Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • November 2, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 25 OPINION & COMMENTARY EXPERTS CORNER How to manage your COVID-19 IT needs By Ryan Kreger T he COVID-19-related global shutdowns have radically transformed work. An astonishing 84% of office work- ers worldwide — and 97% in the U.S. — were working remotely at least some of the time as of June, accord- ing to a survey by workplace consul- tants Iometrics and Global Work- place Analytics. Now, perhaps more than ever, information technology can play a front-and- center role in organizational productivity and effectiveness. Below are five questions all orga- nizational leaders should ask about their IT capabilities: How are people connecting to our network — and staying connected? For many employees, their home internet connections are personal and not employer-provided or controlled. Unreliable or inadequate home broadband connectivity is the primary technical challenge busi- nesses now face, according to a just- released survey by international IT services provider Navisite. This can be an even bigger issue when parents and their remote- school-attending children are all competing for a slice of the home's broadband capacity. Some companies offer remote desktops (RDP), which essentially allow employees the ability to log into more powerful and secure workplace or virtual computers. RDPs can keep bandwidth and storage-hogging applications and files on more robust office systems, and support stronger cybersecurity by maintaining it on the office or virtual system. Employees with less-than-stellar connectivity should also be encour- aged to use a hardwired connection because it will always be more reli- able and faster than Wi-Fi. For the most part, organizations should consider requiring or subsidiz- ing the cost of high-speed broadband in employees' homes. If that's simply not an option, organizations can provide Wi-Fi hotspots to select employees. How are we maintaining security and compliance? Cybersecurity is an even big- ger issue in a remote-work world. Employers should issue work- maintained computers to employ- ees, so that organizations can keep security and connectivity software up to date. Employees should be discouraged from using public Wi-Fi, but if it's necessary, they should be equipped with Virtual Private Network (VPN) software, which can provide greater security against hackers. How are employees staying produc- tive and how are we monitoring it? Employers have the right to know that their employees are working productively and safely during work hours. A plethora of software allows employers to monitor their employees. While few would quibble with an organization's right to protect its confidential information and safeguard against cyber threats, the issue becomes murkier when it involves monitoring employees' keystrokes, time online, or physical locations. While employers are generally allowed to keep virtual tabs on their workers during work hours, espe- cially when they're using work-sup- plied equipment and information, organizations are best served by being transparent about how they monitor employees' behavior and productivity. How are staff members collabo- rating? One of remote work's biggest weak spots is maintaining team unity and organizational culture. IT can support these objectives by staying up to date and offering the latest collaboration and communi- cation software. Beyond the ubiquitous Zoom and Webex teleconferencing platforms, popular tools include enterprise- wide messaging apps like Jabber and Slack, and integrated business communication platforms such as Microsoft Teams. How are we continuing or facili- tating training? An advantage of virtual work is the increased ability and convenience of training and education. IT should drive the training needs of any new software and applications, but the department can expand its contribu- tion and relevance by researching, identifying and supporting engaging and convenient training about other issues and topics important to the organization and its mission. This can range from formal online seminars and classes offered by pro- fessional or educational entities to webinars or virtual presentations on subjects the organization's leaders know will interest its workforce. Ryan Kreger is the vice president and managing director of Wallingford-based ASG Information Technologies. Ryan Kreger BIZ BOOKS Navigating the future during times of uncertainty By Jim Pawlak "Uncharted — How to Navigate the Future" by Margaret Heffer- nan (Avid Reader Press, $30). "Prediction ad- diction" (n.) — relying on internal/ex- ternal forecasts, opinions of "experts" and polls to drive decision-making. In the book's introduction, Heffernan points out that predictions are based on what's known at a point in time while the real future "lies beyond pre- diction or influence." Example: No one predicted a global pandemic. Think of COVID-19's long-tail economic effects. Jobs, time and money have been lost; supply chains have been disrupted. It'll take time and patience to rebuild. When unpredictability throws the planned future out the window, a busi- ness's survival requires answering these three questions: 1. "What can we do right now?" 2. "What do we need to be right now?" 3. "What must we preserve at all cost?" To answer them, "Go Fast, Go Far" — one step at a time. Step 1: Employ scenario planning. Have your team develop scenarios of what the future of the business may look like based upon changes occur- ring in the work environment and market today. Develop your baseline by identifying the common threads in actions and expected outcomes of the scenarios. Then apply what-if, if-then and so- what analysis to "highlight options and alternatives" that use the most valuable common-thread actions, resources and timelines. Whittle down the alter- natives through a team discussion of what's necessary and what's possible, which shows the team how success depends upon teamwork. Decide on the path forward. Step 2: "Think like an artist" with a blank page/canvas. What story does your team want to tell and sell to those on the frontline of "making it happen." "Observations, details, themes, experience coalesce into a starting point." Also, understand that you're trying to sell tomorrow to an audience worried about uncer- tainty today. Welcoming their input throughout the process helps alert you to blind spots and/or "what you might not expect." It also increases commitment to the new plan. Takeaway: Frame your senior team's mindset by having them read the book and discuss it before an- swering the three questions. Jim Pawlak

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