Sharing Too Much Information in the Workplace

The following is an excerpt from an article in 

The New York Times
Sunday, August 19, 2012

Sharing Too Much Information in the Workplace

By PEGGY KLAUS

LATELY I’ve been hearing a lot about 20-somethings who are too eager to tell all at work. Whether they are recounting their drunken exploits or their external job searches, their tendency to provide too much information is leaving many managers scratching their heads.

A human resources manager for a manufacturing company told me that several young workers had asked her how many times they could be absent before she fired them. An H.R. manager at a health care business was taken aback when an employee casually told him she was looking for a new job that should take six to eight months to land. And a senior manager, asking a direct report how he was doing, was treated to this: “Well, I haven’t had sex for five years, so I guess I’m not doing so good.”

Granted, as a card-carrying baby boomer, I have an opinion on this topic that might be more than a little skewed, but I honestly can’t recall a time when I’ve walked away from a conversation with someone of my generation or even a decade or two younger and thought, “Whoa, did you really say that?” Mostly I see this happening with young people who seem to have lost all sense of boundaries and decorum. Recently, however, I’ve heard a lot of professionals complain that the problem increasingly crosses generations.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

Do-it-yourself App Creators: ?Show Me Some Love?

Do-it-yourself App Creators: ?Show Me Some Love?

Intuit QuickBase Study Reveals Motivations and Industry Trends Among DIY App Creators in the Enterprise

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Mar. 22, 2012 – “Show me some love.” That’s the plea from a growing number of information workers who independently develop in-house Web applications for their employers.

A recent survey from QuickBase, a unit of Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), found that nearly one in five information workers at mid-size to large enterprises have built or customized a Web application or software for work purposes on their own. These DIYers are passionate and motivated to help their teams, and the majority feels their employers should recognize their contributions. Nearly six in 10 – a total of 58 percent– believe their employers should recognize their efforts in the form of financial compensation. However, among DIYers whose companies explicitly do not support their independent efforts, the percentage increases to 71 percent.

Recognition need not be monetary. “A little recognition can go a long way,” said Allison Mnookin, vice president and general manager of Intuit QuickBase. “Supporting and recognizing DIY efforts – no matter how you do it – pays off.

 “You’re motivating and rewarding employees who go above and beyond their job descriptions, make their teams more efficient, and solve problems for their companies. Endorsing and celebrating internal innovation can fuel its rapid spread throughout the organization.”

Other forms of recognition respondents found rewarding include publicizing their solutions internally (33 percent) and getting promoted (25 percent).

DIYers Are Pervasive in Select Industries

Computer and IT services firms have the highest percentage of DIY information workers, the survey found, with 62 percent of respondents reporting they have built or customized apps for work. Conversely, these firms are not necessarily empowering their workers to create their own solutions – either by providing the required tools or authorizing employees to find and use their own. In fact, 43 percent of the DIYer population at computer and IT service firms said they are not empowered by their organizations.

Professional services companies reported the second-highest amount of DIYers at 53 percent. And their employees are more likely to feel free to act on their own. A total of 61 percent of the DIYer population said they were empowered by their companies to innovate on their own, the highest among all industries. Professionals in consultancy roles are constantly driven to solve client problems and this data indicates they likely nurture that innovative mentality amongst their employees.

The financial services and insurance industries, where tight IT controls and deep-seated work processes are commonplace, have the highest percentage of non-empowered DIYers. At the same time, however, 43.5 percent still create their own solutions.

Industry	Total % of DIYers	% Empowered	% Non-empowered
Computer & IT Services	62.3	57.1	42.9
Professional Services	53.0	61.1	38.9
Manufacturing	51.4	50.0	50.0
Financial Services & Insurance	43.5	41.1	58.9

“DIYers create lasting value companies should love. Endorsement from management propels the success of DIY solutions even further,” Mnookin added.

In fact, 85 percent of apps created by empowered DIYers are still being used within their organization or team, while non-empowered workers see sustained adoption rates of 77 percent for their solutions.

About the Survey

Intuit and Global Strategy Group surveyed more than 900 information workers at companies with more than 100 employees in October 2011, investigating whether they felt empowered to solve customer and work process problems on their own. The survey also asked whether employees were sanctioned by corporate IT departments to use technologies of their choice to do so. To find more resources on the topic, please visit the Workplace Innovation section of the QuickBase blog. The study was inspired by Forrester Research’s June 2010 report, “The HERO Index: Finding Empowered Employees.”

Additional Resources

• Infographic
• The QuickBase blog
• Intuit QuickBase on Twitter
• Intuit QuickBase Press Room

About QuickBase

Used by more than half of the Fortune 100, Intuit QuickBase is a proven and trusted online database software designed with the business user in mind to help them improve personal productivity, communication and collaboration. Business users can select from hundreds of ready-to-use database applications such as online project management and sales management software or customize an application to match the exact workflow and unique needs of their team.

About Intuit Inc.

Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks®, Quicken® and TurboTax®, simplify small business management and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. ProSeries® and Lacerte® are Intuit's leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. Intuit Financial Services helps banks and credit unions grow by providing on-demand solutions and services that make it easier for consumers and businesses to manage their money.

Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of $3.9 billion in its fiscal year 2011. The company has approximately 8,000 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.

Intuit, the Intuit logo, and QuickBase, among others, are registered trademarks and/or registered service marks of Intuit Inc. in the United States and other countries. For free trials and promotions, please see the websites listed above for the terms, conditions, and restrictions related to such offers.

News Release from Citrix Systems - HDFaces

Note to visitors: The Palo-Negro-Blog is no longer being actively maintained.  For current news and information, please visit:  http://JBK-BizTech.blogspot.com and http://JBK-Current-Events.blogspot.com

Collaborate in HDFaces Video from Your iPad with the New GoToMeeting App

Bernardo de Albergaria, VP and GM of Collaboration for Citrix, announced the new GoToMeeting for iPad app today in his blog.

3/8/2012 » Bernardo de Albergaria » I used to like Adele’s music – almost everyone likes Adele, right? – but I didn’t really love it. Then I saw a recording of her in concert, and everything clicked.

What a performance! Her songs took on extra meaning when I saw the emotion in her face. She wasn’t just singing lyrics anymore; she was conveying a message. And I totally bought in. Even though there were thousands of people in attendance and probably millions watching the recording, I felt a bond with her. And now I probably hate the guy who broke her heart more than she does.

Isn’t it fascinating how much body language and facial expressions – a smile, a nod, an eye-roll – can affect how communication is received? Whether you’re a Grammy-winning singer or, more likely, a hard-working employee or entrepreneur, it’s safe to say that you convey your intended message much more clearly when you can supplement your voice with facial expressions and see your audience’s reactions.

That’s one of the reasons we added HDFaces video conferencing to GoToMeeting®. And that’s why we’re happy to announce that HDFaces is now part of our free GoToMeeting app for iPad. As “anywhere” work continues to trend and fuel success, this built-for business app brings a new level of rich mobile collaboration – in an easy-to-use, one-tap format – from anywhere. (See video demonstrating GoToMeeting for iPad)

Delivering HDFaces video conferencing through the new GoToMeeting app for iPad is just our latest offering in the two collaboration areas we’re concentrating on most: mobile and video.

The first rendition of the GoToMeeting app was released in April 2010 – since then it has consistently ranked in the top 10 free applications for business. It gives anyone with an iPhone or iPad the opportunity to attend GoToMeeting sessions when they’re away from a computer – and that makes scheduling meetings for GoToMeeting customers much more simple.

Meanwhile, our recently released HDFaces feature for GoToMeeting has drawn rave reviews from customers and the press alike. The picture quality is superb, and it just takes one click to turn on and off – we think that’s a big reason why GoToMeeting is the fastest growing major web conferencing service,according to Frost & Sullivan. It truly does change the way people work.

That leads us back to the newest version of GoToMeeting for iPad. Just like GoToMeeting on your computer, the app integrates up to 6 video streams, screen sharing and VoIP and phone audio options in one simple package. This app provides an easy way to stay connected and productive and opens the door for bold new ideas, like taking a meeting on a live tour of a manufacturing plant or doctors bringing in a collaborator via video to help diagnose patients.

Here’s what you can do with the app:

• Attend online meetings from wherever you are.
• Join meetings in seconds by tapping a link in an email.
• Turn on HDFaces video conferencing with one tap.
• Share front or back camera on iPad 2
• Activate talking webcam to see only the speakers video
• There’s a lot more. Check out an exhaustive list on the App Store.

As mobile work and the devices that support them continue to trend, this built-for-business app becomes more of a necessity.

Wherever work happens, you can meet in HDFaces video using the new GoToMeeting app for iPad.Download, enjoy and rest assured that we’ve got more up our sleeve.

Bernardo de Albergaria
VP and GM of Collaboration

News Release from Citrix Systems

Survey Finds Organizations Embracing Mobile Workstyles

Ninety three percent of organizations intend to provide flexible work environments by 2013

Santa Clara, Calif. » 3/6/2012 » According to a survey of senior IT decision makers, organizations across the globe are widely embracing mobile workstyles as a way to empower business innovation.The Citrix Global Workshifting Index, released today, indicates that by the end of 2013 ninety three percent of organizations will have implemented workshifting policies, up from 37 percent which currently offer workshifting for part, or all, of their workforce.

Mobile workstyles are enabled when people have access to the technology and policies that allow them to be as productive when they are outside the office – connected wirelessly using public networks and often times personal devices – as they are in the office using a company network and device. Workshifting is a type of mobile workstyle in which work is moved to more optimal times, locations and resources. For people, this means moving work to a place where they find inspiration and can be their most productive.  For organizations, it means reducing business and IT costs while providing flexibility to allow people to work anywhere, anytime and on any device.

Survey respondents confirmed that organizations are recognizing the benefits of mobile workstyles and workshifting including improved business productivity and agility for the organization and greater freedom, mobility and flexibility for users. They are implementing workshifting policies to reduce business and IT costs, provide greater workplace flexibility for people and improve support for an increasingly remote and mobile workforce.

Workshifting Benefits Both the Organization and People
Organizations are recognizing that giving people the ability to work from anywhere can benefit both parties. The business reaps the rewards of a highly mobile and agile business with increased productivity and lower costs while people have the flexibility to choose the ideal time, place and device for their work. According to IT decision makers, the benefits of workshifting include:

• Giving people the flexibility to choose the ideal time, place and device for their work. Seventy one percent of respondents indicated that they are using workshifting policies to enable people to work from anywhere and 63 percent to enable people to work from home when required.
• Providing people with uninterrupted access to desktops and apps during business disruptions of any kind. Ninety four percent of senior IT decision makers agreed that the need for comprehensive business continuity is very important with 93 percent of those surveyed agreeing that desktop virtualization was a very effective foundation for business continuity.
• Reducing real-estate, travel and labor costs through flex-work, telework and alternative workplace strategies. Cost savings are among the main drivers for workshifting with the reduction of HR-related costs at 45 percent, improved ability to recruit workers in lower-cost regions at 39 percent, reduction of real estate costs at 38 percent and contribution to environmental sustainability at 26 percent.
• Attracting and retaining the best people through flex-work, telework and alternative workplace strategies. Fifty one percent of IT decision makers indicated that have implemented workshifting policies to help attract and retain top talent. Nearly half of respondents also indicated that  workshifting enables organizations to tap into a broader labor pool by facilitating collaboration with and among outsourcing partners, contractors, business partners, temporary workers and consultants.

Desktop Virtualization is Primary Enabling Technology for Workshifting
Desktop virtualization is emerging as a key technology for creating a more flexible workplace with 91 percent of organizations planning to implement desktop virtualization by the end of 2013. Of those implementing desktop virtualization, 57 percent indicated they are implementing or will implement it to enable workshifting. Desktop virtualization enables organizations to access full desktops, applications and data from wherever they are, whenever and from any device a worker chooses. In addition, the security benefits of desktop virtualization ensure that confidential business information is protected from loss and theft in order to meet privacy and compliance standards. According to those surveyed, 92 percent of organizations have adopted or are adopting desktop virtualization to improve information security. People can also take advantage of online meetings and file-sharing services which allow teams to collaborate effectively regardless of the location of every individual.

Quote

Mick Hollison, vice president, Integrated Marketing & Strategy, for Citrix
“Workshifting enables organizations to be more productive and agile, and provides people with added mobility and flexibility to move work to the most convenient and productive times, locations and devices. We’ve long believed that workshifting is a key part of a solid business and IT strategy and these survey findings are an indicator that this trend is going mainstream. Organizations around the globe are moving from traditional work environments and realizing real-estate, travel and labor cost savings by enabling mobile workstyles.”

Related Links

• Whitepaper: Workshifting: a global market research report
• Whitepaper: The Top 10 Reasons to Embrace Workshifting
• Whitepaper: Workshifting: How IT is Changing the Way Business is Done
• Webpage: Workshifting Solutions
• Expert Blog: Whatever, Whenever, Wherever - The New Workplace is Anywhere You Are
• Expert Blog: Flying Free: My First 30 Days as a Citrix Remote Employee
• Expert Blog: Do Ultrabooks Mean Ultra-Productivity?
• Expert Blog: Change Brings Security?

Follow Us Online

• Twitter: @Citrix, @xendesktop, @CitrixPR
• Citrix on Facebook

Sample size
The research for the Citrix Workshifting Index was conducted independently by Vanson Bourne in October 2011, and is based on 1100 IT professionals across eleven countries. One hundred IT professionals were surveyed in each of eleven countries including: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (USA). Three quarters of respondents were from organizations of 1000 or more employees, one quarter were from organizations of 500-999 employees.

The research is based on the insights and experiences of 1,100 senior IT decision-makers from organizations of over 500 employees, across 11 countries in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

About Citrix
Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) transforms how businesses and IT work and people collaborate in the cloud era. With market-leading cloud, collaboration, networking and virtualization technologies, Citrix powers mobile workstyles and cloud services, making complex enterprise IT simpler and more accessible for 260,000 organizations. Citrix products touch 75 percent of Internet users each day and it partners with more than 10,000 companies in 100 countries. Annual revenue in 2011 was $2.21 billion. Learn more at www.citrix.com.

Advertising: Made in America Resonates

Excerpt from an article in The New York Times
Thursday, February 16, 2012

Made-in-America Resonates With Marketers 

By STUART ELLIOTT

BLUE-COLLAR workers in fields like manufacturing — particularly when they make products on American soil — are again becoming a favorite subject for white-collar workers on Madison Avenue.

The trend was born of the economic worries that followed the financial crisis in 2008. Recently, it is gaining steam — appropriate, since the ads often use blasts of steam to signal something is being built — with proposals in Washington to offer incentives to encourage the location or relocation of factories in the United States.

“We continue to see very heavy emotional response to anything that would leverage against the bad economy,” said Robert Passikoff, president at Brand Keys, a brand and customer-loyalty consulting company in New York.

The trend is even extending beyond advertising. For instance, “ABC World News” is running a series of reports under the rubric “Made in America,” in which anchors and reporters celebrate a preference for buying merchandise made in this country.

The most notable moment to date in the trend came on Feb. 5, when Super Bowl XLVI was played, as marketers paid NBC tens of millions of dollars to run commercials with work themes before the game, during the game and during halftime.

Those commercials included spots for General Electric, part of a campaign carrying the theme “G.E. works,” that celebrated products like refrigerators and turbines being built in the United States; a spot that showed a bottle of new Bud Light Platinum beer being produced in a plant that looked more like a factory than a brewery; and a spot for Hyundai, featuring workers employed at its first American factory, in Montgomery, Ala.

Updating Travel Policy

News release from American Express:

The One Business Resolution Companies Can't Afford to Break: Updating Travel PolicyLess Than One Third of Companies Have Updated Their Travel Policies within the Last Year According to New Research from American Express Global Business Travel

NEW YORK, NY,  February 6, 2012 -- 

New research by American Express Global Business Travel outlines gaps and opportunities for companies to strengthen managed travel programs by focusing on their travel and expense policies early this year. Analyzing nearly 100 travel policies of global, multinational, and mid-sized companies, the research shows less than one third of these companies overall have updated their travel policies within the last year. This oversight can leave companies exposed to losing hard-earned corporate negotiated rates, and more importantly, may put travelers at unnecessary risk.

"It's a new year and with any good business practice, corporate travel departments are setting goals, including bringing their programs in line with the competition and external marketplace dynamics," said Christa Degnan Manning, director of EXPERT INSIGHTS research, American Express Global Business Travel. "However, like many improvement resolutions, reviewing and revising travel policy tends to get neglected. Yet a healthy travel policy can help companies achieve long-term success. Policies can support business-critical goals such as risk mitigation and employee engagement, as they touch on issues from traveler safety and security to corporate social responsibility."

This new Best Practice Roadmap report on Travel Policy, produced by EXPERT INSIGHTS, shows many organizations still need to close the gap between their policy content and emerging industry trends.

Highlights of the policy gaps exposed in this report, based on 100 corporate policies reviewed, include:

• Only 12% addressed traveler security despite it being a critical issue for companies to consider as more and more employees embark on worldwide business travel today
• 80% did not address reimbursement of ancillary fees such as checked bags, reservation change fees, or other for-purchase services offered at hotels and car rentals
• Only 35% of smaller companies and large international organizations require an agency to book hotels, compared to 85% of global companies
• None of the travel policies addressed the use of mobile applications or even referenced tools they may have available for travelers to use on the road or when working remotely
• 70% of companies do not provide specific guidelines to travelers on when it makes sense to book airfares through a non-preferred supplier if the ticket price is less expensive

"Policy is the foundation of a successful managed travel program and maintaining this infrastructure by conducting regular check-ups is paramount," said Helen Brough, Advisory Services Global Policy Practice Director, American Express Global Business Travel. "In our policy practice we have identified over 300 areas companies should be reviewing in their policy for the best outcomes – for the company, for the traveling employees, and for ultimate travel management program success. Companies that are most successful are those that regularly review and update their travel policies based on changing market conditions as well as focus on communicating those policies to their travelers."

FILLING THE GAPS

• Security: Companies should provide guidance to their travelers for the range of areas associated with security, such as how to prepare for a trip, what to do during a trip, and after travel, particularly when traveling to high-risk destinations. Guidance around what to do during a travel emergency or disruption should also not go overlooked in policies, as well as information on security around company assets.
   
• Fees: Addressing the various fees that travelers are confronted with while on the road remains a policy opportunity. It should be made easier on travelers in understanding what is reimbursable as well as being made aware of waived fees and other benefits associated with booking with preferred suppliers, such as free checked baggage on airlines or complimentary wi-fi as part of a hotel rate.
   
• Hotel Compliance: Safety and security rank at the top of the list of reasons for traveler compliance to hotel policy. Knowing the city to which a traveler is headed is only half of the equation, particularly when locating travelers in an emergency. This area also poses the greatest area of leakage in travel policy, compromising negotiated rates when booking hotels outside of policy. Companies should communicate to travelers the reasons for booking hotels at the same time as air reservations.
   
• Mobile Technology: There have been advancements in travel technology that can help business travelers manage trip details before, during and after traveling. Company supported mobile applications can be used to facilitate communication, both during critical issues like travel emergencies and for day-to-day support, including policy and traveler benefits notifications. A successful travel policy should include rules for these resources, and help travelers find and take advantage of them to save time and increase compliance.
   
• Addressing Lowest Logical Airfare: Companies increasingly have introduced language instructing employees to find the lowest fare possible, regardless of whether or not a flight is with a preferred supplier. The reality of this practice is that the individual trip savings by booking cheaper fares with non-preferred airlines can jeopardize negotiated rates, unintentionally driving up overall travel costs over time. Guidelines should be established indicating when this practice should be used. Recent capacity constraints, merger and acquisition activity, and even low-cost carrier dynamics require that travel managers revisit this concept and communicate it appropriately in policy.

Tips for Making Policy Connect to Travelers
"As today's global marketplace is constantly changing, and the logistics of capitalizing on growth in emerging markets make travel more complex than ever before, it is not enough to just develop a travel policy and assume that employees know what to do with it," continued Brough. "Companies should be actively leveraging and communicating their travel policy to employees and enlisting influencers within the company such as Human Resources, Security and Legal to support these efforts."

• Make it Accessible: There are many ways a company can address communicating to travelers and encouraging compliance, including using pre-trip tools, policy messages integrated at the point of sale and even prior to booking. Intranets and other portals can also provide a channel to communicate policy to help travelers make the right decisions.
   
• Appeal to the Traveler: If travelers do not understand their travel policy or know where to find it, it is unlikely that it will be adhered to or that travelers will be able to benefit from the perks. Most employees want to do the right thing by the business, so businesses need to let employees know what is in it for the company and for them. That way the traveler can benefit from the perks of following the policy and the company can benefit from travel policy compliance.
   
• Revisit for Relevancy: Establish a policy team with representatives from all stakeholders, including those that can represent the traveler, and charge them with the maintenance of the travel policy. Then communicate changes to travelers so everyone can stay current.
   
• Eliminate Uncertainty: It has been reported that one in four expense reports is typically sent back to the traveler for clarification or additional documentation support. Travel policy should take into consideration the process for expense reimbursement. The better a traveler understands the reimbursement process, the less time will be spent on re-doing these reports.

About American Express Global Business Travel
American Express Global Business Travel, a division of American Express Company, is a global industry leader in business travel and meetings management committed to helping businesses succeed through cost-effective program management, world-class customer service, and enhanced traveler productivity support worldwide. Through leading online, offline and on-the-go solutions, consulting services, business insights and research, supplier negotiation expertise, and meetings and events capabilities, innovative services are delivered to clients to maximize the return on their travel and meetings investments. Learn more at americanexpress.com/businesstravel interact with peers on businesstravelconnexion.com and follow us onfacebook.com/businesstravelconneXion and twitter.com/btconnexion.

American Express operates one of the world's largest travel agency networks with locations in over 140 countries worldwide. Total travel sales volume processed in 2010 was $25.7 billion, including consolidated volume and non-consolidated volume processed through joint ventures and its partner network.

American Express Company is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights, and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.