March 2021

March 2021

---

So Good They Can’t
Ignore You
By Cal Newport

At one point or another, we’ve all received this advice: “You should follow your passions!” It’s common career advice, and according to educator and author Cal Newport, it’s bad advice. That’s the premise behind his book So Good They Can’t
Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion In The Quest For Work You Love.

Instead, Newport suggests that your attitude, ability and mindset are more important. He talks with people across several industries to understand why they love what they do. The book details what they put into their careers to find love for a long-term career rather than chasing a passion. The book offers advice to those who may feel stuck, burnt out or unsure how to love what they do.

---

What Are Managed Services,
And Why You Should Demand
This From Your IT Company

We all want to protect our businesses. They’re a part of who we are, and it would be devastating if anything bad happened — including an unexpected cyber-attack. But it happens. Businesses are attacked every single day. Some businesses are left in ruin. Some can pick up the pieces, but at a great cost. Then there are businesses that are back up and running in a matter of hours, almost as if nothing happened at all.

These are businesses that said “yes” to managed IT services and made the commitment to protect their business, employees and customers. If your business lacks managed IT services and you haven’t yet embraced total IT security, it’s time to say “YES!” and give your business the top-notch IT support it needs to protect it from the countless IT threats that exist in the world today.

Managed services essentially offer complete IT support without the need to hire dedicated inhouse IT support staff. You get full-time access to network and technology experts without having to pay a full-time team. In other words, you save money and you have someone keeping a close eye on your network. The good news is that the IT company you already work with may already offer managed services — you just have to ask for it! (If you don’t work with an IT support company or managed services provider, it’s highly recommended that you do!)

Here Are A Few Reasons Why Managed Services Should Not Be Ignored:

It’s A Proactive Service You Can’t Find Anywhere Else. Proactive IT support is HUGE. You have to be proactive because,

guess what? Hackers and cybercriminals are proactive. They’re smart people and they’re relentless. Managed services will give you access to your own outside team of exceptionally smart people and systems that can identify IT problems before they actually become problems.

On top of that, proactive managed services ensure your network – and everything connected to your network – receives regular updates, security patches and routine maintenance. Basically, they help keep your business protected while minimizing downtime that can cut into your bottom line.

It Helps You Save Money – And You Know How Much You’ll Be Spending Month To Month. Hiring in-house IT experts is expensive. It’s one of the most common reasons why many small- to medium-sized businesses don’t

“Having managed IT services means your network is up-to-date with all the fine print.”

invest in good IT support. The sticker shock is too much. But managed services take away the sticker shock.

Instead, you get the exact support you need, and you pay a set fee every month. It makes it MUCH easier to set a quarterly or yearly budget. And because managed services are customizable, you can put together a specific plan for your business and pay only for those specifics — there are no fluff or padded fees. Managed IT is also scalable, so as your business grows or changes, your managed IT services can change as well.

It Protects You In Many Different Ways. You can count on your MSP to minimize malware, spyware, ransomware, phishing scams and other exploitative hacks. You’re protected by advanced software, hardware and oldfashioned human knowledge and experience. But the protection doesn’t stop there – far from it! Managed services providers can also protect you against potential natural disasters, such as fire or flood, or hardware failures – things that are impossible to predict yet possible to
prepare for

They can also protect you when it comes to compliance. There are many industries where compliance is a big deal, from banking to health care. If you operate in one of these industries, you know how important this is.

Having managed IT services means your network is up-to-date with all the fine print. You don’t have to worry about anything slipping through the cracks or breaking compliance, which can lead to all kinds of costly headaches.

It Gives You TIME. This is the most precious commodity of all. If you’re running around dealing with network issues yourself – or trying to – you’re spending a lot of time doing everything you DIDN’T want to be doing when you started your business. Wouldn’t you rather be focused on taking care of the things you intended to focus on, like growing your business and taking care of customers?

When you bring managed IT into the fold, you have so much less to worry about. No, it’s not set-it-and-forget-it, but it’s close. Your MSP handles your IT, while you handle your business — and you collaborate when you need to. You can rest assured that someone is keeping a close eye on your network and that your MSP is a quick phone call or e-mail away (should you have any questions or concerns).

These few points only scratch the surface of why managed services are so important. Stop putting it off and make the phone call. Tell your IT company you want managed services and you’re ready to protect the future of your business!

---

---

 

---

SHINY NEW GADGET OF THE MONTH
Sticker — The Smallest Finder By Tile

First, there was the Tile – a small, square device used to find just about anything. You attach Tile to the thing you don’t want to lose (keys, for example) and you pair Tile with the Tile app. Easy!

Now, Tile has introduced Sticker, their “smallest finder.” It’s a mini-version of their popular fob, and it can be stuck to just about anything, from TV remotes and portable electronics to tools, bikes, you name it – anything you don’t want to go missing.

Plus, not only does Sticker stick to anything, but it also has a three-year battery life, so as they say, “you can set it and forget it.” Once it’s paired with the smartphone app, it’s supereasy to track. And if you lose a “Stickered” device, Sticker emits a loud ring to help you locate your misplaced item, at a range of about 150 feet. Learn more about Sticker at TheTileApp.com/en-us/ store/tiles/sticker.

 

---

Don’t Let The Data Breaches
Of 2020 Get You Down

In 2020, there were several major data breaches. As the pandemic grew, hackers went to work searching for security holes they could exploit – and they found several! A number of major companies were successfully targeted by hackers, including Garmin, Marriott, Nintendo and Twitter — these are all companies that maintain large user databases. Unfortunately, thousands of people had personal and financial information that was compromised

This is another reminder about how important updating our login information truly is, as well as using two-factor authentication (at minimum). There are also resources, such as HaveIBeenPwned. com, that allow you to see if any of your accounts have been hacked. The more proactive you are, the easier it is to stay ahead of the bad guys!

---

Going Strong Or Burning Out?

“Burnout is what happens when you try to avoid being human for too long.”
–Michael Gungor

What Is Burnout?

Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by:

• Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
• Increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
• Reduced professional efficacy

This is considered in occupational context and should not be applied to experiences in other areas of life.

Ask yourself, how many times have you felt burnout in your career? Those who are highly engaged in their work are more likely to have burnout, not necessarily people who just “clock in and clock out.” Just because someone is productive does not mean they aren’t at risk.

Why do we keep putting ourselves in stressful situations? Stress can be an addiction.
People want to make sure they are good enough and want to feel valuable.
• It can give you the sense of feeling significant and important.
• There’s a sense of guilt and fear of not doing enough.

As long as stress is satisfying those needs, you will not get rid of that behavior. Start flipping how you are satisfying your needs in order to get rid of that behavior.

Burnout Signals – Emotions And Feelings

If you are feeling like this every day, you may be burnt out:

Physical and emotional exhaustion

• Lack of energy
• Feeling sad or hopeless
Lack of joy from things that used to bring you joy at work
• Diminished connection with colleagues
• Feeling like you are not contributing anything to your job

What Is The Cause?

• Heavy workloads
• Job insecurity
• Frustrating work routines (too many meetings, far too little time for creative work)
• Crunch on downtime that is necessary for restoration

Burnout = High Resources + High Demands

High Resources:

• Supervisor support
• Rewards and recognition
• Self-efficacy and work

Low Demands:

• Low workload
• Low cumbersome bureaucracy
• Low to moderate demands on concentration
and attention

What’s Needed?

• Employee support/high resources
• Acknowledgment/feel good about work
• Opportunities for recovery from stress
• Mental and emotional well-being

Reevaluate

• Zero-base meeting calendar
• Team up the A-players
• Culture around “precious time” and wellness

---

---

3 Simple Yet Effective Ways To Boost Employee Morale

Good employee morale is essential to any successful business. It’s a reflection of company culture and has a direct impact on not just happiness but also productivity. Here are three surefire ways to improve morale within your organization:

1) Keep The Door Open. When supervisors or management vanish without a trace, it hits morale hard. It’s crucial to be present and available to your team. Sometimes it’s as simple as keeping the door open,

but it also includes having transparent communication. Keep people looped in, especially when there are good things to report on. On top of that, have regular oneon-one chats with everyone on the team and make sure their needs are being met.

2) Emphasize Mental Health. Everyone should have their mental health acknowledged. Always take time to assess the mental health of everyone on your team. If they need to take a break or refocus, make sure they do. If they need a mental health day (or a vacation), encourage it. Be flexible and understanding.

3) Reward And Recognize. Make sure hard work gets recognized and people get credit for that hard work. Shout out star players during meetings and make sure everyone (including management) sees the good work that’s being done. And don’t hesitate to dole out rewards (lunch, gift cards, etc.) in recognition of that hard work, as well. Inc., Nov. 4, 2020

HOW BIG DATA REVEALS THE HUMANS BEHIND YOUR USERS

The Internet is a data mine. From search engines to ad clicks, we can see what people are interested in. Big Data is accessible to just about every business, and it can tell you a lot about the people you do business with — or the people you want to do business with.

If you aren’t tapping into Big Data (Google Analytics is an example), you’re missing out. You can use data to home in on the customers you want to acquire and reduce those costs at the same time. You can better develop products and services you know customers will love. And you’ll be able to adapt to changing trends driven by real people. Inc., Feb. 26, 2015