to this, you could offer rewards based on the completion of the survey. However, you must be very careful with this because the majority of the representatives could answer the survey with important data just to guarantee the award.

The End Note

The majority of companies fail to understand the importance of good employee engagement. However, there will be a considerable increase in the productivity of your company if the engagement level is relatively high. Moreover, you will be able to find it easier to retain your best workers.

Conducting an employee engagement survey is one of the most outstanding ways of deciding how engaged your workers are. This will give you in-depth knowledge of what really matters to your representatives and how you can aim for improvement.

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Featured Image Credit: Provided by the Author. Pexels; Thank you!

Related Post: Best Productivity Tools of 2023

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Technology startups can only be successful under the oversight of a strong leader. But how do you become a strong leader? And how can you stay sane and effective in this role? One option is to attend regular therapy sessions. Keep reading to learn how therapy is effective for startup leaders and how you can get the most out of your sessions.

How Therapy Can Help You as a Leader

For most startup entrepreneurs, therapy is worth the time and money. If you have a good health insurance policy and individual therapy sessions are only going to cost you a small copay, you should at least give therapy a try.

There are many different types of therapy and psychiatric help available, but we’re using the term generally here. In most therapy approaches, you’ll eventually see benefits like the following:

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Emotion Regulation

One of the greatest benefits of attending regular therapy sessions is the ability to regulate your own emotions. Instead of making rash decisions based on an intense emotion or having your entire day ruined by a single problematic incident, you’ll feel more control over your emotions and the actions you take in response to them.

This isn’t something that happens overnight. Instead, you’ll develop a series of recognition and processing skills that allow you to witness your emotions unfolding in real time and seize control before they dominate your decision-making. If you can stay calm under pressure, you can effectively lead your team during even the most difficult crises. You’ll also inspire your team to remain calmer and clearer in most situations.

Stress Relief

Therapy also plays a role in reducing your stress — and there’s certainly no shortage of stress as a startup entrepreneur. You’ll probably be working long hours in tough circumstances, and income volatility may weigh heavily on your mind. But when you have a neutral third party who’s willing to listen to you and your feelings, the pressure is often significantly lessened.

Objectivity

Are you feeling unsure about a new acquisition? Are you regretting your latest hire? A therapist can be a useful, neutral listening ear. They’re not going to tell you what to do, nor are they going to evaluate your decisions. But they will guide you in asking the right introspective questions to help you find the answers you’re looking for. Even if you feel like you have everything sorted out, a good therapist can help you explore your mind in new ways.

Improved Relationships

With the help of therapy, you can put your relationships in a better context. You can more appropriately manage your feelings and work with the emotions of others. That’s going to lead you to form and maintain better relationships at work. You’ll form closer bonds with your partners and colleagues. You’ll treat your subordinates better and create a better environment for them. You may even get along with your clients better.

Relationship improvements don’t stop at the office; regularly attending therapy can also lead to better relationships at home. Obviously, your personal relationships don’t have much direct influence on the development of your startup, but if you have a supportive environment to come home to, the stress of managing a startup will easily melt away at the end of the day.

Recognition of Crisis Points

Startups are especially prone to volatility. No matter how hard you work or how much you plan, you’re eventually going to run into a major crisis. How do you deal with this stress? How do you stay sane during these tumultuous times? Therapy doesn’t have all the answers, but it can make this type of crisis much easier to handle. Regular sessions can equip you with the tools you need to work more effectively through any ordeal and avoid burnout.

Better Coping Skills

Similarly, therapy sessions can equip you with improved coping skills. Whenever you experience rejection, failure, or seemingly insurmountable obstacles, you can remain strong and push through adversity. Even if you’re already mentally tough, you shouldn’t turn down a potentially helpful boost.

Superior Communication Abilities

Going to therapy is associated with better communication skills as well. Your therapist will guide you with leading questions, helping you articulate your thoughts and feelings in a more clear and concise way. And by learning from the clarifying way your therapist phrases certain statements, you can talk to your employees and clients more effectively. You’ll also gain more emotional intelligence, which can assist you even further.

Higher Self-Esteem and Confidence

Whether you’re gearing up for your busy season or are dealing with a new competitive threat, entrepreneurs are constantly forced to make hard choices. The more confident you feel, the easier those choices are going to be — and the more respect you’ll win from your employees and partners. After several therapy sessions, you’ll almost certainly feel a confidence boost that will stick with you indefinitely.

Fine-Tuned Emotional Intelligence

Higher emotional intelligence means you’ll be able to more easily recognize emotions in other people and respond to those emotions appropriately. You’ll also have an easier time recognizing and controlling emotions within yourself. It’s an excellent recipe for healthier workplace interactions.

Specific Issue Resolution

If you’re struggling with a specific behavioral or psychological issue, therapy can guide you through it. For example, if you regularly struggle with depression or if you have anxiety associated with specific types of interactions, your therapist can work with you to help resolve these issues. This is beneficial in the workplace because unresolved issues won’t affect interactions or decision-making at inappropriate times.

Additional Support

If your therapist is unable to provide you with the help or support you need, they can guide you to more appropriate resources, such as support groups or other specialists. In some cases, psychiatrists may be able to prescribe medication to alleviate some of your mental health symptoms. Whether it’s antidepressants, mood-stabilizers, or anti-anxiety medication, it’s important to get the help you need if you’re struggling with your mental health.

Increased Productivity

Many people who attend regular therapy sessions demonstrate higher productivity, thanks to all the above benefits and other effects. When you’re more confident, more in control of your emotions, and you develop healthier relationships with others — productivity is a natural byproduct. As for you and your team, you can focus on what matters most at work because your mental health is well-managed.

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Getting the Most Out of Therapy

Therapy has many benefits, but it’s not a solution for everything. Before you try therapy in your own life, keep the following in mind:

Therapy isn’t a magic pill.

Don’t go into therapy thinking it’s immediately going to “fix you” or make you a better person. There’s no magic switch you or a therapist can flip to make your life better.

Therapy requires work.

In line with this, you need to understand that therapy requires work on your part. You need to actively engage with your therapist in your regular sessions and practice the techniques and habits recommended to you by your therapist in your daily life. Only through effort and consistency will you see results.

It may take time to find the right therapist and approach.

Therapy is an art as much as it is a science. You may not click with your first therapist, and it may take some time before you find a combination of therapeutic strategies and techniques that work for you. Try to remain patient during this time and be open to trying new approaches.

Therapists can’t solve everything.

Your therapist isn’t going to help your pitch your startup idea to investors, nor will they be able to make hiring decisions for you. While therapists can be enormously helpful in regard to your mental and emotional health, they aren’t going to offer much advice to help you run your business.

With the help of therapy, any startup entrepreneur can conceivably become more effective, more confident, and less stressed. Just make sure you set proper expectations before you schedule your first session so you can get the most value out of the experience.

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The world has seen many leaders, but the realm of leadership continues to remain intricate and tricky. Some say that individuals are born leaders — while others assert that leaders rise to the occasion. This debate will certainly go on through the eternities. The fact remains that there is no obvious pathway to effective leadership or to becoming a leader.

Leadership is not something that we can explain via a mathematical formula, but leadership skills certainly affect employees and the employee’s productivity.

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis.

What is a Good Leader?

Good leaders are always looking out for ways to better themselves, and it’s through this that effective leadership is born. In addition, successful leaders explain that leadership is affected by many things or what others may refer to as leadership skills.

On the other hand, there are also different types of leadership styles which are key factors for business success or failure. From autocratic leadership, democratic leadership, and transformational to participative leadership, all these influence leadership efficacy in many ways.

However, despite the type of leader one is, the results of leadership depend on leadership skills. In workplaces, leadership duties and responsibilities span everything! It can either break or make an organization, and that’s generally through its impact on employees.

Findings by The Conference Board indicated that disengaged employees cost organizations up to a whopping $550 billion annually. Moreover, about 73% of employees cite leadership as a major determinant of their morale. With that, leadership skills matter a lot in any place where they are required.

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What are Leadership Skills and Examples?

Leadership skills are abilities that an individual demonstrates to influence others. This influence is mostly aimed toward a desired direction or outcome. Leadership skills are essential in management and crucial for employee performance. They also influence a variety of outcomes, and these include employee productivity, innovation, turnover, and a company’s profits.

When we talk about leadership skills in contemporary times, we are talking about a broad spectrum. This spectrum includes empathy, open communication, creativity, and adaptability. Besides,  strategic thinking and the ability to delegate and mentor are also essential for leaders.

Apart from these, effective leaders must have quality interpersonal skills. Further, they must be able to inspire, and they must have the desire to keep on learning. With such traits, leaders can script their history and leave a footprint that others can learn from.

But how can all these traits impact employee productivity? This is exactly what this blog explores and aims to answer. In this blog, we draw a correlation between the personal effectiveness of a leader and employee performance. So, let us get started without further ado.

5 Ways Leadership Skills Affect Employee Productivity

Employee productivity can be defined as the level of output of an individual employee during a given period. Employee productivity is good when employees are efficient and can complete more within a few hours. Apart from that, employee productivity is termed ideal when the available resources, such as raw materials, are optimally utilized.

However, all this is largely influenced by the nature of leadership in an organization. So, how do leadership skills influence employee productivity?

• Impact Work Environment

Although leadership skills may be taken as mere traits, many of these skills correlate with a given type of leadership style. Leaders can fall under several leadership umbrellas, such as autocratic, authoritarian, democratic, participative, transformative, and so on.

The most commonly leveraged leadership styles include democratic, autocratic, transactional, and bureaucratic. Autocratic and authoritarian leaders make decisions by themselves, i.e., without seeking others’ thoughts, especially the employees.

Democratic and participative leaders, however, inquire about and consider others’ knowledge, skills and differences. They generally cultivate a platform where employees can openly express their views and feel comfortable at their jobs.

On the other hand, servant leaders are focused on others’ interests. For example, they promote the well-being of their teams, engage them in decision-making, and besides that, they share authority with their subordinates. There is also open communication which encourages employees to share their opinions.

Several studies indicate that democratic and transactional leadership styles have a positive impact on employee performance. But autocratic leadership models hurt employee results since they render work environments strict.

With this, it’s clear that some work environments may not be conducive to some employees, and this can directly affect their productivity. Introspecting on the type of leadership skills you possess using different reflection models can help you identify your weak areas.

Self-reflecting will also help you review your effectiveness as a leader with respect to employee performance. This can help you develop better leadership skills that can produce a conducive work environment for better employee productivity.

• Great Leaders Lead By Example

Leadership is more than just getting things done through people or securing resources for a company. As much as a leader is supposed to oversee the quality of work that employees offer, the element of leading by example has a huge impact on employee productivity.

Leading by example is a crucial leadership trait that can largely make a huge difference in employee productivity. It can inspire and motivate teams to do as you do, for example, when it comes to time management.

A great leader will set fine examples of conduct, self-motivation, resilience, accountability, and integrity. Such a leader will be seen as a role model by the sincerest employees of the organization. Having said that, when leaders lead from the front, employees will step up too. This is how a great leader can make team members far more competent than they have ever known.

The greatest leaders of the world are those who do not just pass instructions and guidelines. Rather, excellent leaders will do the needful and show how it is done appropriately. This is how strong leaders inspire an entire generation of hard-working team members.

Also, a leader who sets goals and follows deadlines can also motivate employees to do the same. This, in the long run, leads to better employee productivity. However, leaders who don’t lead by example fail to show the exact picture of their rules, and this limits employee involvement.

Additionally, leaders who lead by example and are also resilient can help an organization through tough times. It would be easy to implement new rules and influence employees to follow them. This can surely make a huge difference in employee morale and productivity.

• Enhances Employee Engagement

Engagement is key to productivity, yet leadership skills are major determinants. Leadership skills that frustrate employees, demean them, or provide no room for belongingness sabotage employee productivity.

For employees to be happy and productive, there must be a conducive work environment besides employee perks. Another key factor for employee productivity is inclusion and collaboration. Having a diverse workforce and making the most of it by promoting inclusion are two very different things. To keep a diverse workforce engaged, you also need to promote a great sense of inclusion. This is where your personal effectiveness as a leader matters immensely.

When a leadership style provides room for the expression of views or caters to work-life balance, it increases employee morale. Besides that, leadership styles that offer promotion avenues, career development, and deployment of skills positively impact employee productivity.

Therefore, leaders ought to understand their teams and align their skills accordingly. Leaders should try to improve internal team communication and provide constructive feedback. Open communication is very important in an organization as long as it’s formal. It can help leaders realize gaps that hinder employee growth, productivity, and development.

The latest statistics indicate that over 38% of employees don’t feel appreciated, yet 69% say that they would work harder if their efforts were recognized more. With that, any leader should prioritize feedback by cultivating a culture where employees are assessed and made to understand their performance. This can lead to better performance, even in low performers.

• Impacts on Creativity & Innovation

It would not be incorrect to say that in contemporary times, innovation is the most sought-after business USP. Effective leaders know how to lead the way with innovation. They are ready to take risks associated with innovation, and they foster a similar attitude across their teams.

Quality leadership skills inspire but also provide a platform for employees to display their creativity. A willingness to take risks is one of the key leadership skills that can help employees showcase their creativity and become more productive.

Creativity generally refers to the power to realize new ideas and recognize opportunities. Employees become more creative when they are motivated at their jobs.

On the other hand, creativity can lead to innovation. Employees can bring about new inventions if they have high morale to work and are fully engaged in their work.

However, the opposite is also true. When rigid leadership skills are leveraged, especially with autocratic leadership, there may be no or limited room for creativity. In this case, leaders may not be good problem solvers as they rarely involve employees in decision-making.

Transformational leadership is a leadership style that offers room for creativity and innovation in an organization. It can also bring about positive transformations since it allows employees to become more creative and innovative.

• Absorbs Team Weaknesses

Accountability is a must-have leadership skill for employee productivity. But there are many cases when leaders fear getting involved in their team members’ mistakes. This creates avenues for low productivity.

Employees don’t require micromanagement. However, they can easily become unguided if the leader is distant from them. This can result in miscommunication, confusion, and low productivity.

As a leader, be concerned about improving your employees’ productivity. You can set key performance indicators and recommend productivity improvement tools to help them work smarter.

Ensure to take charge of certain roles to help your employees perform better, for example, updating and analyzing spreadsheets and providing related resources that can benefit employees.

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Bottom Line

Employee productivity has a direct correlation with company ROI and growth. Companies where employees perform exceptionally enjoy a good public image, a low employee attrition rate, and higher profits. Besides that, these organizations have an increased chance of having smooth change management or traversing through challenging times.

All in all, a leader needs to attain a range of leadership skills to increase adaptability and better management. Leaders can also follow a single leadership style to attain sizable results or manage change in an organization. However, understanding the different leadership styles and discovering where you fall can improve your leadership efficacy.

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The quality and consistency of your internal team communications have the power to change your business for the better or the worse. With more fluid, clearer forms of interaction, your team members will collaborate more effectively and improve overall productivity. With lapses in timing, phrasing, and clarity, your entire operation could collapse.

So what steps can you take to improve internal team communications?

Diagnose Potential Problems

The first thing you should do is take a moment to diagnose potential problems.

Have you noticed anything going wrong in your organization that can be traced back to communication inefficiency? Is there a measurable metric that has dropped off due to a specific type of communication problem? If so, this is your chance to apply specific fixes to whatever problem ails you.

For example, if you’ve noticed an increase in customer churn, it could be a signal that your customer service agents aren’t clear about their responsibilities or that they aren’t handling customer support communications in an adequate way.

Revisiting your scripts, SOPs, team meeting protocols, and other customer service department internal communications could help abate the issue.

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Establish Strong Leaders

Whether it’s conscious, unconscious, or a mix of both, people tend to mimic the style and approach of their leaders.

Accordingly, it pays to establish strong leadership throughout your organization to set a standard for effective communication. If your leaders consistently communicate, and they communicate in clear, concise ways, they’ll set a powerful example that all the rest of your employees can follow.

There are two approaches that can help you here.

• First, you can prioritize effective communicators when considering promotions and when hiring new leadership candidates. If someone consistently offers clarity and focused messaging, they should have a better chance of getting into a leadership position than a less effective counterpart.
• Second, you can provide more training and education to your existing leaders. Communication courses and seminars, along with deliberate practice, can turn almost anyone into an effective communicator.

Create Multiple Communication Channels (And Use Them Appropriately)

Make use of many different communication channels. Different communication channels offer different strengths and weaknesses, and can be used in different contexts to communicate better.

If all these tools are available to your employees, and they know how to use each one to its fullest potential, your internal communications are going to be much stronger.

Digital Signage

With the help of digital signage software, you can display almost any kind of visual or text you want — and you can rotate through various different messages on your digital signs. Throughout the office, your screens can provide consistent reminders, advisements of current conditions, instructions, updates, and more. It’s an easy way to get everyone in the workplace on the same page.

Email

Email is one of the most common forms of workplace communication because it’s permanent, instant, and written. However, it’s not the best platform for an ongoing dialogue, nor is it ideal for expressing complex ideas.

Chat

Chat platforms make it easy to ask quick questions and enjoy a reciprocal dialogue, but they can also be distracting. Nobody wants to be pulled into chats all day, but this is an effective communication tool when you use it to its fullest extent.

Calls/Video Conferences

Calls and video conferences are good for coordinating many different people and holding complex dialogues. However, they tend to be time consuming, and they can quickly go off the rails if you have too many participants. They should be used sparingly and with intentionality.

Social Media

Even social media has a place in your internal communications strategy. When used correctly, it can facilitate stronger bonds between your employees and provide an informal, easy way to reach someone.

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Create Consistent Workflows for Project and Task Management

How are people supposed to communicate about high-level projects and low-level tasks?

For example, is there a template you can use to describe a project? Who is responsible for communicating about the details of a project? When an employee completes a task, what information should they give about the task completion?

If you don’t have clear workflows and protocols for project and task management, it’s quickly going to turn to chaos, since each individual will bring their own style and approach to the group.

Strive for a consistent process that everyone can follow.

Onboard and Train Your New Hires

Onboarding and training is a critical opportunity to teach employees about the fundamentals of effective internal communication.

Set expectations for when and how they’re supposed to communicate and consider providing additional education and training to any new hires that seem to be struggling.

Utilize Team-Building Events

Team-building events are an excellent opportunity to improve communication skills between your employees.

During these events, employees are usually tasked with some sort of competitive or collaborative challenge that requires them to communicate with each other in order to succeed. It’s excellent communication practice that can reveal critical weaknesses. Perhaps most importantly, it gives your employees a chance to bond with each other and get to know each other better.

Employ More Visual Forms of Communication

Mastering written language is always beneficial, but most people prefer visual forms of communication.

Visual forms of communication are faster, easier to understand, and for the most part, more intuitive. Seeing data visually represented in a graph is much smoother than having someone rattle off a bunch of numbers to you.

You can improve internal communications in your workplace by employing more visual forms of communication. Photos, illustrations, diagrams, and even simple things like facial expressions and body language can help communicate your points.

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Look for Coaching and Teaching Opportunities

Not all of your employees will be strong communicators by default. That’s perfectly okay.

Anyone can become a better communicator if they have the right coaching and practice. When you notice a team member falling behind, or struggling with a specific aspect of communication, pull them aside and treat this as a coaching or teaching opportunity. What, specifically, is this person doing wrong? What steps can they take to make it better?

Recognize Individual Strengths and Weaknesses

It’s also important to recognize that good communication isn’t an objective universal standard. Different people communicate in different ways, and that’s perfectly acceptable.

Someone who has mastered the written word might struggle in an active conversation, while a fluent, eloquent conversationalist might not be skilled at typing a coherent email.

Part of your job as a communication leader is to recognize these individual strengths and weaknesses, and cater to them. Put people in positions that allow them to use their unique communication skills as effectively as possible — and try to help those people learn how to compensate for their weaknesses.

Don’t Overwhelm Your Employees

It’s important to avoid overworking or overloading your employees.

There are many strategies and tools in this guide that you can use to help your employees become better communicators. However, if you bombard them with new communication requirements and overload them with training, it’s probably not going to stick.

Better internal communication is something that develops over time, so it’s a good idea to take baby steps and a more iterative, forgiving approach.

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Gather Feedback

At all levels, consider collecting feedback from your employees and team leaders.

In what areas are they satisfied with internal communications? What types of internal communications are the frequent target of complaints? In this way, you can get a better feel for the internal communications “pulse” of your organization — and you can become much more targeted in your communication improvement strategy.

With these strategies, and plenty of patience, you should be in a position to see steady improvements in the clarity and efficiency of your internal team communications. Once you have a solid foundation, better internal communication will likely self-perpetuate. Good communication fundamentals will become baked into your company culture. This makes it much easier to remain consistent and onboard new team members.

That doesn’t mean you can stop paying attention to internal communications — but you can afford to take a moment to celebrate the win.

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If you want your startup to succeed, you need a better workplace environment that people love—and one that encourages focus and productivity.

Understandably, most entrepreneurs place an early emphasis on building a strong foundation. They manage their company in terms of its product offerings, operating model, and marketing. However, in these pursuits, it’s all too easy to lose sight of optimizing your workplace environment.

So what exactly makes for an ideal startup workplace environment? And how can you build one?

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The Benefits of a Better Workplace Environment

Let’s start by taking a closer look at the benefits of having a better workplace environment for your startup. It’s not just about your business; it’s also about your employees.

Improved Productivity

Generally, having a better workplace environment means support for improved productivity.

Your employees will have all of the resources they need to do their jobs effectively. The environment will be conducive to individual focus and team collaboration alike.

Have you ever worked in an uncomfortable or poorly planned work environment? If so, you know how hard it is to be productive when your surroundings aren’t optimized.

Higher Morale

Employees who work in a positive workspace also tend to have higher morale.

This partially lends itself to higher productivity and other benefits, but morale is valuable on its own. When everyone on the team feels better about their work, and when employees are truly engaged, you’ll notice a major difference in the overall mood of the workplace.

Better Collaboration

When you appropriately optimize your workplace environment, you can support better collaboration.

Employees will be more likely to have casual conversations and develop bonds with each other, they’ll have more incentives and fewer barriers to openly working together, and they’ll have all the resources and spaces they need to actually do that work.

Employee Wellness

Certain changes can even improve employee wellness.

When your employees are less stressed, they’ll be at a much lower risk of burnout, as well as less likely to face health complications that come from excessive stress and strenuous workplace conditions.

Employee Retention

It’s also a practical guarantee that improving your workplace environment will lead to higher employee retention.

Employees are much less likely to leave a workplace environment they genuinely enjoy, which means you’ll be able to retain your top talent and spend less money hiring new people.

Physical, Remote, or Hybrid?

It’s important to recognize that there are many different working models supported by startups in the modern era.

While some startups are going the traditional route, operating in a physical office, others are operating totally remotely, and others are trying to hybridize these two approaches.

Many of the recommended strategies in this article will be applicable to any of these models, but some will be exclusive to only some of these models. Use your best judgment when curating these strategies and applying them to your own startup.

The Physical Environment

We can start by looking at the physical environment, which may not be relevant to you if you’re operating totally remotely.

Lighting

Think about the lighting within your organization. Lighting controls many different variables. It provides illumination so that workers can see what they’re doing, sets the mood and, in some cases, showcases the brand.

With the help of LED tape, you can tweak the lighting in any space to serve exactly the purpose you need, choosing the exact placement, the exact coloration, and even the exact brightness you want.

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Spaces

You’ll also need to think about how you shape the spaces within your office, and how employees are able to access those spaces.

Do you want employees to feel like autonomous individuals who have ample privacy to do their work? If so, you’ll need segmented offices and cubicles to provide them with the resources they need.

Do your employees prefer to work in open, collaborative spaces? If so, you’ll need to break down those walls and encourage people to interact with each other more frequently.

Equipment and Supplies

It goes without saying that your business needs equipment and supplies to operate consistently, but this can also be a byproduct of your workplace environment.

You’ll need to make sure that employees have ready access to all the materials, resources, and technologies they need to do their jobs well. If an employee needs a new piece of equipment or a specific type of supply, is your office organized well enough that they can intuitively find what they’re looking for?

Sound and Music

Sound and music in your workplace can have a drastic effect on how people feel and how people work during the day. There is significant room for subjectivity here, however.

Some people work best with moderate to loud music playing, while others prefer a whisper quiet environment. Some people can barely tolerate even minimal background noise. They prefer to lock themselves up in offices to avoid it.

Others thrive in a bustling environment, and would prefer to work in a heavily trafficked café, rather than a conventional office.

Recreation and Breaks

Do your employees have opportunities to take breaks and enjoy themselves? You don’t need anything spectacular, but you should have spaces where employees can relax and talk to each other on a personal level.

Can you set up the kitchen to have a place where employees can sit down and eat lunch together? Better yet, can you set up a foosball table where people can blow off steam on a stressful day?

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The Cultural Environment

Just as importantly, you’ll need to consider the cultural environment you establish.

Prioritize engagement.

Employee engagement is possibly the most important factor for employee productivity and long-term startup success.

If your employees are engaged, they’ll be much more focused on their work. Their productivity will increase, and they’ll feel better about their work, so morale and retention both rise.

No matter which strategies you choose, employee engagement should be one of your highest priorities.

Instate good leaders.

If you want to shape the culture of your startup, the best thing you can do is shape your leaders.

Employees tend to model their leaders, even if they don’t do it consciously. If you put good bosses and supervisors in place, allowing them to exemplify your brand values, it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the organization begins to resemble them.

Conversely, bad leadership can destroy your organization from within.

Create (and reinforce) company cultural values.

Whether you’re more interested in effective collaboration or higher productivity, make a list of core values that best represent your brand (if you don’t already have one). Make these core values central to your startup, and showcase them wherever and whenever you can.

Also, while it’s not a good idea to fire someone just because they temporarily deviated from your list of core values, you should spend time enforcing your company cultural values, guiding individuals to better choices in the process.

Encourage autonomy.

Most employees benefit strongly from an environment that encourages autonomy and independence.

Encourage your employees to think for themselves, make their own decisions, and take accountability for their own work. They’ll be happier and get more done.

Embrace all ideas.

Open, honest workplace environments are almost always superior to their counterparts.

If you want to establish this type of environment for your startup, you need to start by embracing all ideas. Make it a point to ask people what they’re thinking in meetings, and treat all ideas as valid and worth exploring – at least temporarily.

Once people feel more comfortable expressing themselves, you’ll get much more accurate feedback, you’ll get more diverse ideas to work with, and people will be much more willing to put in effort for your organization once they feel heard.

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Every Startup Is Different

One important note here: every startup is different. What works for one startup may be totally inappropriate for another.

For example, in one work environment, employees may thrive when surrounded by bright colors, brilliant illumination, and fun, pumping music. In another, employees may thrive best with dim lighting, gentle background music, and minimalistic designs.

It’s all up to you and what kind of business you want to create, as well as what type of people you hire.

The Role of Employee Feedback

One of the best ways to preserve morale and encourage employee retention is collecting and taking action on employee feedback.

If you’re not sure whether your workplace environment is up to the task of supporting your business, ask your employees what they think. They’ll probably help you figure out your current strengths and weaknesses so you can continue optimizing your workplace environment even further.

With a better workplace environment in place, your startups chances of success will increase enormously. Not only will your workers be happier and more engaged, your entire business will develop a better reputation. You’ll set up an operational foundation that your business can follow for years to come.

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Leading a business requires you to balance a large number of important tasks. Chief among those tasks is keeping your workforce engaged and motivated. Employee engagement rates have a definite effect on reducing turnover and maintaining a healthy bottom line. And one-way companies work to keep workplace engagement and motivation high is by participating in team-building exercises.

In some cases, the leadership in a business will feel like these exercises are little more than an excuse to get out of the office and avoid actual work.

Yes, some activities that are planned for your team may be uninspired and ineffective — so much so that team-building has earned something of an undeserved reputation as something to be mocked.

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That’s unfortunate because when team-building is properly framed and conducted, the experience can result in stronger, more cohesive groups that get more done with a greater sense of satisfaction and enjoyment. So, don’t be “one of those” up your team-building game.

What Makes a Particular Team-Building Opportunity Ineffective?

In order to succeed, today’s businesses must learn to build trust with both prospects and team members. With many corporate-sponsored team-building experiences, participants can wind up feeling frustrated, stymied, and dismissive of the entire process. Why does that happen, and what makes a specific activity or experience ineffective at creating a stronger sense of community and cooperation in the workplace?

Introverts and Extroverts

One simple reason is that not everyone is an extrovert. People who are introverted by nature aren’t necessarily shy, and it’s not that they just don’t like other people. They simply have a different internal energy alignment than extroverts do. It’s not about mere preferences but about what gets their blood pumping and what kinds of environments are most conducive to their best work.

Extroverts are energized by groups and crowds, whereas introverts can actually be drained by them. As most traditional team-building activities are built around coaxing groups of workers into playing a game or meeting a challenge of some sort, introverts often feel some degree of antipathy towards the situation.

Irrelevant Exercises

Another way team-building can go wrong is in the type of activity itself. Doing ridiculous exercises or playing irrelevant games isn’t going to help your team members bond and do better deeper work. It’s going to seem absurd to many, if not all of them, especially when so many see team-building as a pointless exercise, to begin with.

Leadership Problems

Finally, in many situations, the problem with team building is a failure to recognize the underlying reason why the team hasn’t come together well already. All teams need experiences that broaden the mind and enrich the soul, and you’ll want to watch for these types of opportunities.

However, in many cases, a team that’s deemed to need building up is suffering from a leadership problem. The issue of leadership might express itself as an energy mismatch, a problem with communication, or interpersonal conflicts — but the underlying cause is almost always a failure of leadership. If the leader isn’t participating fully in the exercise as well, it may well be doomed to failure.

When team building is bad, it’s worse than silly. It’s interminable, boring, and a thorough waste of time and money. But those types of adjectives need not apply to you.

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Five Hallmarks of a Great Team-Building Experience

Choosing experiences that your team can commit to fully and actually learn from can bring everyone closer together. Everyone will not have the same experience in any mind-expanding exercise and may not leave the exercise as best buddies. Still, they’ll learn more about each other, how they all work best together, where the challenges in optimizing their productivity lie, and some idea of how to meet those challenges.

1. First and foremost, good team-building should be authentic. Silly role-playing or playground games won’t do much but let some folks work off a little extra energy. They can even do more harm than good by unintentionally eliciting greater competition between members.
2. Common foundational or background experiences and skills are also essential. Good team-building starts from a core or baseline that everyone shares.
3. It should be fun! One of the biggest complaints many people have about traditional team-building is that what’s clearly meant to be fun actually isn’t.
4. It should be inclusive, involving every member of the team as well as leadership. If you have to divide an experience up into sessions to accommodate everyone, make sure they all have substantially the same experience.
5. Last but far from least, the experience must be both psychologically and physically safe. If team members don’t feel permitted to speak up or disagree, then you’ve defeated the purpose straight out of the gate. And it should go without saying that you should give every team member all necessary safety equipment and training.

Strong, cohesive teams are better at their jobs and enjoy their work more. They’re also better equipped to win and retain customers for your company. Good team-building helps give them the tools to get there.

How the Translated 9 Sailing Experience Builds Stronger Teams

The Translated 9 Sailing has the Motto: Dream it, Believe it, Do it.

You can find lots of great team building approaches available for corporate participation. One of the most exhilarating examples I have recently experienced is the Translated 9 sailing experience.

Translated9 is a human translation services company that’s been providing translation in over 190 languages for the last 20 years to clients in several different fields and contexts. The company is participating in an extraordinary regatta, the Ocean Globe Race 2023. During this race, competitors can use no modern navigational aids or forecasting apps to circumnavigate the globe in four legs of 40 days each.

Team Building Sailing Experience

The company also offers “Translated 9,” a team-building sailing experience aboard the company’s boat (also called Translated 9). The experience consists of a three-hour training session led by Paul Cayard, a seven-time competitor in the America’s Cup. Cayard is a seven-time world champion who has twice circumnavigated the globe, and he leads these training sessions aboard the boat. After completion of the training, companies can also book the boat and its crew for team-building work.

During the sessions, participants journey out into San Francisco Bay. Since you don’t need any prior sailing expertise, anyone can access the sessions, even with a minimum level of fitness. There are no specific physical skills required.

The Wind Whipping at Us on San Francisco Bay!

When we first got to the ship, we used a big, portable stairway that was provided for us. We were guided down into a cabin of the ship, and we put on windbreakers, hats, gloves, and other stuff to handle the elements better.

It was a choppy day on the Bay — I kept thinking, “Oh no — not smooth sailing!” But I now know that any day sailing is smooth sailing and an experience to be sought after.

I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to handle three full hours on this boat — the wind, the weather, the people — everything. There were a few on the team who had had a bit of experience with sailing, and they looked great, so I trusted that maybe they knew something I didn’t.

The Incredible Journey

Off we went on an incredible journey, the wind whipping our faces with refreshing Bay air. I was worried that I wasn’t in good enough shape, and I worried I might fall — but they told us to just be aware, and we would be fine — and we were.

It took some effort to stand and get our “sea legs” as the boat ride was bumpy — but there was an area in the front of the boat near the steering wheel where we could sit and relax. This was the place on the boat where we were all facing each other.

I drive a boat?? Each Person Received Training in This Once in a Lifetime Experience

It did not take me long to figure out that steering the boat at this moment was, fortunately — much like driving a car. I would pick a point in the distance to map — and eventually, we would reach that point.

I cannot explain the exhilarating feeling when steering the boat or even just sitting there while all of us were listening to the captain. The captain talked about his experiences, and we could feel everything he was describing because we were there with him in this moment.

In this team-building exercise, we learned how to exist in the moment and be present for thinking of possibilities.

Looking up — we were right under the Golden Gate Bridge! Oh, what a magnificent moment in time!

This was the type of experience where I was with a bunch of people I didn’t feel like I knew well — you know how it is? Here you are doing an activity that’s asking something from you physically and mentally. It’s strenuous but fun as heck — and afterward, you have this bonding experience that really makes a difference in your life in ways that you can’t quite verbalize.

We were on a boat. Of course, I’ve been out in the Bay on the Ferry — but this was totally different. We were on a big sailing boat that responded to the waves, and we fully had an influence on what was taking place in the movement of the boat.

Help Your Team Broaden Their Minds

In the broadening of my mind since this experience last week, I’ve realized that we have to engage in deeper experiences in order to fully participate in life and work. Cooperation in performing this type of exercise and being a participant helped me take an interest in the rest of the team, though we don’t see each other often.

I saw the others that were there differently, and I see myself differently. I can do hard things and can overcome challenges that come my way.

Leadership Can Make All the Difference to Teams

Consider the possibilities. When you provide an experience for your team as a leader, you have given your team a gift — a bonding experience that everyone will call upon forever and will never forget it.

Imagine how this type of experience will make a difference to members of your company who don’t get to see each other very often, such as in the case of remote working members.

Diverse Experiences — New Challenges

Participants learn to bring their diverse experiences and skills to bear on a new challenge: learning to be part of a crew in an atmosphere requiring effort, diligence, commitment, and a little bit of courage. The sessions are fun and engaging and most definitely authentically designed around a common team goal.

Because this team-building experience was relatively short, it didn’t require a huge time commitment, yet the benefits are far-reaching, and we haven’t been able to unpack all the ways we were affected.

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Gaining a Better Appreciation for Coworkers

While the Translated 9 experience may not be for everyone, it’s a great choice for the type of team-building experiences that you want to provide your employees with. If we do the right things with the right team — everyone is enriched.

Participants leave with a memorable shared experience. They learn new skills and hopefully have a better appreciation for their coworkers and their unique skills. At its core, that’s what good team-building is all about.

Translated9 Sailing Experience Image: Taken from the Translated9 Website; Thank you!

Image Credits: Provided by the Author; Thank you!

Related Post: Best Productivity Tools of 2023

The post How to Make Team-Building Easier and More Effective appeared first on ReadWrite.

Looking for a scenario to justify ditching spreadsheets? How about this one?

• Click.
• Delete.
• “We’re sorry, your data cannot be recovered.”

It’s the stuff of CEO nightmares: losing data due to a small slip of the finger on the mouse. Getting hacked and losing confidence in critical information about shareholders.

If you’re a CEO or tasked with funding a growing company, there’s no reason you should be manually updating information about equity. We’re in an era where we get our Amazon orders in a few hours and have endless information at our fingertips. Technology that supports automation is the next step in growing your business.

In addition, as more and more employees work from home, data privacy is more important than ever. As privacy needs grow, so do solutions. For example, you don’t need to trust a bulky spreadsheet with shareholder information about your company on a shared drive.

Finally, as entrepreneurs look to invest heavily—taking advantage of a down economy to build for the future—keeping perfect equity-related records is vital. This can be more complex than ever as founders look for creative ways to secure funding in a loud, crowded ecosystem.

Ditch spreadsheets. They’re on their way out. Software company Astrella has a better solution.

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Replacing the Manual Cap Table

One of the most basic, important documents or data hubs for any startup or established business is its cap, or capitalization, table.

The cap table is essentially a list of all the shares and securities in the company. Stocks, warrants, convertible notes, and equity grants all show up here. In addition, rounds of funding, investor information, and more are stored within the table.

Stakeholders should be able to look at the cap table and understand how they would fare in a liquidation event. They should understand the impact of new rounds of funding, including the types of options offered. The table quickly and clearly shows how ownership of the company changes as more investors come on board.

5 Benefits of Using Software Designed for Cap Tables

You wouldn’t pull a sand wedge for a long drive. You wouldn’t don ski goggles for a deep sea dive. So also, you wouldn’t use a basic spreadsheet—something that looks like a cap table but isn’t designed for the same functionality—to track your company’s funding.

Here are a few of the specific benefits of ditching spreadsheets and using software that’s designed for optimal cap table functionality.

1. Scale as your company scales.

Astrella offers software that works for any size company, anywhere in the world.

Is your father your sole investor right now? If you plan to grow your company, you’ll need to be sure to track his share in the company as you raise more funds.

Do you have dozens of investors who each joined at different phases and under various promises? Naturally, you don’t want the liability of shoddy records when it comes time to pay dividends or go public.

In order to build a secure foundation for your growing business, you need a software solution that is smart enough to scale with your company.

Yes, Excel seems cheaper than a cap table, which might be until there is an issue. Not to mention that managing cap table software like Astrella is easier than hiring a lawyer to manage your firm’s equity.

2. Secure your data with blockchain technology.

The beauty of blockchain, the technology used to keep track of cryptocurrency, is that each transaction comes with an irreversible timestamp, which means no one can alter it surreptitiously.

This offers security to your investment information—no one can hack your system and edit ownership numbers. It also protects your data from errors from unknown sources.

In an era where technological advancements are outpacing security, using a secure software system—rather than a spreadsheet, even on a local drive—is like installing better locks on your home. It’s just brilliant.

3. Impress potential investors.

Your cap table doesn’t just matter to your current investors—it can be used as a tool to either attract or scare away potential investors.

A poorly kept cap table can reveal sloppy business ownership tactics that would make investors shy away. Clerking errors, incorrect formulas, and just plain, lousy formatting are all potential red flags.

In addition to bad record-keeping, a cap table can reveal various issues to a potential investor. Weaknesses such as having the wrong person own the wrong share in the company (like an investor who came on early for a tiny sum or an investment via a handshake deal that wasn’t recorded properly) become obvious when you look at your cap table.

You need a good cap table to identify your own areas that need solving, as well as shining for investors.

4. Administrate your stock with ease.

A good cap table is more than just a record of money-in.

A spreadsheet won’t cut it when you have complex payout and valuation models. However, Astrella has built all the management tools into its software—all you need to do is enter your ownership information.

In addition, software specifically designed for cap tables can help businesses stay in compliance with financial regulations. As a result, you can ditch spreadsheets and avoid many headaches down the road.

5. Project your company’s future.

Even the best software can’t actually predict the future, of course. But it can make projections, helping you, as the CEO, understand where you came from and where you’re going.

AI can provide forecasts and analytics that help business leaders make smart decisions about growth, fundraising, personnel, and more.

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Moving Into the Future with Smart Cap Tables

A few trends, or at least opinions, in investing that make cap tables more critical than ever.

• One is a push to democratize investing, making venture capital (VC) available to more startups without the pressure of the traditional growth-first VC mindset.
• Another is VC investing in individuals rather than corporations.
• Yet another is offering marketing partners such as influencers a stake in the company as part of their promotion deal.

Consider the last example: A small, dynamite shoe brand partners with an Instagram influencer who has a following of two million. That influencer negotiates a brand partnership where they own 1% of the company, in addition to a cash payout based on conversions. As a result, the shoe brand grew exponentially, and five years later, it went public.

Without a good cap table and an understanding of that influencer’s place in the company’s payout schedule, multiple legal and business problems could ensue.

Software like Astrella can make that situation as easy for a tiny startup as for a behemoth private equity firm. Ditching the spreadsheet has never made so much sense.

Image Credit: Lukas; Pexels; Thank you!

Related Post: Best Productivity Tools of 2023

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