Article by: Andy Bailey
Recently, I had what we like to call an “aha moment” while listening to a sermon one Sunday. The minister made the observation that our society as a whole has swung to the extreme side of productivity at the expense of our connections. It hit me that this is one of the greatest ailments we see as coaches with our member companies and leaders, especially as of late.
Culture → Appreciation → Connection
We know the best-performing companies are those that devote significant effort to creating a culture that their team members want to be a part of. And where does that culture come from? People crave appreciation in the workplace – and we’re talking sincere, heartfelt appreciation, not the casual “pat on the back” or quick “thanks” in passing. Real appreciation only occurs if there is a real connection between people. Connection is valuing the other person more than yourself or having an “others first” mindset. It takes effort, vulnerability and emotion. True culture cannot exist without both of these key elements.
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A year ago, no one could have predicted that countless businesses would shift to a remote work model. The pandemic hit hard and fast, and small businesses had to think on their toes. Many had only a few weeks to adapt. It was stressful and extremely challenging.
Looking back on it, many SMBs wish they’d had a plan in place that would have made things easier. When the pandemic hit in February/March 2020, SMBs had to absorb the huge cost of getting their employees up and running off-site. Not only was it costly, but it also took a lot of coordination and on-the-fly planning. This meant things slipped through the cracks, including cyber security.
As they say, hindsight is 20/20. You may wish you had a plan in place or had more time, but you didn’t. A vast majority didn’t. However, you can still plan for the future! While you never know when disaster is going to strike, you CAN be prepared for it. Whether that disaster is a pandemic, flood, fire or even hardware failure, there are steps you can implement today that will put you in a better place tomorrow. Here’s how to get started.
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New year, new technology! If your business is still relying on older and aging technology, it’s time to think about updating that technology. As it ages, the effort to keep it running comes with many hidden costs. While it may seem financially savvy to keep older hardware and software running, you may be setting yourself up for major costs down the road.
It’s understandable why many small businesses shy away from investing in new equipment and software. They do the math and see a number that keeps rising. While the upfront costs of new technology — hardware or software — can be high (or higher than you would like), you have to consider what you would be paying for versus the cost of keeping aging technology running.
Let’s start by looking at some of the “hidden” costs that come with using older or outdated technology. First, consider the cost of productivity.
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Article by: Andy Bailey
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” –Mike Tyson
As business leaders, we’ve all been punched in the mouth recently. What’s your new game plan? Since COVID-19, the annual or quarterly one you had is now likely irrelevant.
You have two options:
- Sit and wait for the world to go back to the way it was, a place where your plan may have worked (and let’s face it, that’s not happening).
- Create and act upon a new game plan. One that’s built to overcome disruption and transform your business into something better and stronger.
Option 2 is the correct answer! AND, we at Petra Coach can help.
At Petra Coach, we help companies across the globe create and execute plans to propel their teams and businesses forward. When disruption hit, we created a new system of planning that focuses on identifying your business’s short-term strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and then creates an actionable 30-, 60- and 90-day plan around those findings.
In any business, big or small, employees can be your biggest IT threat, and they might not even realize it. Businesses already face countless cyberthreats, like data breaches, cyber-attacks, online viruses and malicious e-mails. But despite all these outside threats, the real problem can come from the inside.
One of the biggest threats to your business’s security is simply a lack of awareness on the part of your employees. It comes down to this: your employees just aren’t aware of current threats or how to safely navigate e-mails and the web. They might not be aware when they connect to an unsecured WiFi network or if they’re using a firewall. They may be haphazard in all things IT. There are a lot of variables.
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